Alternate image: Esav reconciling with Yakov, Rubens painting

Midrashic Sources: not yet verified:

1. Tree of Knowledge as Olive:

   • Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit 15:7) discusses various opinions about the Tree of Knowledge

   • The closest reference is in Midrash Tanchuma (Noah 13) which lists the olive among several possibilities

   • The idea appears in later commentaries but not as the primary interpretation

1. • • The connection to Adam's eight-day festival is mentioned in Avodah Zarah 8a

1. • Noah's olive branch:

     • Bereishit Rabbah 33:6 discusses the significance of the olive branch

     • Zohar (I:251b)? ;Zohar Chadash on Noah discusses the olive branch as a symbol of divine wisdom

     • Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer:

       1. Chapter 33 discusses the olive branch from Noah's dove

       2. Suggests the branch came from the Mount of Olives

       3. Implies continuity between pre-flood and post-flood sacred spaces

2. Jacob's Pachim Ketanim:

   • Chullin 91a mentions mentions Yaakov returning for pachim ketanim but doesn't specify oil
     
     

ויותר יעקב לבדו - אמר רבי אלעזר: שנשתייר על פכין קטנים

Key Elements:  

 לבדו suggests unique spiritual status

 פכין קטנים emphasized as significant despite size

2. • The Maharsha on this passage connects it to the Temple vessels

   • Bereishit Rabbah 77:2/78:2 discusses the spiritual significance of these small vessels

3. Yalkut Shimoni:

   • Remez 786 discusses the special properties of olive oil

   • Links olive oil to divine wisdom

   • Connects to the concept of light preserved from creation

4. Lesser-Known Sources:

   • Midrash HaGadol on Exodus:

     • Discusses sacred vessels preserved from earlier generations

     • Mentions special properties of Temple oil

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 Detailed Textual Analysis

The Olive Branch Narrative:

Original: ותבא אליו היונה לעת ערב והנה עלה זית טרף בפיה

Key Analysis Points:

- טרף (torn) implies connection to something greater

- לעת ערב connects to sacred times

1. - בפיה suggests oral transmission of wisdom
   ....

Temple Oil Requirements:
Copy
Menachot 86a:

שמן זית זך - שלוש מעלות בשמן

2. Analyzing gradations of oil purity as spiritual levels
   ...

Basic themes

1. The concept of physical objects carrying spiritual history

2. The idea of contested spiritual inheritance

3. The principle of physical properties reflecting spiritual realities

The notion of the specific exact flask passing through generations may be original,  however the underlying structure aligns with traditional Jewish thought about the relationship between physical objects and spiritual reality.

The originality lies in:

1. Connecting disparate elements into a coherent narrative

2. Applying the physical-spiritual correspondence principle specifically to the oil story

3. Interpreting historical conflicts through the lens of spiritual inheritance rights

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Similar pattern to my oil flask notion:

5. Midrash Talpiot:

   • Contains a tradition connecting Adam's staff to olive wood

   • Traces this staff through the generations

   • Batei Midrashot collection:

     • Contains traditions about sacred objects passing through generations

     • Includes discussion of pre-flood sacred items surviving

6. Medieval Collections: Sefer HaYashar (midrashic work):

   • • Contains traditions about sacred inheritances

     • Discusses conflicts over spiritual legacy items

I can rely on these similar treatments for other entities:

"In the Bible certain objects appear in association with an individual character or characters and in particular narrative events. Rabbinic exegesis places these objects in new and innovative contexts. That is, the Rabbinic exegetes speak of the object's origin, history and fate: the circumstances under which the object was created, how it came into the possession of a Biblical character, its destiny, and, in some cases, its role in the Messianic era. 

This thesis examines Rabbinic interpretations of eight Biblical objects: Adam's garments, Abraham's ram, Solomon's throne, the staffs, asses, altars and wells used by various characters, and a divine fire. 

