Parsha:

Tetzaveh 

Description

Sfas Emes 5651. The Jewish people are likened to olives because we get picked, thrown around, beaten, and crushed by the nations of the world. The two qualities of shemen zayit (olive oil) are zach, which means pure from the first press, and all of the other grades which have other elements mixed in to the oil. We Jews have to put a lot of work into drawing out the pure oil from ourselves. Shemen zayit is connected to machshava (thought). Moshe Rabbeinu's generation had the purest oil, meaning the clearest chochma (wisdom), which is still illuminating us to this day. We should use our good days to help us on our bad days. Shabbos and geula are likened to clear, pure oil.