The Light and Enlightenment of Chanukah Understanding the Significance of Olive Oil in Greek and Jewish Culture Introduction Maoz Tzur, 5th verse Greeks gathered against me, in days of the Hasmoneans They broke down my tower’s walls, and defiled all the oils. But from the very last flask, a miracle ensued for Your beloved So the sages of the day fixed these eight for song and praise. מָ עוֹז צּור אֲ זַ י בִ ימֵ י חַ ְשמַ נִים,יְ וָ נִ ים נ ְִקבְ צּו עָ לַי וְ ִט ְמאּו כָל הַ ְשמָ נִים,ּופָ ְרצּו חוֹמוֹת ִמגְ ָדלַי ַנעֲשָ ה נֵס לַשוֹשַ נִים,ּומנוֹתַ ר ַק ְנ ַקנִים ִ . ָקבְ עּו ִשיר ְּור ָננִים,בְ נֵי בִ ינָה יְ מֵ י ְשמ ֹונָה Oilve Oil in the Temple and for Chanukah Menorah - Exodus 27:20 Now you shall command the Children of Israel that they bring you pure olive oil, pressed for illumination, to kindle each light [of the Menorah] continually. ש ָראֵ ל וְ יִ ְקחּו אֵ לֶּיָך ֹ ְ ִוְ אַ ָתה ְתצַ ּוֶּ ה אֶּ ת בְ נֵי י שֶּ מֶּ ן זַ יִ ת זָ ְך כ ִָתית לַמָ אוֹר לְ הַ עֲֹלת נֵר :ָת ִמיד Daily Tamid offering – Exodus 29:39-42 (39) One lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening; (40) And with the one lamb a 10th deal of flour mixed with the 4th part of a hin of beaten oil; and the 4th part of a hin of wine for a drink offering… ש הָ אֶּ חָ ד ַת ֲע ֶֹּשה בַ ב ֶֹּקר וְ אֵ ת ֹ ֶּלט אֶּ ת הַ כֶּב מ:ש הַ שֵ נִי ַת ֲע ֶֹּשה בֵ ין הָ עַ ְרבָ יִ ם ֹ ֶּהַ כֶּב סלֶּת בָ לּול בְ שֶּ מֶּ ן כ ִָתית ֶּרבַ ע הַ ִהין ֹ וְ עִ שָ רֹן ש הָ אֶּ חָ ד ֹ ֶּוְ נֵסֶּ ְך ְרבִ יעִ ת הַ ִהין יָיִ ן ַלכֶּב Five types of voluntary Minchah offerings – Leviticus 2:1-7 And when any will offer a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense on it… סלֶּת ֹ 'וְ נֶּפֶּ ש כִ י תַ ְק ִריב ָק ְרבַ ן ִמנְ חָ ה לַה ָיִ ְהיֶּה ָק ְרבָ נ ֹו וְ יָצַ ק עָ לֶּיהָ שֶּ מֶּ ן וְ נָתַ ן עָ לֶּיה :לְ ֹבנָה Menorah & Wisdom – Talmud, Bava Batra 25b R. Yitzchak said: He who desires to become wise should turn to the south [when praying]… for the Menorah was in the south. הרוצה שיחכים ־:אמר רבי יצחק ם ֹ ומנורה בדרו. . .ידרים Commentary of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch on Exodus 25:29 What is the significance of the Menorah? …The lighted Menorah, radiating light, is symbolic of light, and Light represents knowledge and understanding… spiritual light, enlightenment and insight: “[God’s word is] a lamp for our feet and light for our path” (Psalms 119:105) נֵר לְ ַרגְ לִ י ְדבָ ֶּרָך וְ אוֹר לִ נ ְִתיבָ ִתי “For the Commands is a lamp, and Teaching is light.”(Proverbs 19:9) etc. כִ י נֵר ִמ ְצוָ ה וְ תו ָֹרה אוֹר Chanukah Lighta – Talmud, Shabbat 23a R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: All oils are fit for the Hanukkah lamp, but olive oil is of the best. Abaye observed: Initially, Master (Rabbah bar Nachmani) would go looking for sesame oil, saying: The light of this is more lasting; but when he heard this statement of R. Yehoshua ben Levi, he went looking for olive oil, saying, This yields a clearer light. כל השמנים כולן:אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי אמר. ושמן זית מן המובחר,יפין לנר מריש הוה מהדר מר אמשחא:אביי . האי משך נהורי טפי: אמר,דשומשמי כיון דשמע לה להא דרבי יהושע בן לוי האי צליל: אמר,מהדר אמשחא דזיתא .