This is the first collection of the numerous parallel sources that deal with each of these objects. The traditions regarding these objects illustrate the Rabbis' concern with unity and continuity: different Biblical characters and events are linked together by means of the objects. The Rabbinic idea of the transmission of Biblical objects parallels the Rabbis' view of their own literature as having been transmitted through the generations."

Pearl, Gina. "Adam's garments, the staff, the altar and other biblical objects in innovative contexts in rabbinic literature." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61269.

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https://www.mayimachronim.com/the-kabbalah-of-moses-divine-staff/

Pirkei Avot (5:6) famously states that the Staff was one of ten special things to be created in the twilight between the Sixth Day and the first Shabbat. The Midrash (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 40) elaborates:

Rabbi Levi said: That staff which was created in the twilight was delivered to the first man out of the Garden of Eden. Adam delivered it to Enoch, and Enoch delivered it to Noah, and Noah to Shem. Shem passed it on to Abraham, Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob brought it down to Egypt and passed it on to his son Joseph, and when Joseph died and they pillaged his household goods, it was placed in the palace of Pharaoh.

And Jethro was one of the magicians of Egypt, and he saw the staff and the letters which were upon it, and he desired it in his heart, and he took it and brought it, and planted it in the midst of the garden of his house. No one was able to approach it any more.

When Moses came to his house, he went into Jethro’s garden, and saw the staff and read the letters which were upon it, and he put forth his hand and took it. Jethro watched Moses, and said: “This one in the future will redeem Israel from Egypt.” Therefore, he gave him Tzipporah his daughter to be his wife…

God gave the staff to Adam, who gave it to Enoch (Hanokh)—who later transformed into the angel Metatron—and Enoch passed it on further until it got to Joseph in Egypt. The Pharaoh confiscated it after Joseph’s death. The passage then alludes to another Midrashic teaching that Jethro (Yitro), Moses’ future father-in-law, was once an advisor to Pharaoh, along with Job and Bila’am (see Sanhedrin 106a). The wicked Bila’am was the one who advised Pharaoh to drown the Israelite male-born in the Nile. While Job remained silent (for which he was so severely punished later), Jethro protested the cruel decree, and was forced to resign and flee because of it. As he fled, he grabbed the divine staff with him. Arriving in Midian, his new home, Jethro stuck the staff in the earth, at which point it seemingly gave forth deep roots and was immovable.

A related Midrash states that all the suitors that sought the hand of his wise and beautiful Tzipporah were asked to take the staff out of the earth, and should they succeed, could marry Jethro’s daughter. None were worthy. (Not surprisingly, some believe that this Midrash may have been the source for the Arthurian legend of the sword Excalibur.) Ultimately, Moses arrived and effortlessly pulled the staff out of the ground.

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https://sichaconversation.org/2015/01/22/a-branch-of-the-tree-of-life/

Moses’ staff escaped our notice completely until God drew attention to it by asking Moses: What is that in your hand? (Exodus 4:2).

That staff is the most animated of all the inanimate objects in the Torah. Jolted from scaly stick to slithering serpent and soon soothed to staff once again, it is a prominent character in Moses’ confrontations with Pharaoh, appearing mainly in the hand of Aaron, Moses’ brother.

According to ancient legend, Moses’ staff was created in a moment between the end of creation’s sixth day and the first Sabbath—a moment in which miraculous objects were made and stored, awaiting their unique moments in time.

In a very different story, the staff was not kept safe outside of history. Rather, it was constantly of use in the world.  Adam leaned upon it when he left the Garden.  (Some say that it was fashioned from a limb of the Tree of Life.) A legacy from Adam, the staff steadied generations from Enoch to Joseph. When Joseph died, Pharaoh confiscated it. Pharaoh’s Midianite counselor, Jethro, stole the staff and planted it in his garden where it took root—to be drawn out only by the one who would redeem Israel from Egypt.

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Wikipedia: Midrash states that the staff was passed down from generation to generation and was in the possession of the Judean kings until Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 587 BCE. It is unknown what became of the staff after the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled from the land.

