Levítico 24:2 Midrash: Sifrei Bamidbar, Sifra, Pesikta DeRav Kahana & Eikhah Rabbah

"Command": The command is immediately, for present performance and for future generations. You say thus, but perhaps it is only for future performance! It is, therefore, (to negate this) written "Command the children of Israel that they send … (Bamidbar 5:2) "And the children of Israel did so, sending them outside the camp" — whence we derive that the command is for immediate performance. And whence do we derive that it is (also) for future generations? From (Vayikra 24:2) "Command the children of Israel that they take to you clear olive oil … (3) … an eternal statute for your generations." — But how do we derive (the same) for all the commands in the Torah? R. Yishmael says: Since we find unqualified commands in the Torah, and one of them was qualified as being for present performance and for future generations, we derive the same for all the mitzvoth in the Torah. R. Yehudah b. Bethira says: "command" in all places connotes impulsion (to the act), as it is written (Devarim 3:28) "And command Joshua and strengthen him and fortify him" — whence we learn "We strengthen only the (internally) strengthened," and "We impel only the (internally) impelled." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: "Command" in all places entails expense, as it is written (Vayikra 24:2) "Command the children of Israel that they take to you pure olive oil," (Bamidbar 35:2) "Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance, etc." (Bamidbar 28:2) "Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My bread, for My fires" — whence we see that "command" in all places entails expense. Except in one; and which is that? (Bamidbar 34:2) "Command the children of Israel and say to them: When you come to the land of Canaan, etc." — where the intent is: Impel them to the division of the land. Rebbi says: "Command" in all places is exhortation, as it is written (Bereshit 2:16-17) "And the L-rd G-d commanded (i.e., exhorted) the man, saying … but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat."

1) (Vayikra 24:2) ("Command (tzav) the children of Israel that they bring to you pure (zach) olive oil, crushed (katish) for the light, to raise a flame always.") "tzav": "tzav" connotes "impelling," immediately and for future generations. R. Shimon said: Especially where monetary loss is involved. "that they bring to you": You are appointed over this. "olive oil": and not sesame oil, and not radish oil, but olive oil which flows of itself (before pressing) — whence they ruled: There are three (periods in a year for picking the) olives, and from each of them come three kinds of oil. The first picking of the olives is from the top of the olive tree, and he gathers them into the olive press, and grinds them in the mill and places them in baskets and he presses them under the beam. What issues from them first is removed and ground a second time. What issues from them the second time is ground again, and so, a third time. The first (oil) is for the menorah and the rest for meal-offerings.

[7] What is the connection between what is written above "And Aharon will atone on its horns once a year" (Shemot 30:10) and what is written after "When you raise the head" (Shemot 30:12)? It is written 'כי תשה' just as 'כי תשה' [when you make a loan, (Devarim 24:10) Moshe said: Master of the Universe, when Israel has merit, forgive them, and when Israel does not have merit, give them a loan as it were, once a year, so Yom Kippur will come and atone for them, "for on this day atonement shall be made for you" (Vayikra 16:30). "Raise the head" - Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Chanina said: this is a hint that they will be the first of the tribes to bring a sacrifice, and who are they? Reuven, as it says "may Reuven live" (Devarim 33:6). ["The head of] the children of Israel" [Why does God command a census?] Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani: What is this comparable to? To a king who had a set of undergarments and who commanded his servant saying, “Lay these out. Fold them. Take care of them.” The servant said to the king, "My master, of all the undergarments you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?" The king responded, "These ones stick to my flesh."Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, "Merciful One, of the 70 nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel, as it says "say further to the Israelite people" (Vayikra 20:2); "speak to the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:31); "say to the Israelite people" (Shemot 33:5); "speak to the Israelite people and say" (Shemot 31:13); "Command the Israelite people" (Vayikra 24:2); "you shall further instruct the Israelites" (Shemot 27:20); "When you take a census of the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, "Because they are cleaving to me." As is taught in Jeremiah 13:11 “For as the loincloth clings close to the loins of a man, so I brought close to Me the whole House of Israel and the whole House of Yehudah — declares Ad-nai — that they might be My people, for fame, and praise, and splendor.” Another idea: Rabbi Avin said: What is this comparable to? To a king who had crimson clothes and who commanded his servant saying, “Lay these ones out. Fold them. Take care of them.” The servant said to the king, "My master, of all the crimson garments you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?" The king responded, "These are the ones I wore when I first became sovereign.” Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, "Merciful One, of the 70 mighty nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel? as it says "say further to the Israelite people" (Vayikra 20:2); "speak to the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:31); "say to the Israelite people" (Shemot 33:5); "speak to the Israelite people and say" (Shemot 31:13); "Command the Israelite people" (Vayikra 24:2); "you shall further instruct the Israelites" (Shemot 27:20); "When you take a census of the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, "These are the ones who crowned me first as they crossed the sea when they said, ‘God will reign forever’ (Shemot 15:18)." Rabbi Berachia said: this is similar to an Elder who had a traveling cloak and commanded his helper: "Lay these ones out. Fold them. Take care of them." The servant said to the Elder, "My master, of all the traveling cloaks you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?" The Elder responded: "These are the ones I wore when I first became an Elder". Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, "Merciful One, of the 70 mighty nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel? as it says "say further to the Israelite people" (Vayikra 20:2); "speak to the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:31); "say to the Israelite people" (Shemot 33:5); "speak to the Israelite people and say" (Shemot 31:13); "Command the Israelite people" (Vayikra 24:2); "you shall further instruct the Israelites" (Shemot 27:20); "When you take a census of the Israelite people" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, "These are the ones who received upon them the yoke of Heaven at Sinai, and said "All that the Living Presence said we will do and we will hear" (Shemot 24:7). Said Rabbi Yudan: come and see how much the Holy Blessed One loves Israel, to the point that they mentioned five times in one verse, see that is written thus: "And from among the Israelites I formally assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to perform the service for the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and to make expiation for the Israelites, so that no plague may afflict the Israelites when the Israelites come too near the sanctuary" (Bamidbar 8:19). Shime'on Bar Yochai compared to a king who gave his son over to a teacher and commanded him: feed my child, give my child [water to] drink, take my child from the house of study, bring my child back from the house of study - so too the Holy Blessed One desires to remember the children of Israel at every moment. Said Rabbi Yudah ben Rabbi Simon: this is comparable to one who sat and made a diadem to the king. Another passed and saw him, and asked: 'what are you doing?" and he responded: 'a diadem for the king'. And the other said: 'do everything that you can, set all the precious stones you are able to, since the future of this diadem will actually be to be used by the king'. So too the Holy Blessed One said to Moshe: all the praise about Israel that you can say, do say in front of Me, all their glory that you can say, say, since in the future I will be glorified in them, as in “You are My servant, Israel in whom I glory.”(Isaiah 49:3)