נהוריה טפי © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 1 Olive Oil in Greek Culture Athena Olive is the sacred tree of the goddess Athena Athens, the capital of Greece, took its name from the goddess Athena. Zeus had decreed that the city should be given to the god who offered the most useful gift to the people. Poseidon created a salt water spring by striking the ground with his trident. Athena struck the bare soil with her spear and caused an olive tree to spring up. The people were so delighted with the olive that Zeus gave the city to Athena and named it after her. Athena is often shown with an olive branch, a symbol of peace and plenty Athena is goddess of primarily wisdom, but also of strategic warfare, and much more A major coin has Athena’s head with olive wreath on her helmet, and other side with owl and olive branch History The first cultivation of the olive tree worldwide took place in Greece, and more specific in Crete. This happened about 3500 BCE, in the Early Minoan times. In this period the olive tree was in a wilder form in comparison to the tree we know today. After 2000 BCE the cultivation of the olive tree in Crete grew significantly and became essential to the island’s economy. From Crete began the first export of the olive oil not only in mainland Greece but in Northern Africa and Asia Minor as well. Very soon the cultivation passed to mainland Greece and the olive tree and its blessed product, the olive oil became synonyms of the Greek nutrition through centuries. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), in his book The Athenian Constitution states that the olive tree was protected by law by the State. In the Iliad, Homer tells us that Odysseus and Diomedes washed away with hot water and then rubbed their bodies with olive oil. Olympics When the first Olympic Games took place in Olympia in 776BCE an olive-tree branch, cut with a gold-handled knife from a wild olive tree, was the award to the winners symbolising Peace, Wisdom and Victory. The Greeks believed that the vitality of the sacred tree was transmitted to the recipient through the branch. Olive groves were considered sacred ground and only pure men and women were allowed to cultivate them. Later, the prize that the Olympic Champions were given was a wreath made from an olive branch, the “kotinos” This award lasted over 1000 years until the ancient Olympic Games came to an end. The product itself was also often awarded. The most impressive example of the value of the olive oil was its use at the Panathenaic Games which took place every four years with the occasion of Athens’ most important celebration, the Panathenea, in honour of the goddess Athena. The winners of the athletic games were given a huge quantity of olive oil, as much as five tons depending on the sport – this was enough to make them rich. Ongoing Importance Greece became the world's most important exporter of qualitative olive oil. The love and high esteem of the Greek olivegrower for the tree is passed on from generation to generation, from family to family. With the birth of a child an olive tree is planted which will grow and develop along with the child. When the child starts school at age six, the olive tree is ready to produce its fruit. The blessed tree grows up with the family, only it will have a much longer life and will still be around to be tended by the next generation, and the one after that. Each year, it yields its annual crop of olives in return for the labour and love expended on it. © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 2 The Greek Influence in Israel Mishnah – Megillah 1:8 A Sefer Torah may be written in no foreign language other than Greek. בספרים לא התירו שיכתבו אלא יונית The Septuagint (See Talmud, Megillah 9a/b) From the Latin word septuaginta (meaning seventy), is a translation of the Hebrew Bible and some related texts into Koine Greek. The title refers to the seventy Jewish scholars who performed the