The Torah was given with thunder, lightning, smoke, shaking ground, and the blast of a shofar. How do we experience the Torah with all our senses today?
It seems the world is constantly fighting over oil made by man, but what about G-d’s Holy Oil? What many fail to see is that the oil of the world breeds greed, selfishness, longing, and emptiness, and it will never be enough to fulfill our true needs.
God’s oil, often referred to in the Bible as anointing oil, is considered Holy and used for consecration and healing, symbolizing G-d’s presence and blessing. In contrast, man’s oil typically refers to common oils used for cooking or other practical purposes like crude oils, lacking the spiritual significance attributed to G-d’s oil.
The true oil comes from God alone. This oil brings purity, healing, selflessness, peace, joy, kindness, and it never runs dry as you dwell in the Most Holy Place of His Holy Temple. By aligning your thoughts (mind), affections (heart), and actions (arms and legs) with His commandments, you find freedom from the grasp of shallow earthly oil. In fact, you are being anointed and consecrated to Him.
However, this oil comes at a cost; it requires all of who you are. Keeping His commandments and honoring the Holy Sabbath often comes with sacrifices for the sake of following Him.
Song of Songs 5:13
His cheeks are like beds of spices, banks of perfume, his lips are like lilies.
שיר השרים ה:יג
לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם מִגְדְּלוֹת מֶרְקָחִים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים נֹטְפוֹת מוֹר עֹבֵר:
BT Shabbat 88b
Rabbi Yehoshuah ben Levi said: What does it mean: “His cheeks are beds of spices?” (Song of Songs 5:13) With every single utterance that came from the mouth of the Holy Blessed One, the whole world was filled with [the fragrance of] spices. And since the first utterance filled it, where did the second utterance go? The Holy Blessed One took the wind from God’s storehouse and brought around each [fragrance], one by one, as it is stated: “His lips are like lilies. They drip flowing myrrh.” (ibid.) Do not read “shoshanim” [lilies], rather “sheshonim” [repeat].
תלמוד בבלי שבת פח ב
ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: מאי דכתיב לחיו כערוגת הבשם – כל דבור ודבור שיצא מפי הקדוש ברוך הוא נתמלא כל העולם כולו בשמים. וכיון שמדיבור ראשון נתמלא, – דיבור שני להיכן הלך? – הוציא הקדוש ברוך הוא הרוח מאוצרותיו, והיה מעביר ראשון ראשון, שנאמר שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עבר, אל תקרי שושנים אלא ששונים.
Sefat Emet on Bemidbar
In any case, every creature can sense the frangrance of Torah, just like in: “the whole world was filled with [the fragrance of] spices” (BT Shabbat 88b). This means that even those who were unable to receive the core of Torah could absorb its good fragrance, as is the case with “one who enters a spice store” [with many spices and is required to say the blessing on smelling spice (Shulhan Arukh OH 217:1)]. So too, when the Holy Blessed One descended to give Torah to Israel, everyone received the fragrance of Torah.
שפת אמת במדבר – שבועות
וממילא הרגישו כל הברואים ריח תורה כדאיתא שנתמלא העולם כולו בשמים פי’ אפילו מי שלא הי’ יכול לקבל עיקר תורה ריח טוב קלט כדאיתא הנכנס לחנותו של בושם כו’. כמו כן כשירד הקדוש ברוך הוא ליתן תורה לישראל קבלו כולם ריח תורה
The fragrance of the Torah will guide you to God’s Oil, which symbolizes divine blessing, healing, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Without immersing yourself in the word of God, that is, the Torah, the Bible may instead lead you to Man’s Oil. While Man’s Oil represents physical nourishment and care, it is always devoid of spiritual implications and connections.
Biblical Reference
- God’s Oil: Exodus 30:22-33 describes the preparation of holy anointing oil, emphasizing its sacred nature.
G-d’s oil is deeply rooted in spiritual practices and Biblical teachings, while man’s oil serves practical, everyday needs without a connection to the Creator of all. This is why one should never purchase any oil that has not been made with heavenly, holy, and biblical intentions and a connection to G-d.
Breathe in the fragrance of the Torah; its spices are sweet and invite us to connect with G-d’s oil, not man’s oil! So, choose today whom you will serve!