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רבי שלמה לוריא (המהרש"ל, פולין, המאה ה-16) קשר באופן שונה בין הכדים שאיבד יעקב לבין כד השמן של חנוכה: לדעתו ה' אמר ליעקב שבזכות כך שיעקב הסתכן ושב לאסוף את הכדים ששכח, למען  שם ה', לניסוך שמן על המזבח בבית אל; לכן, ה' יגמול לצאצאיו באמצעות נס של כד קטן:

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(יש היגיון וטעם בחיבור בין פך השמן לפכים הקטנים שכן משמעות המילה פַּךְ היא כד קטן, כלי קטן לנוזלים וברבים פכים. מי שכותב פח – טעות בידו.)

לאחר שהעביר יעקב את אשתו וילדיו לעבר הירדן המערבי - לארץ כנען, עבר שוב לצד השני של מעבר יבוק כדי למצוא את הכד שלו וחפצים אחרים שנשארו שם. כתוב "ויוותר יעקב לבדו" (בראשית ל"ב,25) אך אסור לאדם לצאת יחידי בלילה ככתוב "המהלך בדרך יחידי הרי זה מתחייב בנפשו". לכן יש פירוש: "אל תקרֵי (תקרא) "לְבַדּוֹ" אלא "לְכַדּוֹ". (אך גם אם נאמר הכוונה היא שיעקב הלך כדי להביא את הכד שלו, הרי שהוא היה לבדו – וסיכן עצמו במסירות נפש. התנהגות זו מורה על חשיבות הפכים הקטנים עבורו.)

רש"י פירש (לפי הכתוב בחולין דף צ"א, עמוד א'):  "שכח פכים קטנים וחזר עליהן". "פַּכִּים קטנים" – הם חפצים בעלי ערך מועט.

שאלה למחשבה: מה החשיבות ב"פכים קטנים" שבגינם שב יעקב לבדו לעבר הירדן המזרחי והשאיר את בני משפחתו לבדם? 

...אהרון הכהן…ובו הדליקו ח' ימים לצרכם

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הרב דוד הרצברג ז"ל כתב:

לפי מסורת שבעל-פה, מסביר ה"אמרי נעם" [1] , שענף הזית שהביאה היונה לנח, הפך לשמן זית זך. השמן נמסר לבנו הבכור של נח, שֵׁם. לפי המסורת שֵׁם הוא מלכיצדק – הכהן לאל עליון שנתן לאברהם כד שמן כמנחה. אברהם הוריש את כד השמן ליצחק שהעביר אותו ליעקב. לפי המקורות, יעקב שכח כדים קטנים בזמן חציית נהר היבוק ושב לאחוריו להביא אותם ("ויותר יעקב" - שכח פכים קטנים וחזר עליהם, חולין צא). באחד הכדים היה השמן מתיבת נח. רוח נבואה הביאה את יעקב להטמין את כד השמן במקום שבו עתיד לקום המקדש, כדי שבבוא היום ימצאו אותו החשמונאים. שמן המנורה, אם כן, מקושר ליונה – סמל השלום והוא עתיד לשוב ולהאיר את העולם עם בוא המשיח [2].

אם כן, "אמרי נעם" רואה בשמן המנורה שמן עתיק, ששרד שנים רבות ומקורו באבות הרוחניים של העם היהודי.

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.    רש"י בראשית פרק לב פסוק כה-  ויותר יעקב - שכח פכים קטנים וחזר עליהם.

ג.    תלמוד בבלי מסכת חולין דף צא עמוד א: ויותר יעקב לבדו - אמר רבי אלעזר: שנשתייר על פכין קטנים, מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם וכל כך למה, לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל. 

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AR: שייר. לועזית: retention 1. בביטוח: סכום ההתחייבות שמשאיר אצלו מבטח מכל סיכון שנטל.