translation sometime during the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. “In Greece men not only talked philosophy, they lived it: The sage… was the pinnacle and ideal of Greek life.” (Will Durant, The Life of Greece) Persecutions of the Greeks 2 Maccabees 6:1-11 Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God; also to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and that on Mount Gerizim to Zeus the Hospitable, as the inhabitants of the place requested... They also brought into the Temple things that were forbidden, so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws. A man could not keep the Shabbat or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew. At the suggestion of the citizens of Ptolemais, a decree was issued ordering the neighbouring Greek cities to act in the same way against the Jews: oblige them to partake of the sacrifices, and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended. Thus, two women who were arrested for having circumcised their children were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall… Talmud - Shabbat 23a Women are obligated in the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah lights, for they too were concerned in that miracle. שאף,נשים חייבות בנר חנוכה .הן היו באותו הנס . שבת כג- רש״י היו באותו הנס ־ שגזרו יוונים על כל בתולות הנשואות . ועל יד אשה נעשה הנס,להיבעל לטפסר תחלה © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 3 Learning from Elishah Ben Avuyah (Acher) Greek Influence – Talmud, Chagigah 15b But what of Acher? Greek song never ceased from his mouth. It is told of Acher that when he used to rise to go from the Bet HaMidrash, many heretical books used to fall from his lap. .אחר מאי ־ זמר יווני לא פסק מפומיה בשעה שהיה,אמרו עליו על אחר עומד מבית המדרש הרבה ספרי מינין .נושרין מחיקו Boundaries – Talmud, Chagigah 15a Our Rabbis taught: Once Acher was riding on a horse on the Sabbath, and R. Meir was walking behind him to learn Torah from his mouth. Said Acher to him: Meir, turn back, for I have already measured by the paces of my horse that thus far extends the Sabbath limit (techum). He replied: You, too, go back! [Acher] answered: Have I not already told you that I have already heard from behind the Veil, “Return you backsliding children” (Jeremiah 3:14), except Acher. מעשה באחר שהיה רוכב על:תנו רבנן והיה רבי מאיר מהלך,הסוס בשבת : אמר לו.אחריו ללמוד תורה מפיו שכבר שיערתי, חזור לאחריך,מאיר אמר.בעקבי סוסי עד כאן תחום שבת : ־ אמר ליה. אף אתה חזור בך:ליה כבר שמעתי:ולא כבר אמרתי לך מאחורי הפרגוד שובו בנים שובבים ־ .חוץ מאחר Learning from Acher – Talmud, Chagigah 15b But how did R. Meir learn Torah at the mouth of Acher? Behold Rabbah b. Bar Hana said that R. Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts?” (Malachi 2:7). This means that if the teacher is like an angel of the Lord of hosts, they should seek the Law at his mouth, but if not, they should not seek the Law at his mouth! — Resh Lakish answered: R. Meir found a verse and expounded it [as follows], “Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge.” (Proverbs 22:17) It does not say, ‘to their knowledge’, but ‘to my knowledge’.20 R. Chanina said, [he decided it] from here, “Listen, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget also your own people, and your father's house…” (Psalms 45:11). The verses contradict! There’s no contradiction: one refers to an adult and the other to a child. When R. Dimi came [to Babylon] he said: In the West [Israel], they say: R. Meir ate the date and threw the pit away… Rabbah ben Shila once met Elijah. He said