Tetzaveh Parashah #20

I'd like to talk a little bit this morning about oil and what Scripture has to say about it. For several years I was the outstate fleet superintendent for a major beverage company. One of my many tasks was to introduce and maintain and extensive oil analysis program for over 1500 pieces of transportation and warehouse equipment. Analyzing motor oils and other lubricants for the purpose of getting the most life out of the equipment, allowed us to determine when and how often oil changes were needed. This information was valuable in assessing the need to sell and or rebuild equipment also, which contributed to the economic well being of fleet maintenance.
One of the great lessons that I learned from this, is that oil for the most part does not break down or lose its ability to lubricate in and of itself. What happens then that causes oil to get black and require replacement, is the contamination that it picks up while it does its work of lubricating. If this contaminated oil is not replaced with new fresh oil, severe damages can occur to the very heart system of the vehicle, carrying with it, high costs. The spiritual lesson here is great, as oil is likened unto the Ruach HaChodesh in our lives, we too become contaminated over time and that's why its crucial to ask for a fresh filling as well. Ephesians 5:18 says: "Keep on being filled with the Spirit..."

The purity of oil for the lamps of the menorah is emphasized in the opening verses of this weeks parashah Tetzaveh (order/command). It's quite clear that Torah demands the olive oil to be in its purest uncontaminated state to serve as fuel for the menorah light in the Tabernacle and even later the Temple in Yerushalayim. The purpose of the menorah was not to provide light for G-d, so to speak, as He does not need our light, but rather it pointed to the annointed one to come that was light in the beginning and would profess to be the eternal light of the world that men would need to walk after. B'rit Chadashah I Yochanan 1:5 states in part: God is light, and there is no darkness in him - none! In Yochanan 8:12 it states: Yeshua spoke to them again: "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life." Read Sh'mot 27:20~21 pg 91 The phrase in vs 21; "burning continually" is in the Hebrew; "ner tamid" or the eternal lamp, which is still used exclusively in synagogues around the world, yet today. Our parashah however is not the first mention of the oil for the lamp, but rather we saw it in last weeks parashah Terumah, where it is listed as a donation or contribution that is uplifted from one's heart. The word Terumah comes from the Hebrew root: rum øåÌí, which means exalted or uplifted. In other words, the contributions were to be lifted out and set apart as a free will offering from the heart for a higher purpose. Read Sh'mot 25:1~7 pg 88
An intersting element that we find here, is that the oil for the light as well as the spices for the annointing oil and fragrant incense, are mentioned with those gifts required for the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Even though they are listed here, they really are not construction components, but rather they fall into a separate category of those materials that were required for avodah (Worship). It becomes increasingly clear then that the purest of oil to be used for the menorah was not just physical so that its light would be strong and bright, not flickering in a weak condition from an impure or contaminated source, but rather, again, it points to a strong moral and spiritual condition as well, which is exclusive of worship.
The Light that G-d's Word speaks of here then is dependent on the spiritual and moral purity of its orign or source. Concerning Yeshua as the source of light we read in I Yochanan 3:5: You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. Just as the sediment and pulp which contaminate the oil, leading to a dim, weak and flickering flame, so too harmful imperfections of character and behavior weaken the prospect of letting one's light shine brightly in a place of darkness as well. Even though the source of this oil is pure and uncontaminated, the things that we love and the actions we show are contaminated with darkness so we become bad testimony of the One true Light that desires to give us His ner tamid (eternal life)Let's turn to: Yochanan 3:19~21 pg 1333
Darkness is the opposite of Light, so if light is life then that means that darkness is death. In Kohelet (Eccl) 10:1 King Shlomo is not alluding to the pure oil of the menorah, but rather alluding to the highly refined and purified oil of the perfumers he states: "Just as dead flies make perfumed oil stink, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor" Tragically as we saw earlier, if people love the darkness as expressed by their evil actions, they are on an active path of death, and it stinks. The only recourse for those dead flies- walking in darkness is to be united with the One Who is Light. In so doing, they no longer function in darkness but now they bring light into it exposing its foolishness.
Read Ephesians 5:8~20 pg 1463
Torah, therefore, places a great deal of emphasis on the oil for moral and spiritual reasons as we've seen. A primary reason for this emphatic understanding of the fuel for the light is this: If impurity and contamination could try to alter or change the original purity of the oil, the Light of the menorah itself would then be degraded and cheapened. Thankfully the origin of the true Light cannot be made impure, however if we, who are called to be light, consort with deeds that are produced by darkness, we make mockery of that Light with actions that are not accomplished through G-d. Mattityahu 5:14~16 states: "You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don't cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."As we mentioned earlier, the Light is all about worship
As we alluded to earlier, the pure olive oil was primarily about Light, but Scripture tells us more about this oil as well. Olive oil was one of the great commodities of the ancient world, and in its various forms of purity it was not only fuel for light but it was used as fragrant healing lotion, and mixed with spices it became incense and annointing oil. It was used for meal offerings, cooking, lubricating, and even for perfumes. In conjunction with the text of Sh'mot 27:20 that we read earlier, the Talmud in Menachot 86a suggests that the olives for the menorah oil were to remain on the tree until they have ripened and are full of oil. Then they are picked and pressed with extraction by pressure for purity. This produces the first and the best oil of the olive harvest for the expressed purpose of true and pure Light. Olives for true Light are never crushed or ground in a mill, as this results in impurity.

