Parashat Tesaveh- Olives and Olive Oil

Many commentators noted that Parashat Tesaveh is unusual, in that Moshe Rabbenu’s name does not appear anywhere in this Parasha. It is one of the only Parashiyot since the account of Moshe’s birth (in Parashat Shemot) that omits his name. The explanation given is that after the sin of the golden calf, G-d decided to annihilate Beneh Yisrael and create a new nation from Moshe, but Moshe interceded on the nation’s behalf. He demanded that G-d forgive the people, adding, “…and if not, then erase me from Your book which You have written” (Shemot 32:32). A righteous person’s words are so powerful that they have an impact even when spoken on condition – and therefore, although G-d indeed forgave Beneh Yisrael, Moshe’s demand to be “erased” was fulfilled in some way, through the omission of his name from Parashat Tesaveh. The question naturally arises as to why Parashat Tesaveh was selected as the Parasha through which Moshe’s plea would be fulfilled. What is unique about Parashat Tesaveh that Moshe’s name was omitted specifically from this piece of text? One possibility is proposed by the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806), who noted that Moshe asked G-d to “erase” him from “Sifrecha” (“Your book”). This word could be read as a combination of the word “Sefer” and the letter “Chaf,” which in Gematria equals 20. Meaning, Moshe asked to be “erased from the 20 th “book” – and Parashat Tesaveh is the 20 th Parasha in the Torah. Therefore, his name is omitted from this Parasha. There may, however, be an additional explanation. Parashat Tesaveh begins with the command that pure olive oil be provided for the kindling of the Menorah in the Mishkan. The Gemara makes an enigmatic comment about olives and olive oil, teaching that eating olives has the effect of compromising one’s ability to retain his Torah knowledge, whereas consuming olive oil has the precise opposite effect, enhancing one’s ability to remember the Torah that he learns. The holy books explain the meaning behind this Talmudic teaching. An olive contains its oil within it, and thus represents the student of Torah who keeps his Torah knowledge for himself, without sharing it with others. Olive oil is what the olive has shared with the world, by allowing itself to be crushed. Hence, olive oil symbolizes the person who shares his Torah with other people. Scholars might be reluctant to teach because this takes precious time away from their own growth and development. The Gemara here instructs that to the contrary – it is specifically the “olive,” the person who keeps his Torah to himself, refusing to invest time and effort to teach, who is prone to forgetting what he has learned. But a person who resembles olive oil, who humbly takes the time to share his precious knowledge with other people, is guaranteed to be rewarded with the ability to retain the material he studies, despite the sacrifice he makes for the sake of teaching other people. The first time the olive is mentioned in the Torah is the story of Noah, who sent a dove to determine whether the waters had subsided after the flood. The dove returned with an olive branch, informing Noah that indeed, the world had again become habitable. In light of what we have seen, we could explain the significance of the olive in the story of Noah. The prophet Yeshayahu (54:9) refers to the flood as “Meh Noah” – “the waters of Noah,” and the Zohar explains that Noah is blamed for the flood because he did not pray to G-d to save the generation. The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria, Safed, 1534-1572) taught that Noah’s soul was reincarnated in the person of Moshe Rabbenu so that this mistake could be rectified. Moshe achieved this rectification when he petitioned G-d on behalf of Beneh Yisrael following the sin of the golden calf. In direct contrast to Noah, who made no attempt to save his generation, Moshe appealed to G-d to save Beneh Yisrael, going so far as to declare that he was prepared to be “erased” together with them. Appropriately, then, Noah is presented with an olive branch, a symbol of his failure to concern himself with the needs of others, and focusing on his own wellbeing. Moshe, by contrast, embodied the message of olive oil, the notion of sharing one’s blessings, and looking out for others. Therefore, in Parashat Tesaveh, the Parasha which speaks of the olive oil used for the Menorah, Moshe’s name is omitted, expressing his selflessness and boundless concern for others, the way he was never concerned only with himself, but rather looked out for the needs of the people he led.