to him: What is the Holy One, blessed be God, doing? He answered: God utters traditions in the name of all the Rabbis, but in the name of R. Meir he does not utter. Rabbah asked him, Why? — Because he learnt traditions from the mouth of Acher. Said Rabbah to him: But why? R. Meir found a pomegranate; he ate the fruit within it, and the peel he threw away! ורבי מאיר היכי גמר תורה מפומיה דאחר? והאמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ) מאי דכתיב (מלאכי ב׳:רבי יוחנן כי שפתי כהן ישמרו דעת ותורה יבקשו מפיהו כי מלאך ה׳ צבאות אם דומה הרב למלאך ה׳,הוא ואם.צבאות ־ יבקשו תורה מפיהו ִלאו ־ אל יבקשו תורה מפיהו רבי מאיר קרא:אמר ריש לקיש אשכח ודרש (משלי כ״ב) הט אזנך ושמע דברי חכמים ולבך תשית אלא, לדעתם לא נאמר.לדעתי : רב חנינא אמר מהכא.לדעתי (תהלים מה) שמעי בת וראי והטי .אזנך ושכחי עמך ובית אביך וגו׳ הא ־,קשו קראי אהדדיִ ־ לא קשיא . הא ־ בקטן,בגדול אמרי,כי אתא רב דימי אמר רבי מאיר אכל תחלא:במערבא .ושדא שיחלא לברא ,אשכחיה רבה בר שילא לאליהו מאי קא עביד הקדוש:אמר ליה קאמר:ברוך הוא? אמר ליה ,שמעתא מפומייהו דכולהו רבנן .ומפומיה דרבי מאיר לא קאמר אמאי? ־ משום דקא גמר:אמר ליה : אמר ליה.שמעתא מפומיה דאחר תוכו,אמאי? רבי מאיר רמון מצא זרק ִ קליפתו,אכל © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 4 [ctd.] He answered: Now God says: Meir my son says: When a man suffers, to what expression does the Shechinah give utterance? ‘My head is heavy, my arm is heavy’. If the Holy One, blessed be He, is thus grieved over the blood of the wicked, how much more so over the blood of the righteous that is shed. מאיר בני: השתא קאמר:אמר ליה בזמן שאדם מצטער שכינה:אומר ,מה לשון אומרת ־ קלני מראשי אם כך הקדוש ברוך.קלני מזרועי הוא מצטער על דמן של רשעים ־ קל .וחומר על דמן של צדיקים שנשפך The Two Models of Interaction Date skin without the pip – Rambam’s use of Aristotle’s Golden Mean (Hilchot Deot, Ch.1 & 2) Pomegranate juice without the husk – R. Joseph Karo on Pythagorus theorem in his Kesef Mishnah on Kilayim 6:2, see also the relevant Tosafot Yom Tov) Elisha ben Avuyah, oil and Chanukah Ethics of the Fathers 4:25-27 25. Elisha the son of Avuyah would say: One who learns Torah in their childhood, what is this comparable to? To ink inscribed on fresh paper. One who learns Torah in their old age, what is this comparable to? To ink inscribed on erased paper. 26. Rabbi Yossi the son of Judah of Kfar HaBavli would say: One who learns Torah from youngsters, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks [unfermented] wine from the press. One who learns Torah from the old, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats ripened grapes and drinks aged wine. 27. Said Rabbi Meir: Look not at the vessel, but at what it contains. There are new vessels that are filled with old wine, and old vessels that do not even contain new wine. Talmud - Shabbat 23a R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: All oils are fit for the Hanukkah lamp, but olive oil is of the best. Abaye observed: Initially, Master (Rabbah bar Nachmani) would go looking for sesame oil, saying: The light of this is more lasting; but when he heard this statement of R. Yehoshua ben Levi, he went looking for olive oil, saying, This yields a clearer light. R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: All oils are fit for ink, and olive oil is of the best. The scholars inquired: Best for kneading [the soot] or for smoking [the glass vessel]? Come and hear: For R. Shmuel ben Zutra taught: All oils are fit for ink, but olive oil is of the best, both for kneading and for smoking. כז-כה:פרקי אבות ד הַ ּלוֹמֵ ד ֶּילֶּד,אֱ לִ ישָ ע בֶּ ן אֲ בּויָה אוֹמֵ ר לִ ְדי ֹו כְ תּובָ ה עַ ל ְניָר,לְ מָ ה הּוא דוֹמֶּ ה , וְ הַ ּלוֹמֵ ד זָ ֵקן לְ מָ ה הּוא דוֹמֶּ ה.