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GoogleTranslation:

This miracle we celebrate Chanukah. Many commentators linked this jug of oil to the small jugs that Jacob returned to the other side of Nahal Yavuk to bring them:

According to oral tradition, Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzhikov explained the "Emery Noam" [Deadlines for Chanukah, pages 100-130] that the olive branch brought by the dove to Noah became a virgin olive oil. The oil was delivered to Noah - Shem's eldest son. According to tradition, there is Melchizedek - the priest of the Supreme God who gave Abraham pitcher oil as a gift. Abraham bequeathed the oil jug to Isaac who passed it on to Jacob after ratifying the blessing and sending him to Lavan. Yakov poured it on the stone which, after the dream, was placed on the "ladder set to earth and his head comes to heaven" (Genesis 18:12). He kept this oil and when he returned to the Land of Israel with his wives and children on the river crossing, he returned to the other side to take the oil jug, and Jacob did not think that the oil he had passed from generation to generation in the East Jordan, but wanted him to go with him and continue from generation to generation.

On his return, he went to Bethel, where he used the oil can - poured and consecrated the place and made an offering to G-d. The oil can reached Levi and Amram, Moshe Rabbeinu's father. Then Aaron the Priest and a chain of the high priests of the Temple. In this oil the tabernacle and its vessels and the altar, as well as the kings and more, were anointed. A prophetic spirit led Jacob to put the oil jar in the place where the temple was to be erected, so that when the day came, the Hasmoneans would find it.  

Hejah - Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai interpreted similarly. He wrote about jugs in his book "Some Things" (required for Shabbat Hanukkah):

"And another rabbi wrote" Brachat Shmuel " from the name of Rabbi" Sheftei Cohen "on the Torah (Rabbi Mordechai HaCohen): the same oil that Yaakov poured on the stone which his head revealed to him, and Yaakov saw all the miracles Made in this month, in which the vessels of the Temple and the tabernacle were anointed, in which all the kings were anointed ... which also became revealed to the Hasmonean son who was sealed with the seal of a high priest 

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(There is logic and reason in connecting the oil jug to the small jugs, since the word "jug" means a small jug, a small tool for liquids and many jugs. Whoever writes tin can make a mistake.)

After Jacob moved his wife and children toward the western Jordan - to the land of Canaan, he moved again to the other side of the Yabuk crossing to find his urn and other objects that remained there. It is written, "And Ya'akov will leave alone" (Genesis 25:25), but one must not go out alone at night as it is written "the walk in an individual way, it is in his soul." Therefore, it means: "Do not go" (read) "but" catch up ". (But even if the intention is to say that Jacob went to get his jug, he was alone - and risked himself with devotion. This behavior indicates the importance of the small jugs for him.)

Rashi interpreted (as it is written in Holin page XVI, page A): "Forget small jugs and repeat them". "Small jugs" - are of little value.

Question for thought: What is the significance of the "small jugs" for which Jacob returned alone to the East Jordan and left his family alone?

... Aharon the Cohen ... where the eight days lit up their needs

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My Elaboration and extension

Noah sent out a dove which returned with an olive branch.

According to Tradition, Noah made oil from tthe olives and put it into a flask which was passed down the generations. The question is to whom did he entrust it? To his eldest son? Or was there a rivalry about receving it just as there was rivalry about everything else in the chumash?

Who was eldest? His sons are listed as "Shem, Cham and Yafet" but Rashi brings passages indicating that Yafet was oldest!

And we know that according to Tradition, the ancient Greeks were from Yafet. So isn't it interesting that the ancient Greeks considered olive oil very special , a gift from the gods, and had many rituals connected to it, and legends about an original tree from which it was taken [see more sources about this further below]? 

Jewish traditions even state that the Tree of Knowledge was an olive tree. And where was THAT during the flood? Maybe it was the only part of the world not flooded and that's why the bird returned with it - Ararat is in the general region of Eden -  and Noah understood that this was NOT an indication that the waters had receeded?!

There are two ancient ritual-fruit, processed into higher-level symbolic foods: wine from grapes and oil from olives, and also bread from grain. They are done only by humans, as part of the process of "la'asot", raising everything to a higher level.

