Keeping the Flame

How does oil produce light?

In Parshas Tetzaveh, the Torah commands that pure olive oil be used to keep the menorah burning continuously. But how does oil create light in the first place? Oil is full of stored chemical energy. When the wick is lit, heat from the flame pulls the oil upward. The heat then breaks the oil into tiny particles that react with oxygen in the air. This reaction, called combustion, releases energy in the form of light and heat.

Oil burns well because it is made of molecules rich in carbon and hydrogen, which release large amounts of energy. A steady supply of fuel from the wick keeps the flame stable and continuous.