"You shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually," is G-d's instruction to Moses in this week's Torah portion.
This seemingly superfluous detail, to "crush" the olives in order to make oil, actually bears a lesson and reminder for all time.
There may be times when we feel crushed by the hardships of life. G-d reminds us, however, that wonderful oil emerges from the olive only after it is put through the squeeze. We carry within ourselves tremendous resources, but sometimes it takes a crushing experience to help bring those treasures out into the open.
And when it does, what emerges is a special 'pure oil' that can kindle a bright, holy, warm and illuminating flame like no other.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yitzi Schmukler