The first thing Noah did after the flood was plant a vine and then when it produced fruit he got drunk. Maybe it was related to a ritual of after-the-flood use of wine and oil to renew the world, and the human activitiy of raising the physical to a more purified level. 

Maybe the story about Cham (and Cnaan) is about trying to steal the flask from him when he was drunk, and there is a conneciton to the Tree of Knowledge in that sense. And so maybe Shem and Yefet joined up to get it from Noah to keep it from being stolen by Cham. And then Noah reacted when we awoke and heard what had happened, and seems to have preferred Shem, but also gives permission to Yefet to be in Shem's tents!

Chanuka and the oil:

The Greeks are from Yefet and they claimed it too (because of the beauty aspect, and also the Greeks had long used olive oil in their religious ceremonies); and maybe they claimed the har habayit too,  יַפְתְּ אֱלֹ-ים לְיֶפֶת, וְיִשְׁכֹּן בְּאָהֳלֵי-שֵׁם.

And so the miracle of chanukah was that the Greeks didn't get har habayit, nor the flask of oil from Noacht.And the joy and celebration was when the Jews found it and realized the Greeks hadn't found it; and maybe the oil lasted 8 days because it was that special oil, and in fact it wasn't at all burned (like the sneh), it could have lasted forever, but they didn't need it anymore after 8 days when the new oil was ready and so it went out (or it was used as a ner tamid) and they used the new oil. 

So all the 8 days were miraculous because they were all illuminated by the miraculous oil, not that the miracle was that ordinary oil lasted so long (and therefore this is an answer to the famous question of why all 8 days were celebrated).

So maybe Shem received the oil flask but Yefet claimed it and utilizing the blessing permission of Noah "yishkon be'oholei Shem" he came to the bet hamikdash to take it and the miracle of chanukah was that it was not taken, and was found by the Jews after they defeated the Greeks, and THIS is what chanukah is about?

In the Middle East, it was always all about the oil!

Esav came back much later, in the guise of the Romans who carried off the essentials from the Bet Hamikdash, and the huge procession carrying the menorah, memorialized forever by the engraving on the arch of Titus - Brutus killed Caesar, did he end up with OliveOyl?

But first: Who among Shem's descendants received it?

Shem according to chazal was Malkitzedek (meaning: 'my king, righteousness'); he is described in the chumash as giving a brocho to Avrahm, which is understood Traditionally as passing the mesorah to Avram, recognizing him as the one who stood out from among his (Shem's) descendants, to be tasked now with continuing the chain. So Shem/MalkiTzedek  takes out bread and wine as part of the ceremony. What else fits with that? Olive oil! So this can be a hidden reference to the transmission of the olive oil for the mashiach to descend from Avrahm! 

Why was this the appropriate criteria for deciding that Avram was the right one? Because he understands that Avram mounted the war due to his awareness of the significance for the geula and moshiach of the rescue of Dovid Hamekh's great grandfather Lot. See the commentary on parshas Lech Lecha [INSERT LINK HERE]. And so he knows Avram will also understand the sginificance of the oil. Indeed, due to the oil, rescuing Malkitzedek was of paramount imortance, along with rescing Lot.

Ma'avak yaakov and (the 'sar' of) esav: 

Who does Avraham give the oil to? Sarah makes sure Yishmael is exiled and God tells him that his descent will be counted via Yitschok. In recent history however, Yishmael is firecly attracted to the makom hamikdash (and his strenght was in oil, though of a different type). But then to which of Yitschok's two sons should he pass it on to? 

Maybe the oil was originally intended for Esav: 

וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת-עֵשָׂו, כִּי-צַיִד בְּפִיו 

וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב, וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה-זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ

and that's what Yaakov meant to purchase as his bechora, and then that was what the 'ma'avak' was about.

