Shabbos Parashas Tetzaveh Zachor - 5780
Shabbos Parashas Tetzaveh Zachor - 5780
Rabbi Hal Miller
And you shall command the children of Israel that they shall take for you
clear olive oil, crushed for illumination, to light a lamp continually.
[Shemos 27:20]
The verse says to take shemen zayit zach katit. A common understanding
would be extra virgin, clear olive oil. But all of the commentators read more
into it than that, based on the word katit. The Alcalay dictionary defines the
word as "to pound, beat, crush, pulverize". All of the commentators explain
that the very first drop of oil to come out of the olive is the best, and is the
only part of the oil that is valid for use in the Menorah. All the rest of the oil
may be ground out and is valid for mincha offerings, but not the Menorah.
Rashi says that zach, clear, means without sediments, that the olives are
crushed in a mortar rather than ground in a mill. The Gemora in Menachos
86b, R'Yehudah says crushed, which means pounded. Torah Temimah and
Rashbam agree, crushed. Nechama Leibowitz says pounded.
But others say differently. Onkelos says beaten, not ground, as does Kol
Dodi.
Rav Moshe Feinstein says pressed, not crushed, that crushing or pounding
leaves sediments. Even if one filters out all the sediment, the oil for the
Menorah must be pure, not filtered. Ramban and Rav Hirsch both say
pressed, not crushed or ground. Since everyone agrees that sediment is
not acceptable, even if removed completely, it would seem that the most
gentle method of getting that first drop of oil would be required, which would
be pressing rather than beating, pounding, or crushing. All agree against
grinding in a mill.
There is also a difference of opinion as to what the last words mean. Rashi
and others who follow him say that continually is like the continual olah
offering, which is offered every morning, meaning once a day.
Ramban and others bring numerous examples where the Torah is capable
of telling us to do something once a day, and thus is here saying to do it
every instant. From this we learn the laws of leaving the western-most
lamp of the Menorah always lit, which we commemorate in synagogues
today as the "ner tamid" (eternal light) over the Ark.