With this understanding then, Torah is teaching us that out of all the skills and talents a person possesses, the first and best of these is to be actively employed in the avodah (worship and service) to G-d and to His mitzvote.We are never to bring an offering to G-d that is second best or worse, an inferior contribution, or one that is purely by default. Rather we must offer our best, our firstfruits, sanctified and set apart for Him. Romans 12:1 expresses it best in the words: "I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical "Temple worship" for you." If a person is wholeheartedly willing to contribute the first and the best that he has to offer through his gifts for the worship of G-d and for the advancement of His Kingdom, his light will never go out.

We had made a connection earlier between the Ruach HaChodesh and oil. We saw in Sh'mot 25:1 that annointing oil was also for the purpose of sanctification and kohen ordination but not construction. It was mixed with spices, so its level of purity may have been similar as that for the menorah, but it was forbidden for regular human use and could not be replicated. Yeshua quoting from the Prophet Yeshayahu while honoring the haftarah reading in synagogue, gives credence to this not as the oil for light, but rather through the oil of annointing. Read Luke 4:16~21 pg 1294
Originally the annointing oil was exclusively used for the Kohanim and the appurtenances in the Tabernacle, but its use was extended in later times to Prophets and Kings. The very name Messiah in Hebrew which is Mashiach, means "Annointed," and certainly Yeshua fullfilled all three categories of: Prophet, Kohen (Priest), and King.
Finally I'd like to look briefly at oil that is used for healing. We talked about the menorah with its pure oil not only sybolizing the physical but also the spiritual. The same can be said concerning oil for healing. In Luke Ch 10: 25~37 Yeshua shares the story of the Good Samaritan, who upon finding the man who had been robbed, nearly dead. He took oil and wine and applied them to the wounds and bandaged him up, mercifully providing life and physical healing. We mentioned previously that oil was a staple and it was common for people to carry a small container of oil with them. Mixed with mercy the Samaritan sets example. Pg 1306
Turn to Ya'akov Ch 5:14~15 pg 1513The olive oil is a symbol of healing here, using the authority of the Master's Name in its application, whereas the prayer offered by faith will bring physical healing through the Master and spiritual healing will follow. Tehillim 103:3 reiterates this thought as it states: He forgives all your offenses, he heals all your diseases...
Oil, whether it is used for annointing or for healing, is really a spiritual transfer of authority to a particular G-d appointed position or to change the status of one's physical and spiritual condition. Either way it points to Mashiach. The pure oil for use as fuel in the light of the menorah, represents from a physical standpoint that the light needs to shine brightly, never go dim or flicker, and certainly never be diminished. Spiritually the pure oil of the menorah represents our worship united with the Master, not contaminated, not self seeking but committed totally to give Him our first and our best.

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