“Command the children of Israel, and say to them: My offering, My food, for My fires” – this is what the verse said: “The Almighty, we do not find Him exalting in power” (Job 37:23); and it is written: “Behold, God is exalted in His power; who is a teacher like Him” (Job 36:22). How can these two verses be realized? It is, rather, that when He gives to them, He gives them according to His power, but when He asks of them, He asks only according to their power.
See what is written: “You shall make the Tabernacle of ten sheets” (Exodus 26:1). But the Holy One blessed be He is destined to craft for each and every righteous person a canopy of clouds of glory, as it is stated: “The Lord will create over the assembled of Mount Zion and over all its environs a cloud by day and smoke, and a glow of fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy” (Isaiah 4:5).
Why is there smoke in the canopy? It is because anyone who renders his eyes raging [oshenot] and jealous of the scholars in this world, his canopy fills with smoke [ashan] in the World to Come. Why is there fire in the canopy? It teaches that each righteous person who is superior to his counterpart, his canopy33The canopy of the righteous person who is inferior to him (Etz Yosef). is singed by him.
“Glow” – as his aura shines from the end of the world to its end. That is why it is written: “Behold, God is exalted in His power.” When He asked of them, He asked only according to their power: “You shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take for you pure virgin olive oil for the light, to kindle a lamp continually” (Exodus 27:20). But when He illuminated for them, He did so according to His power: “The Lord was going before them by day […and by night in a pillar of fire, to illuminate for them]” (Exodus 13:21).
And in the future: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shined upon you” (Isaiah 60:1); “but upon you the Lord will shine, and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:2); “nations will walk by your light, and kings by the glow of your shine” (Isaiah 60:3). And it is written: “The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold” (Isaiah 30:26).
That is, “behold, God is exalted in His power.” When He asked of them, He asked only according to their power, just as it says: “The choicest first fruits of your land” (Exodus 23:19). But when He gives to them, it is according to His power: “Along the stream, upon its bank on this side and on that side, will grow every food tree; its leaf will not wither, and its fruit will not fail; each month it will yield new fruit” (Ezekiel 47:12).
What is “each month it will yield new [fruit]”? It is that each tree will renew different first fruits each and every month, and the first fruit of this month is not like the first fruit of that month. When He asked of them, He asked only according to their power: “You shall take for you on the first day the fruit of a pleasant tree” (Leviticus 23:40). But He gives them according to His power: “I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle and pine trees in the wilderness” (Isaiah 41:19); “instead of the thorn will rise a juniper” (Isaiah 55:13).