So it would be this oil container holding the olive of noach's 'yona' that is the 'pachim ktanim' that yaakov went back for, ie the prize in the 'ma'avak. 

Maybe it was given to Yaakov when he got the brocho (and he was supposed to be the man of tents, but he was in the fields like Esav and later built a house, so maybe Esav could also be oholei shem) and when he returned Esav came with his army to fight for it, but it was arranged that the fight would be a "maavak" at the higher level.

As a descendant of shem, esav had a claim on it (especially from the aspect of it being an artifact of Nature) and that was the reason for the ma'avak. 

So Yaakov made a deal with the sar shel Esav - let me go across the river with my family and take them to safety, to get them out of the way of the fight, that is what the pasuk means in the story before it, sending the divided 'machanot',.

That's what the pasuk means in implying that he went to sleep first, and then woke and took his family across - what happened was that the sar of esav came in the intial sleep state and Yaakov  wakes and tells the sar shel esav "I'll leave the pachim of oil here, and then I'll come back and we'll have the ma'avak, and whoever wins gets it". This explains why Yaakov comes back - to engage in the ma'avak - he went back not because he forgot the pachim, but beause he needed to be back there to get the pachim, but to get them he had to fight for its ownership. and so that's why chazal talk of him going back for pachim ktanim . 

  [ADVANCED: See the sources in the photo insert on this page. Perhaps the sar of esav accuses yakov of stealing oil, since he used some to consecrate the monument after the ladder dream, and that is what the struggle was technically about, and Yakov is defening himself from accusations fo gezel and see the reference to the talmudic discussion of "nishtayer" to perhaps explain the terms used re Yakov's reason for going back, ie it wasn't that he 'forgot' them, but rather that there was a dispute due to 'missing/remaining' amount of oil!. And it was a "pikadon". ALso: Yakov claimed that the oil would regenerate, so it wasn't really missing, maybe just as his hip regenerated unaturally quickly, healed lareadybefore meeting Esav, so this meant the oil also was back to full by the time Esav meets him. This was due to Yakov/Yosroel's acceptance of the mitzvah for all geenrations to come, so we have a part in this.

Eventually Yaakov won and became Yisrael, earning the right to have the oil for moshiach, to be used after a long 'night of struggle' through the ages, with much physical wounding in the process, for which Yaakov prepared the way by observing the mitzva of the gid hanasheh as the 'price' or process (ie Yishmael and Esav both had bris, so what distinguished Yaakov? The mitzvah of gid hanasheh.)

[See talmudic sources included in photo below re the discussion of gid hansheh mentioning the pachimktanim and the reason for going back - "shenishtayer" - which is usually understood as meaning "forgotten" as per Rashi, but perhaps one can interpret it as in the way the word is used in the continuation of the gemara discussion. If we say that Yakov had used someof theoil in annointing the matzevah when the stones united under his head, then the Sar of Esav accused him of stealing that amount of oil, since it was a pikadon place din his trust, not to use, so Yakov calls HIM maybe a thief that he is afraid to stay in daylight, all reflections fo the argument with Lovon, as preparation for having tarayag mitzvot to be protected in the encounter with Esav, for which Yaakov then takes the gid hanasheh as PRIZE, not as sign of his defeat! ]

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Given the thematice similarity of 

• the ner tamid;

• the chanuka oil which burned 8 days

• the sneh;

 perhaps Moshe Rabenu received the oil at that event, with his being chosen as the approriate one to receiv eit given his reaction to the sneh ("asurah nah ve'ereh et hamareh hagadol hazeh, lamah lo yiv'ar hasneh!" "Vayar H ki sar lir'ot"!..

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http://vitaminim.org/1/index.php/topic,36685.msg123990.html#msg123990

פכים קטנים של יעקב אבינו ופך קטן של חנוכה / עדנה ויג.

