At every wedding we do things to recall one of the saddest moments in Jewish history and also express our eager anticipation for the most glorious moment yet to come.

At the conclusion of the Chuppah ceremony it is customary for the Chatan to break a glass goblet or cup to recall the destruction of Jerusalem and the Beit Hamikdash. A source for this custom is the words of the Psalmist “to elevate Jerusalem above my foremost joy” (137:6). The breaking of the glass serves as a reminder to all present that our joy is incomplete as long as Jerusalem and the Beit Hamikdash lie in ruins. In some circles, it is also the custom to recite the verses “If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand fall. Let my tongue adhere to my palate if I fail to recall you, if I fail to elevate Jerusalem above my foremost joy.” In fact the fifth of the “seven berachot” — “May the barren one (Jerusalem) rejoice” is also recited for that purpose.

At the same time, in the concluding berachah of the seven berachot, we pray to Hashem for the Messianic era: “Soon, O G‑d our G‑d, may there be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, a sound of gladness, a sound of joy the sound of the bridegroom and the sound of the bride.”

Interestingly, also in the Torah portion of this week, one pasuk alludes to the two Temples that were destroyed and the future third Beit Hamikdash that we eagerly anticpate.

The Torah portion of Tetzaveh begins with Hashem’s instructions to Moshe to command the Jewish people to prepare purely pressed olive oil for the purpose of kindling the Menorah.

The Menorah was kindled daily in the first Beit Hamikdash throughout the entire 410 years of its existence. Afterwards, it was kindled again continuously during the 420 years of the second Beit Hamikdash. The third Beit Hamikdash will be everlasting and thus, the kindling of the Menorah will be perpetual.

The precise wording in the Torah is “shemen zayit zach” — pure olive oil, katit lama’or — pressed for illumination — leha’alot neir tamid — to kindle the lamp continuously” (27:20).

The Baal Haturim and others note that the word “katit” (כתית) — “crushed” — has in it the letters "כ" and "ת", whose numerical value is 420, and the letters "י" and "ת", which have the numerical value of 410. Thus, the Torah is alluding that pure olive oil should be used "כתית" — for the 830 years — of the kindling of the Menorah. Afterwards, will be “leha’alot neir tamid — the third Beit Hamikdash — in which the candles will be lit forever.

Now let me tell you some interesting facts about the oil used for the kindling. The Gemara (Menachot 85b) says that the oil of the city of Tekoa, a town located in the southern half of Eretz Yisrael, was of superior quality. So though all olive oil would halachically qualify, they would use primarily the oil of Tekoa. The olives were harvested three times a year and three grades of oil were extracted. For the first olive harvest they would pick the crop at the top of the olive tree. These are the first to ripen and the ones most exposed to sunlight. In an effort to get the choicest oil, the olives were crushed (pressed) and only the first drop of oil was fit to be used for the Menorah. This oil was free of any foreign substance or even olive sediment. The subsequent oils, which were not as pure and of a lesser quality, were used for the menachot — meal offerings.

One need not be an oil connoisseur to understand that such oil was very costly, especially in comparison to the inferior oil used for the meal offering. If so, a simple question comes to mind:

Normally, one uses the best oil for baking and cheaper oil for burning and lighting. Why in the MishkanTabernacle — and the Beit Hamikdash was it the reverse?

One of the early commentaries on Chumash, known as the Klei Yakar, extracted a fascinating lesson from this, which in my humble opinion, remains relevant and which addresses a common malady in the contemporary Jewish community.

The Menorah is the prototype of spirituality. It represents Torah and mitzvot, as King Shlomo states, “Neir mitzvah veTorah or” — “A candle is a mitzvah and Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). A Korban Minchah — meal offering — is eaten and represents the material and physical needs of a person.

Unfortunately, there are people who plead poverty when they have to spend money for Torah and mitzvot, but have plenty of money when it comes to personal matters. I could cite many examples for this. Do I have to tell you of the many people who build themselves mansions and who will skimp on kosher mezuzot? Other people have money for lavish cruises and vacations, but seek the largest scholarship from the tuition committee. Then there is the parent who makes a breathtaking Bar Mitzvah celebration for their son while buying inexpensive Tefillin of questionable kashrut. I could, sadly, go on and on.

From the way things were done in the Mishkan we can learn true priorities. For Torah and mitzvot one should spend money and use the best and purest. For personal pleasure, a Jew should practice restraint and learn to suffice with less.

My dear Chatan and Kallah, I wish you the very best in affluence and in a measure more than you can imagine, but at the same time remember the message we learn from the oil of the Menorah. Make your spiritual needs a priority, and G‑d will bestow material wealth upon you in abundant measure.