IN THIS WEEK’S PARASHHA, God ORDERS that the children of Israel bring Moses pure oil of crushed olives, to light the continual flame of the menorah in the tabernacle. Subsequently, God tells Moshe that his brother Aharon should be the high priest of the tabernacle (Cohen Gadol), but first they were to meticulously make his fine clothes, including the breastplate in which were embedded the twelve precious stones with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. Why did God command the people to bring the oil, as opposed to all the other materials that the children of Israel donated generously? Furthermore, would it not be better to mention the oil in the previous parashah, since the construction of the menorah is described there, undoubtedly there is a relationship between the oil and the priestly garments. The Cohen performed many tasks in the tabernacle, but the main one was to enter the Kodeshhakodashim on Yom Kippur to beseech God to forgive the people for their sins. Who could carry such a responsibility? Only someone who understood the secret of success in life: falls are indispensable for our personal growth, for without stumbles there are no challenges, without challenges we would be angels and we would not be in this world; without being “crushed” from heaven, we could not learn from our mistakes or get the best out of ourselves to enlighten our surroundings. The Cohen’s fine golden clothes were very important, as was the breastplate with its precious stones, but no less important was the constant light of the menorah, a light that symbolized the falls of the people and their sincere repentance, and that together with the offerings of atonement and the deep supplication of the Cohen to God, continues to illuminate our hearts to this day, to teach us that when we make mistakes we should not be saddened, but rather increase the flame of our beautiful light.