Clean Yourself Up, Man!

Shalom Shalom,

 

In this week's parasha, Parashat Tetzaveh, we are commanded to use pure olive oil for the menorah.

 

"Now you shall command the Children of Israel that they shall take for you pure olive oil (zach)..." (Shemot 27:20).

 

I would like to use this passuk to explain a famous mishna.

 

Rebbi Hananya ben Akashya says: Hashem wanted to give the Jews merit (lezakot et yisrael). Therefore, he increased the amount of Torah and mitzvot.

 

This mishna is giving a reason as to why there are so many mitzvot in the Torah. It seems that if someone were to learn the entire Torah, it would be a never ending project. Even if one were never to forget anything he ever learned or read about Torah, he would still never learn the Torah in its entirety. Why are there so many mitzvot? Why is there so much Torah? This mishna explains, we have a large amount of Torah and mitzvot to give us more opportunities. The more Torah there is, the more options we have of learning different things. If the Torah were small, then we would simply finish it and move on to the next thing. In order to give us the ability to earn reward for our entire lives, Hashem made the Torah very large.

 

"Hashem wanted לזכות את ישראל - lezakot et yisrael." This word, lezakot, means "to give us merit." Hashem is giving us the opportunity to gain merits.

 

However, there is another interpretation of this word, and consequently, of this entire mishna. If we look at this week's parasha, how do we describe "pure" olive oil? The word used in the Torah is זך - zach. Lezakot can also mean "purify." If we use this interpretation of the word, the mishna is teaching us something different.

 

Rebbi Hananya ben Akashya says: Hashem wanted to purify the Jews (lezakot et yisrael). Therefore, he increased the amount of Torah and mitzvot.

 

Unfortunately, there are many things in this world that hurt us. Different words that we hear, different things that we see. This week, I was standing somewhere, and there was a man talking on the phone. Apparently, this man was extremely upset, and had an interesting choice of words to express this anger. After listening to this guy for one minute, I have heard words and descriptions that I really haven't heard in the past three years combined. This incident wasn't even my fault, but afterwards, I felt tainted. How much more so if I were the person who were saying these words!!! If a person looks at something that he shouldn't look at, this leaves an impression on his soul, and it is not something good to carry around with him. If a person eats something that is not kosher, this food will have its effect on the person; it will literally go through the person's blood, leaving its destructive mark. If a person thinks about something that he shouldn't be thinking about, these ideas remain in his subconscious/unconscious. They will remain in his head for who knows how long!

In all of these cases, as in many more examples, a person can be tainted, contaminated, and dirtied by his experiences. With so many opportunities of destruction, what can one do to combat these terrible effects? How can one purge himself from these influences that have become so deeply embedded in his blood?

Rebbi Hananya ben Akashya says: Hashem wanted to purify the Jews (lezakot et yisrael). Therefore, he increased the amount of Torah and mitzvot.

In order to purify yourself from the contamination of the world, one must learn Torah. Hashem wanted us to have the ability to purify ourselves. He didn't want the bad impressions to be engraved on our souls as though they were etched in stone. He, therefore, gave us many opportunities. He increased the amount of Torah there is out there.

Every second that one learns Torah, one must believe that he is purifying himself from impurities. Doing a single mitzvah will clean his soul from his previous contamination. When one uses his brain to think about something having to do with Torah or a mitzvah, this will take the place of something else that is in his subconscious. He will be able to clear himself. He will be able to purify himself.

 

Very often, although maybe not quite often enough, a person will think about the way he lives his life, and wonders if he is living it correctly. There are many things that one might do that will negatively affect his nature and his being. However, there is one way to undo that. With enough Torah study and with enough good deeds, you will be able to purify yourself. Believe it, because it is true.

Shabbat Shalom!

Sincerely yours,

Avraham Adam Sabzevari