Midrash for Exodus 27:20

And thou shalt command the children of Israel (Exod. 27:20). May it please our masters to teach us: At what age must an infant be circumcised? So do our masters teach us: An infant must be circumcised on the eighth day. Why? Because our patriarch Isaac was circumcised on that day. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: Observe that though nothing is more precious to a man than his own son, he is required to circumcise him. Why must he do that? R. Nahman the son of Samuel said: He does so in order to fulfill the will of his Creator, and even though he witnesses his son’s blood flowing from the circumcision, he welcomes it joyfully. R. Hanina declared: And what is more, he spends his money to celebrate the occasion, something which he was not commanded (to do). Why is that so? Because Scripture states: But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise Thee yet more and more (Ps. 71:14). Not only that, but a man even borrows money and goes into debt (if need be) to celebrate on that day.

(Numb. 8:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, ‘Speak unto Aaron and say unto him, “When you set up the lamps.”’” Let our master instruct us: Is it permissible to light the Sabbath [lamp] with oil for burning¹I.e. defiled oil from the terumah (the priestly tithe on produce). So Shab. 23b. on a festival? Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 2:2): One may not light with oil for burning on a festival. R. Ishmael says, “One may not light [it] with tar out of respect for the Sabbath.” But the sages permit all kinds of oil: Sesame oil, nut oil, radish oil, fish oil, colocynth oil, tar, or mineral oil. R. Tarfon says, “One may only make a light with olive oil alone.” R. Johanan ben Nuri rose to his feet and said, “What will the people of Babylon do, who have nothing but sesame oil? What will the people of Media do, who have nothing but nut oil? What will the people of Alexandria do, who have nothing but radish oil? And what will the people of Cappadocia do, who have neither the one nor the other but only mineral oil?” R. Tarfon said to them, “See we have found that the Holy One, blessed be He, loves olive oil in a lamp and in lighting more than all the other oils, as He repeated it and trebled it in several places. And from His great love [for it], He chose ‘clear oil of beaten olives for lighting’ (Exod. 27:20). ‘For lighting,’ but not for the offerings. And the rest of the olive was for the offerings that were sacrificed.” You know that [it is so]. See, with reference to all the [other] gifts it is only said of them (as in Lev. 2:15), “And you shall put oil upon it”;²Cf. Lev. 2:1, 6 where the same command is expressed with a different verb i.e. POUR. but with reference to the lighting of the lamp, it is written “oil of olives,” and not other oils, (in Exod. 27:20), “clear of beaten [olives] for lighting.” We find that in several places the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded about lighting the lamps with clear oil of beaten olives, and so it says (in Exod. 27:20) “And you shall command the Children of Israel to bring unto you clear oil of beaten olives.” So also it says (in Lev. 24:2, 4), “Command the Children of Israel to bring unto you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting.... Upon the unalloyed lampstand.” And here also it is written (in Numb. 8:2), “When you set up (literally, raise up) the lamps.”

(Exod. 27:20:) AND YOU SHALL COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…. This text is related (to Cant. 1:15): AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, MY BELOVED…. R. Aqiva said: All of the whole world and its fullness was not as worthy as the day on which the Torah of Song of Songs was given to Israel; for while all of the writings are holy, the Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy.¹Yad. 3:5; Tanh., Exod. 8:1; Cant. R. 1:1:11. R. Eleazar ben Azariah said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who took a se'ah of wheat and gave it to a baker. He said to him: Take from it so much fine flour, so much crushed grain, so much bran. Similarly all the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy. Rabbi said: See how the Holy One praises the assembly of Israel in it (i.e., in Cant. 1:15). AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, MY BELOVED. AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in works.²Cf. Cant. R. 1:15:1. AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in the work of your ancestors. AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in the house. AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in the field. In the house (according to Deut. 6:9): UPON THE DOORPOSTS OF YOUR HOUSE. In the field through priestly shares, tithes, gleaning the forgotten sheaf (of Deut. 24:19), and through the pe'ah (of Lev. 19:9). (Cant. 1:15:) AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL on the roof (according to Deut. 22:8): YOU SHALL MAKE A PARAPET FOR YOUR ROOF. (Cant. 1:15:) AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in this world. AH, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL in the world to come.