Olives are bitter and inedible in their natural state. They are crushed to release their oil, and pickled in brine or scorched in the sun to sweeten their flesh. These rigorous and aggressive preparation s to make them edible serve as a metaphor to explain the suffering of our own lives. Each soul is a precious flower. Each person has some unique beauty that he or she must shine forth into the world. The transition from potential to actual, from inner possibility to outer expression (which happens in yesod ) is the toughest step in the process. The previous stages of willing, en visioning, and planning take work, but they don't take blood, sweat , and tears. Translating a multidimensional vision of potential into a a stepwise sequence of growth and development , is a grueling process that always hurts , though s ome life paths are rockier than others. Only God knows why.

This process of actualizing potential is equally a path of enlightenment. In the end we will all cross the finish line, radiant and squeaky clean. In this way olives relate to the sefira of yesod , for the sufferings of life press out the pure sweet oil of the soul ' s hidden potential.