חָ ָדש .לִ ְדי ֹו כְ תּובָ ה עַ ל נְ יָר מָ חּוק הּודה ִאיש כְ פַ ר הַ בַ בְ לִ י ָ ְַרבִ י יוֹסֵ י בַ ר י הַ ּלוֹמֵ ד ִמן הַ ְקטַ נִים לְ מָ ה הּוא,אוֹמֵ ר לְ אוֹכֵ ל ֲענָבִ ים ֵקהוֹת וְ שוֹתֶּ ה יַיִ ן,דוֹמֶּ ה וְ הַ ּלוֹמֵ ד ִמן הַ זְ ֵקנִים לְ מָ ה הּוא.ִמגִ ת ֹו לְ א ֹוכֵל ֲענָבִ ים בְ שּולוֹת וְ שוֹתֶּ ה,דוֹמֶּ ה .יַיִ ן יָשָ ן ַאל ִת ְס ַת ֵכל,ַרבִ י מֵ ִאיר אוֹמֵ ר יֵש ַק ְנ ַקן. אֶּ ּלָא בַ מֶּ ה ֶּשיֶּש ב ֹו,נְקן ַ בַ ַק וְ יָשָ ן שֶּ אֲ פִ ּלּו חָ ָדש אֵ ין,חָ ָדש מָ לֵא י ָָשן :ב ֹו כל השמנים כולן:אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי : אמר אביי. ושמן זית מן המובחר,יפין לנר ,מריש הוה מהדר מר אמשחא דשומשמי כיון דשמע לה. האי משך נהורי טפי:אמר להא דרבי יהושע בן לוי מהדר אמשחא . האי צליל נהוריה טפי: אמר,דזיתא כל השמנים יפין:ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי : איבעיא להו. ושמן זית מן המובחר,לדיו דתני רב שמואל,לגבל או לעשן? תא שמע כל השמנים יפין לדיו ושמן זית:בר זוטרא רב שמואל, בין לגבל בין לעשן.מן המובחר כל העשנים יפין לדיו:בר זוטרא מתני הכי .ושמן זית מן המובחר . שבת כג- רש״י . צליל נהוריה ־ צלול ומאיר.משוך נהוריה ־ אינו ממהר לכלות כשמן זית וגורר השחרורית, שמעשנין כלי זכוכית בעשן שמן זית עד שמשחיר:לגבל ־ מצאתי בתשובות הגאונים . וממחה אותו לתוך הדיו, ומגבל בו ומייבשו בחמה,ונותן בו שמן קימעא © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 5 The Seven Shepherds Moaz Tzur, 6th verse O bare Your holy arm and hasten the time of salvation Take vengeance for your servants upon the wicked nation For deliverance has too long been delayed; And the evil days are endless. O thrust the Red One into the shadows of death, and set up for us the seven shepherds ,חֲ שוֹף זְ רוֹעַ ָק ְד ֶֽׁ ֶּשָך וְ ָק ֵרב ֵקץ הַ יְ שּועָ ה ,נִקמַ ת ַדם עֲבָ ֶֽׁ ֶּדיָך מֵ אֻ מָ ה הָ ְרשָ עָ ה ְ נְ קֹם ,ָארכָה ֶֽׁ ָּלנּו הַ יְ שּועָ ה ְ כִ י ,וְ אֵ ין ֵקץ לִ ימֵ י הָ ָרעָ ה ַאדמוֹן בְ צֵ ל צַ לְ מוֹן ְ ְדחֵ ה הָ ֵקם ֶֽׁ ָלנּו רוֹעִ ים ִשבְ עָ ה But who were the seven shepherds? Talmud, Sukkah 52b Who were the seven shepherds? David in the middle, Adam, Shet and Metushelach on the right, Avraham, Ya'akov and Moshe to the left. Exodus 25 (31) And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold; of hammered workmanship shall the Menorah be made; its shaft, and its branches, its bowls, its bulbs, and its flowers, shall be of the same. (32) And six branches shall come from its sides; three branches of the Menorah from the one side, and three branches of the Menorah from the other side… (37) And you shall make for it seven lamps; and they shall light its lamps, that they may give light opposite it. : סוכה נב- תלמוד בבלי ,ױמאן נינהו שבעה רועים? דוד באמצע ,אדם שת ומתושלח מימינו .אברהם יעקב ומשה בשמאלו שיתָ ְמנ ַֹרת זָ הָ ב טָ הוֹר ִמ ְקשָ ה ֹ ִ ָלא וְ ע ֵָתיעָ ֶֹּשה הַ ְמנו ָֹרה יְ ֵרכָּה וְ ָקנָּה גְ בִ יעֶּ יה לב:כַפְ ת ֶֹּריהָ ּופְ ָרחֶּ יהָ ִממֶּ נָה יִ ְהיּו וְ ִששָ ה ָקנִ ים י ְֹצ ִאים ִמ ִצ ֶּדיהָ ְשֹלשָ ה ּושֹלשָ ה ְקנֵי ְ ְקנֵי ְמנ ָֹרה ִמ ִצ ָדּה הָ אֶּ חָ ד שיתָ אֶּ ת ֹ ִ ָ לז וְ ע:ְמנ ָֹרה ִמ ִצ ָדּה הַ ֵשנִי ֵָנרֹתֶּ יהָ ִשבְ עָ ה וְ הֶּ ֱעלָה אֶּ ת ֵנרֹתֶּ יה : ָוְ הֵ ִאיר עַ ל עֵ בֶּ ר פָ נֶּיה רש״י : כמין בזיכין שנותנין בתוכן השמן והפתילות- (לז) את נרותיה , עשה פי ששת הנרות שבראשי הקנים היוצאים מצדיה.והאיר על עבר פניה , כדי שיהיו הנרות כשתדליקם מאירים על עבר פניה,מוסבים כלפי האמצעי :מוסב אורם אל צד פני הקנה האמצעי שהוא גוף המנורה © Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, London School of Jewish Studies www.lsjs.ac.uk Twitter: SuperSedra 6
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