Tetzave תרל”ט

במדרש זית רענן כו’.
The Midrash compares Bnei Yisrael to a thriving olive tree. (Just as an olive only gives oil when it is beaten and crushed, so too Bnei Yisrael only do teshuva when they are suffering).
כי בא להראות שגם כשבני ישראל בשפל המדריגה. מ”מ נמצא נסתר בהם אור התורה. רק שצריכין יגיעה לברר הפנימיות.
The Midrash is teaching us that even when Bnei Yisrael are on a spiritual low level. They nevertheless have the light of the Torah hidden in them, however it needs much toil to clarify and extract this hidden light – the pnimius.
ולכן אם כי יש להם כמה מדריגות זו למעלה מזו. מ”מ מדריגה זו נמצא בהם לעולם.
Therefore, even though there may be many levels, higher and higher, however this level (of always containing and being able to extract the hidden light) will always be found in them.
וירמיהו הגיד זה בהיותם בשפל המצב. אעפ”כ זית רענן כי’.
Even the prophecy (where they were compared to a thriving olive tree) was said to them by Yirmiyah when Bnei Yisrael were at their lowest level. Nevertheless he called them “a thriving olive tree” (for this trait of accessing the light in the darkness continually remains with them).
וגם בכאן אחר החטא שהיו בנ”י בשפל המדריגה. והראה הקב”ה למרע”ה כי מ”מ נמצא בהם הארה גנוזה.
So too the commandment of the Menorah was given to Bnei Yisrael when they were at their lowest level. HaShem showed Moshe that the hidden light was nevertheless found among them.
ואמר ואתה תצוה שע”י שמרע”ה לא הי’ בכלל החטא והוא הוא הראש והשורש של כללות ישראל. ולכן הי’ בכחו לחזור לדבק אותם בנקודת השורש כנ”ל.
The pasuk states: “And you (Moshe) shall command…”. This is because it is through Moshe Rabeinu, who did not sin in the Golden Calf, and he was the head of Klal Yisrael, therefore Moshe was able to return them and connect them back to their source.
והכל ע”י הביטול אל השורש בידוע שיש בכל איש ישראל נפש טובה ועליו מתלבש נפש רע. וע”י רוב פחיתות מתעבה ומתגדל נפש הרע על נפש הטובה. אבל עיקר נפש הפנימיות הוא טוב:
This is all done through nullification to the source. For it is known that each and every one of Yisrael has a good soul, upon which the negative soul attaches and clothes a person. The lower a person is the stronger this clothing of negativity is, and his negative desires overcome the good soul. Yet (despite this) the primary soul of a person is always good.