קאוד: וועל אויס אלע
A LITTLE OIL GOES A LONG WAY
WRITTEN BY RABBI ELI GLASER
Theנרות of Chanukah remind us once again of the miracle HaShem made in the Beis HaMikdash by allowing the flames of the Menorah to burn for eight days from only one flask of oil.
One of the many lessons we can learn from the Menorah is that all the knowledge that HaShem put into creation is solely for the sake of bettering ourselves and our avodas HaShem. The six outer flames represented the different disciplines of worldly wisdom, but they all pointed toward the center branch to show that the function of these disciplines needs to be directed by Torah and for the ultimate purpose of kedusha.
In addition, the Menorah itself was fashioned from a single chunk of solid gold, teaching that all forms of knowledge stem from the same source – nothing is outside and independent of the al-Mighty and His Torah.
קאוד: וועל אויס אלע
This lesson is very relevant for today’s society and the issues facing our community. We study the details of this world to understand how to best utilize the laws of nature for our benefit. Even though we were miraculously saved during the time of Chanukah, Jewish law clearly prohibits us from relying on miracles.
If something is known to be harmful, then the Torah commands us to abstain from that substance or behavior – such as smoking, or eating unhealthy or excessive quantities of food. Perhaps deep fried latkes and endless jelly donuts meet this description – for it’s a bit difficult to see how they actually commemorate the festivities of Chanukah.
Using oil in our food to remember the miracle of the Menorah is certainly an important custom. But in order to best encompass the actual events that transpired, we need to understand exactly what kind of oil we want to emulate.
The fuel for the Menorah was שמן זית זך כתית"- pure, pressed olive oil.” Rashi tells us that the olives were gently squeezed to expose only the first, pure drop of oil. The rest of the olive was then sent away to be crushed in the traditional manner to release the remainder of the oil for meal offerings.
קאוד: וועל אויס אלע
Therefore, in order to best replicate the oil from the Menorah, shouldn’t we specifically not use an abundance of oil to deep fry and saturate our foods – but rather add a single drop of pure, extra virgin oil to a delicious dish or salad exclusively for the sake of the miracle? Wouldn’t this be the ideal way to celebrate? And wouldn’t this incorporate the larger lesson of the Menorah which is to learn from the wisdom of nature that HaShem put into Creation and not indulge in behaviors that clearly cause us harm – such as clogging our arteries with excess fat? Something to think about as we try to allow the light of Chanukah to continue to burn in us even after the last candle flickers out. Good שבת.