Nisht in Shabbos Gereht, vol. 20: Parshat Pikudei

At the end of the Parsha, after the Mishkan is set up, Hashem commands Moshe to anoint it and all the utensils with oil, in order to sanctify it.

I can picture my daughter, a few years from now, learning this, and taking the oil from the kitchen to "anoint" her toys and perhaps some of our furniture. The concept of anointing is foreign to us, and can seem strange.

My only exposure to this idea was in the army. A few times we had to take our guns, dip them in the oil tank, and then wipe it clean. The oil is meant to keep the gun rust-free, and ensure that the small parts are free to move around as intended. This special treatment also symbolically shows the importance of the gun, keeping it well greased so that it won’t get jammed when we need it the most.

In business, we all have our own tools, whether they’re the computers we work on, our office and furniture, our employees and partners, or real tools. We must "oil" them regularly, make sure they’re working as we desire, and let them know how appreciated they are.

Published by Zvi Landsman

A bit about myself

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *