TETZAVEH 1986

In the Torah portion Tetzaveh we do not find Moshe's name mentioned.  This is the only Torah portion since Moshe's birth which does not mention his name.  This Torah portion begins with the words "and you shall command the Sons of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil beaten for the light to cause a lamp to burn continually.  This shall be a statute for generations on behalf of the Children of Israel."  Questions can be asked, why did G‑d tell Moshe to command the Children of Israel to bring them the pure olive oil to see before they could use it?  What's more, why is this called the statute forever throughout the generations?  Burning the menorah in the Temple could only be done when the Temple stood.  If there is no Temple or Tabernacle, there is no commandment to burn the menorah.  Why then should it say that this is a statute forever throughout your generations?  What's more, at the very end of the Torah portion we learn about a little golden altar, which is only about 36" high, in which incense was burned.  It seems very strange that the description of this golden altar was placed at the very end of the description of the Temple and everything inside it and of the garments the priests would wear at their dedication ceremony.  In fact, it even says, "And I will sanctify the Tabernacle and I will dwell in the midst of the Sons of Israel."  It seems like an afterthought.  Why wasn't it mentioned earlier?

The answer to these questions, I believe, is basic to an understanding of Judaism.  Religion can be a very dangerous thing.  The way people conceive of what religion is can lead to all sorts of deviant and terrible behaviors.  Most people, even today, conceive of religion as a way of allowing them to get the necessary power to overcome their problems.  In ancient days people believed in spirits.  They still do in Haiti where the voodoo religion is very strong.  People believed that the way you could overcome your problems was to open yourself up so that you could be taken over or possessed by a certain spirit who would give you the necessary power to accomplish what
you wanted to do.  Even today in the voodoo religion people go through all sorts of rites so that different spirits will become incarnate in them so that they will then be able to use either the courage of the spirit or the strength of the spirit to obtain what they wanted to obtain.  Religion to them was almost magic.  You could force a spirit to enter you so that you could get the necessary strength or character trait to face the problem in front of you.
The ancient people were not stupid and when they worshipped idols or the works of their own hands, they knew that the piece of wood
in front of them was only a piece of wood, or that the sheep or goat or cow in front of them was only a sheep or goat or cow, but they believed that many times certain spirits inhabited these idols or animals and then they took on a different character.  They became possessed.  They were all potential carriers of an incarnate spirit, of certain forces.  These forces could be very destructive as well as beneficial.  People did all sorts of things to gain these spirits.  Many times they ate the liver or heart of a human being or engaged in all sorts of terrible rites in order to gain these spirits.  Even here in Houston we see Satan worship coming to the fore.  Several people have already been killed.  These young people believe they can use the power of Satan for their own ends.

Judaism has always thundered against these types of beliefs.  Moshe was commanded to tell the Jewish people to bring the olive oil to
him first.  He was to make sure that there was no magic in these rites.  He was to make sure that Judaism did not get mixed up with these terrible aberrations.  When people have problems they are to realize that G‑d has already given them the power to solve them.  They have all the power they need to solve their problems.  They do not need spirits.  They do not need incarnate power of others.  Even early Christianity spread so very rapidly because it postulated the view that these pagans could be seized by the spirit of Jesus and be transformed, that he would become incarnate in them.  Judaism has always rejected such beliefs because of the great aberrations they can cause.
Moshe says, "Bring the pure olive oil."  The olive is a very bitter fruit.  You have to cure it and prepare it.  You cannot eat it raw from a tree.  It is hard to get the pure oil out of it, but it can be done.  We are like the olives.  We have all the power we need in order to make ourselves the kind of people we would like to be.  We do not need added spirits.  We need knowledge in order to do the right thing.  That's why this is said that this is a commandment for all generations.  The Torah is to be the yardstick by which we measure all these types of views.  Does it match the Torah standards?  Does it produce personalities who are kind and compassionate?  Does it force you to do abominable things?  If it does, then it cannot be right.

That's why the golden altar was placed last.  The rabbis say that actually you did not need this altar to burn incense.  If you did not have it you could burn it on anything.  This was done to stress that a religious person who is practicing Judaism must have the qualities of the K'Toras if he is to be a truly religious person.  G‑d's presence will not dwell upon us, and we will not feel the meaning of life.  We will not have the power to overcome our problems unless we have Kedusha, or holiness, which means restraint or refinement, Tara, which means purity or integrity, Rachameem, which means pity, and Tikva, which means hope.  If religion causes you to be cruel, to sacrifice your integrity and refinement, which causes you to lose hope and to act in an immoral way, then that religion is false.  We do not need spirits in order to overcome our problems.  G‑d has already given us the power we need.  All we need is the will to do it.  All we need is to apply ourselves.  What may be difficult is getting the oil from the olive, but it can be done and lead us to a good life with participating in any terrible rites.

I am reminded of the story of the self-made millionaire who was being interviewed by a newspaperman who asked him what the most important thing was in business.  He said the most important thing was not salary but finding a job which uses your ability to the utmost and wholeheartedly working at it.  The reporter asked him if after he became convinced of this was that what made him rich.  He said no, what made him rich was when the people who worked for him became convinced of this.  Each of us should remember that we all have the power to solve our problems.  We do not need spirits or drugs or alcohol.  We have enough power within ourselves to do it if we want to.