Chapter 4
However, the kindling by Aharon of the lamps is with olive oil that is specifically “crushed” (Shemos 27:20), as it is written in the Mishna (Menachos 8:4) “Three times a year they would harvest the olives (for oil for the Bais Hamikdash), each time they would produce three different grades of quality of olive oil.
First, they would pick the ripe olives at the top of the olive tree, (as those are the first to ripen,) and crush them in a mortar and place them inside (the bottom of) a wicker basket (that has many small holes in it. The oil will then drip from the olives through those holes into a vessel placed underneath the basket.) This is the first grade of oil produced from the first harvest. (After the oil ceases to seep from the crushed olives,) one then presses down with a wooden beam upon them, causing additional oil to flow from the basket into the vessel. This is the second grade of oil. One then ground the olives with a millstone and pressed down with a beam on those olives (to extract any remaining oil); this is the third grade of oil. The first grade is fit for kindling the Menorah, (which requires: “Refined olive oil” (Vayikra 24:2)), and the rest are fit for use in Menachos (meal offerings).”
The idea is: the idea of the olive is that it is bitter. As it is stated by the dove (sent by Noach): “Let my food be as bitter as an olive in the hands of Hashem, rather than relying on people feeding me delicacies.” Around one year after the beginning of the Mabul (Great Flood), Noach sent a dove out of the ark to see if the water of the Mabul had gone down. The dove came back to the Teiva (Ark) with an olive branch in its mouth. In the Gemara (Eiruvin 18a) it explains that the dove had a message to give over by bringing the olive brach back. It was saying that it would rather eat bitter olives than be stuck in the Teiva and dependent on Noach to feed him. We see from here that olives are bitter.
Also, it is stated in the Gemara (Horayos 13b) “eating olives causes one to forget seventy years’ worth of Torah study.” Since it is from the aspect of “the World of Forgetfulness,” which is the world of kelipos (unholiness that covers over holiness), which is the concept of the body and the animal soul which are derived from “kelipas nogah,” (the level of unholiness that can be transformed into holiness), which is also called the “skin of the serpent.”
The idea of the “skin of the serpent” is that it is not the Serpent of Unholiness itself, just the skin, the outer aspect of unholiness, which can be used for holiness, like the skin of the snake which was made into garments for Adam and Chava after they ate from the Tree of Knowledge. (See Targum Yonasan ben Uziel to Bereishis 3:21)
These have to be crushed until the “olive oil” emerges i.e., the aspect of Chochmah-Wisdom of Holiness. As our sages say: “Just as eating olives causes one to forget seventy years’ worth of Torah study, so too does eating olive oil restore seventy years’ worth of Torah study.” This is because Chochmah is the mind’s memory, as it is written in the Torah section entitled “Kadeish-make holy” in parshas Bo (Shemos 13:2), which alludes to the level of Chochmah-Wisdom of Holiness, which is the holiest of levels in Atzilus, that the tefillin should “be a remembrance between your eyes,” showing how memory is connected to Chochma, which is referred to as “Kadeish.” Thus, adding in Chochma will restore memory. Since olive oil restore memory, this shows that they are connected to the level of Chochma.
The Crushing of the Animal Soul
The concept of this “crushing” the animal soul is through of suppressing the “Sitra Achra-Opposite Side from Holiness” through considering oneself as the “remnant of His heritage” (Michah 7:18), meaning, the he “regards himself as leftovers that are insignificant.” (Rosh HaShanah 17a-b)
In other words, in order to crush the “olive” of one’s animal soul so that it should produce “olive oil” which is Chochma-Wisdom of Holiness, a person needs to humble his ego. He has to stop thinking that the whole world revolves around him. He has to consider himself like leftovers. Meaning, the fact that he is able to accomplish Hashem’s mission in this world is just a kindness from Hashem. Hashem could have not made him at all or made someone else to fulfill that mission. He can’t look at himself like he is the important guy that without him the world would collapse. He needs to be humble and grateful for every opportunity to serve Hashem, without ego and fanfare.
This humility is what subdues all desires that are “in opposition” of Divinity, so that there should not be any self-centered desire or drive, to not derive enjoyment and delight from the pleasures that the society of this world enjoys, to not seek and chase after them at all. If a person will consider himself as just “leftovers” and “extras,” as though he is completely insignificant in this world, then why would he want anything in this world? When someone is humble and doesn’t make a big deal out of himself, then he isn’t so needy and desirous. He doesn’t feel he deserves anything in the first place, so he is happy with whatever he has. Thus, humility is what brings a person to “crush” the excessive desires for physicality.
