20 Feb TETZAVEH: PRIORITIES

This week’s parashah
discusses the mitzvah
of kindling the
menorah’s lights in
the Mishkan with pure
olive oil.
There are nine levels of
quality olive oil listed
(Menachos 86.). Olive
oil was used daily in the
Beis HaMikdash to light
the menorah and for the
menachos (flour/oil
offerings). Ideally, to
perform these mitzvos,
the highest quality, virgin
olive oil was used. The
Rambam (Hilchos Isurei Mizbeiach, 7:11)
asks, “Why are [nine levels of olive oil] listed
if they are all kosher? So that we will know
which olive oil is best, which is medium
class, and which is poor quality. A person
who wants to overcome his yetzer hara and
be generous should bring his korban from the
best quality. The Torah (Bereishis 4:4) states,
‘Hevel brought from the choicest of his flock,
and Hashem turned to Hevel and to his
korban.’ The same is for everything one does
for Hashem; he should choose the most
beautiful and the best quality. If he builds a

Beis knesses, it should be more beautiful than
his own home. When he feeds the hungry, he
should give them the best and sweetest from
his table. When he gives clothing to the poor,
he should give them his nicest clothing. When
he is makdish something (a donation to the
Beis HaMikdash), he should donate the nicest
item he owns. As is stated (Vayikra 3:16) ‘all
the choice parts for Hashem.’”
A poor person, dressed in an old, battered
hat, came to the home of the Kopyshnitzer
Rebbe zt’l. The Rebbe had compassion on
him and took out a brand-new hat from his
closet and gave it to him.
When the poor man left, people said to the
Rebbe, ‘The hat you’re wearing right now is
also much more beautiful than the hat the
poor man wore. You should have given him
your hat and kept the new hat for yourself.”
He replied, “I did keep the best hat for
myself. Because I gave my best hat for
tzedakah, and that is for myself because I will
be rewarded for that in Gan Eden.”
Ideally, for the menorah and menachos, one
should use the highest quality olive oil.
Nevertheless, all nine levels of olive oil are
kosher for menachos. But for the menorah,
only three categories of olive oil are kosher.
As the Torah states in this week’s parashah

(27:20), “Pressed oil for the illumination.”
Rashi writes, “The olives [which will be used
for the menorah] are pressed, not ground, so
there shouldn’t be any sediments. After the
first drop of oil dripped out, the olives were
put into a mill and ground. The second oil is
pasul for the menorah but kosher for
menachos, as it states, ‘Pressed oil for the
illumination’ but it doesn’t need to be pressed
for the menachos.”
On the other hand, humans don’t need the
best oil for lighting, but they want the best oil
for eating. Unlike the Beis HaMikdash,
where the best oil was required for the
menorah, and secondary oils could be used
for the menachos.
This teaches us an important lesson:
The menorah represents the light of Torah
and mitzvos. The meal offerings of the
menachos represent parnassah. The purest
oils used in the menorah tell us that we should
seek only the best when it comes to Torah and
mitzvos. The secondary oil used for the
menachos reminds us that second grade is
also good enough for matters of this world.
This lesson is also the opposite of how we
think of things. When it comes to Olam
HaZeh, we want the best car, the most
beautiful home, etc. If a neighbor has more

than us, we become sick with envy.
But when it comes to ruchniyos, we are
satisfied with mediocre tefillos and a drop of
Torah knowledge. If a neighbor knows more
Torah or davens with more kavanah, we can
live with that.
With the halachos of the olive oil – the best
used for the menorah and second grade used
for the menachos – the Torah reminds us to
set our priorities straight. For Torah and
mitzvos, we should strive for the best and for
the utmost success. And when it comes to
Olam HaZeh matters, we can be satisfied with
less, too.