« ב- : דצמבר 07, 2018, 12:51:37 PM »

Yavan & Rome (Yefet & Esav)

Yitschok gives brocho of "shmanei haaretz" to BOTH Yaakov & Esav but in slightly different (reversed) versions. If we interpret this as a reference to the olive oil, then BOTH have a right to it - that's why even though Yaakov had already ratified his giving the brocho to Yaakov ("gam baruch yihyeh") they still had to fight for it.

Rashi there at the brocho to esav and to yaakov:s "shmaniei haaretz" means inheriting a land whose prduce and fields etc are "fat", and Rashi says this is "italia shel yavan"! (There is much discussion about which lands are meant by this etc, see below)

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More details:

Shem was younger than Yafet, see rashi who quotes psukim to show this.

So was there rivalry between them?! Maybe that's why Greeks came for the oil in the bet hamikdash!

Yaft elokim leyefet veyishkon beoholei shem.

Why was Shem given preference? Or is it indeed preference? Or maybe yefet had a different version of this statement, or diff  interpretation?!

[why was specifically cnaan cursed?!]

Is there a conneciotn that now the land of cnaan would be given to descendants of shem?

..

 yakov and Man were westling for the pach hashemen 'pachim ktanim', Y went to evcuate his family from war zone, left the pachim there in agremeent wiht Man, and returned to fight over who gets it, esav says it is his inheritance, part of the 'sadeh', Y wins and thereby retroactively gets all brochos including harnessing powers of nature (Einstein etc?!).

Chanuka time the Yafet greeks wanted their inheritance from Noach, the oil, it was part of beauty etc, annointing with oil (what role did olive oil play in ancient statues)? Shem was was youngr son not older, see eg rashi, and so the conflict at the time of chanuka was like the earlier struggle between yakov & esav. The Greeks did start science, study of ature, and beauty etc, but didn't tie it to spiritual deelopment. (mayb eis like mafsik belimudo idea) 

oil is pressed olives, purified, is task of yisrael but could have been task of esav in diff way, or yafet; oil dripping from head can be decadent, greek style. but if greeks are as they sould have been and jews as they should have been, would not have been conflict. (the syrian greeks were not like Alexander, famous story with cohen gadol. And the jews at the time wer enot up to par.)......

sibling rivalry in breishis has to includ sons of Noah. Theyfought over the oil. Yakov/esav both of shem. Mitzrayim/Canaan are chom but not clea rif they wer epar tof it.

yAfet yishkon beoholei shem, ie in B Hamikdash, Koresh was form Yfet! So the greeks came in bayis sheni, wanted the oil for their form of worship and aesthetics, phil science etc, not morality spirituality?

pLato saw us as only shadows, Torah sees us as divine image, par to fhte cosmc process, what we do here is how the upper relams develop. The shadow manipulate  the upper relam.

10 commandments broken bec we didnt have vessels for even first aleph of anochi, and 10 were written in stone but also divine (both sides), but by breaking them, knowing we didnt have the vessels, we now needed 613

vessels, oil, woman and elisha, need vessels thne oil flows, conneciton to yakov.

Yakov goes back for oil.

Yefet comes to B Hamikdash for it.

Yosef in mitzraiyim, and ivri from canaan. Is there an conneciotn to the oil.

What is the oil why so important? Oil is infinite light, flame is light in the worls, we have ot bring the infinite light into the world. At least tha tis how we understand misison, myaybe yefet understands differenlt.

Esav's brocho was “mishmanei haaretz, umital hashamayim?”. (But tal is from bottom up?)

.....

Yosef & Yehuda re chanuka:

• The biggest miracle of the oil was that they found it to begin with. Yosef gives brocho to Biyamen )before revealing himself), saying “elokim yocnicho bni” yochnecho = has chen = chanuka. Yosef was thereby revealing the future, the location of the cruz hashemen, would it be in Yehyda or binyanin, so y reveals that it is in binyamin,

• When yosef was missing binyamin kept the fire burning (AR: is this a reference to the ner tomid?)

