By Bekah Diamond-Bier

Parshat Tetzaveh begins with G-d telling Moses to light the flame of the menorah with pure olive oil, and to keep an everlasting flame. It then goes into exhaustive detail about the robes of what the priests wore, as well as what the high priest wore. This is somewhat strange because the details of clothing is not something the Torah normally goes into, but the high priest wore clothing of wool and linen, with dyes of turquoise, crimson, purple, and with gold spun as thin as a thread. It glittered with gold and precious stones, and caught the attention of all who were near.

It all seems a little strange; using gold and gems in such a way, but perhaps g-d was sending a message in instructing the clothing to be made with these materials. The Israelites had used gold in the past to construct the golden calf which hadn’t gone well for them, but now they were instructed to use it in something positive, in serving in the temple.

Sometimes it can be hard to realize what you have and how best to use it. It’s easy to get caught up in instant gratification and lose sight of the big picture, whether it’s in regards to yourself or to others. In this parshah the grand robes were a constant reminder, and in our daily lives it isn’t that obvious what the right path is in moving forward positively. It’s a hard thing, but a good one to remind yourself of. Even if it isn’t easy, how can I best move forward?