Parashat Tetzaveh - Shabbat Zajor 5775 - English

B”H

Shmot 27:20- 30:10

February 28, 2015 - 9 Adar 5775

Regarding the Bond between Human Beings and the Divine

How do you conceive G-d’s place in this world?  What is your bond with G-d?  Do you feel it is really possible to establish a relationship with the divine?  At different points in our lives, we ask ourselves several of these questions. 

In some commentaries on this week’s Parashah, we can find some of the ways the sages saw to create a link with G-d.

Parashat Tetzaveh begins by saying: “You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly.” (Shmot 27:20)

G-d commanded the children of Israel to bring olive oil in order to daily light the Menorah that lived within the Mishkan, the tabernacle.  Different commentators stop here at the meaning of the olive oil.  I will refer to three of them, from where we can extract a message related to the bond between human beings and G-d. 

The Midrash Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1 states that olives are sweetened and turned into oil by crushing them; in the same way, the people of Israel are perfected through pain and suffering.  According to this Midrash, the way to improve, to succeed, to approach G-d is through suffering and pain.  A person must suffer to become good and close to G-d.  This message has not really spread in our tradition, however, it still exists.  It is about sacrifice, suffering, as a means to get closer to the divine. 

A second commentary sees oil as a symbol of the people of Israel (Shmot Rabbah 36).  The book of Yirmiyahu mentions G-d named the people of Israel “a thriving olive tree with beautiful fruit” (Jeremiah 11:16).  On the other hand, there are several commentaries that compare the lamps and lights with G-d Himself.  For instance, the book of Proverbs says: “The spirit of man is the lamp of G-d” (Proverbs 20:27).  The candle requires oil to be lit and the purpose of oil described in this Parashah is being able to light the NER, the candle, constantly.  We can understand this interaction between oil, the people, and the candle, G-d, as an expression of the reciprocity that may exist in the bond between G-d and the people of Israel, enlightening the world together. 

This explanation comes close to the well-known idea in Judaism of the power of being partners with G-d in the creation of the world.  Being a partner means sharing the effort, the responsibility, and the challenge of the continual creation and recreation of humanity.  Seeing G-d as a partner represents an interesting world view, and one that is very different to what we saw before. 

Finally, on the subject of this verse, the authors of the commentary in the Chumash Etz Jaim (from the Rabbinical Assembly) wonder why divinity is many times symbolized by light.  They answer this by saying that just as light is only witnessed when it allows us to see other things, we cannot see G-d except when we appreciate the beauty of the world, when we experience desire and love, and when we discover goodness in other people.  This is another way to understand the relationship between G-d and human beings: the possibility of finding Him through the wonders we discover in this world. 

From the explanations about this verse in our Parashah, we reach, at least, three different ways of seeing the bond between G-d and human beings: through pain and suffering, like partners in creation, and finally, by finding divinity through the little wonders we discover in this life.

Each of us has the possibility to choose the way we consider more appropriate and relevant to get closer to the Creator.  The important thing is to dare to find a way and spiritually enrich our lives. 

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Daniela Szuster, Congregation B´nei Israel

San Jose, Costa Rica