• yosef & yehuda were figthing over binyamin = fighting over kodshei kodshim, in whose chelek it would be. Mei Hashiloach: who needs the k kodshim the most, a tzadik or BT?Yosef was tzadik, yehuda was BT, he did techuva. Y said it's for tazadikim, Yehuda said for BT (bec for them, holy is not enough, only holy of holies is enough). 

.............

AR ideas re chanukah etc:

·          Sneh burned but was not consumed, like chanukah oil.

·         tie it to oil of noah, and ner tamid, and mon, and the flame symbolizes that , when light flame one from the other it is not dimished, M"R to yehoshua, Tradition not change the torah even if it is transmitted over thousasds of years.

·         zohar on sneh puts it in context of Bil'am vs M"R: Bilaam as great as MR but his power from darakness, MR from light (and he was chesed): and the sneh was to reassure BY that they will not be consumed:

Maybe because bilam was advisor of pharoah when M"R was there? Maybe that is relate to midrash of MR choosing glowing coal, light that burns rather than light that doesnt, deliberately to confuse Bilaam to think he was not dangeorus to the Bilam/Paraoh plan. MR was cas tinto the river bec it is water which is not afraid of fire. And water is from ealrier creation. MR expmelified chesed (maybe idea of flock of sheep, good shepherd?). So sneh is fire is feraful but MR could approach nevertheless, conquered his fear bec he is from water, earlier-creaiton-inspired, so he wasnt made tomeh by the 49 levels of tumah in mtzrayim. And the flood aftermath was to reassure humanity it would continue and oil of yonah was the carrier of the continuity like Tradition, but it was divide dinto different naitons three sons of noah, MR from Shem but Greeks form Yafet, fighting over that oil, bilaam fighting MR and MR gets the light at the sneh, and sheh symbolizes not being consumed by the fire. So we see fire and realize if it doesnt consume the sneh then it means we also can be not consumed by any earthly fire, the oil will last even though it is feeding the menorah-flame, that is ner tamid, ie the traidotn continues, the Jewish people continue after any cataclysm (Flood). And descnedants of Avraham chesed, and Tradition via MR chesed is the idea that the Values are chesed etc, not those of the Yafet Greeks like beauty and truthc(Ahron teaches that Truth is not a value, but rather shalom is). So MR and Ahron are chesed, anovoh & sholom (brisi sholom was to Ahron's descnedant Pinchas), and together  thet represent overcoming jealousy.

·         sneh = heh on both sides of sin nun = nes.

  [From Sh Carlebach video: oil is the secret rozo and flame is outer open light; greeks defiled oil means destroyed our inner light]

...

The Ancient Greeks and Olive Oil

Homer claimed in his writings that the ancient olive tree growing in Athens was already 10,000 years old. He also stated that destroying an olive tree was prohibited and any such action would be viewed as capital punishment by the Greek court.

 In 775 BC Olympia, Greece, at the site of the ancient Olympic stadium, athletes trained and competed in their respective sports with the winners triumphantly acclaimed and crowned with a wreath made of olive twigs.

The Greeks began olive cultivation in 700 BC. The sacred lamp that was used in ancient Greek culture for lighting dark rooms at night was fueled by olive oil. Aged olive oil was also used in sacred anointing rituals of the church at weddings and at baptisms, a ritual still continued today.

 Solon an Athenian reformer and poet, in his economic reforms encouraged the cultivation of olives and prohibited any other produce to be exported.

Since 566 BC, the famous Panathenaic Games were held every four years in Athens, ancient Greece, celebrating the honour of the goddess Athena. During the games, religious festivals, ceremonies, cultural events and competitions were held. For the winners, the prize consisted of an amphora filled with olive oil produced by olives from the sacred olive fields of Attica.

Herodotus wrote in 500 BC, that the growing and exporting of olives and olive oil were so sacred that only virgins and eunuchs were allowed to cultivate olive trees.

The first documented plantings of olive trees predate the discovered Mycenae olive fossils by about 1100 years and are believed to have occurred on the island of Crete by the Minoan civilization.

The ancient Greeks mastered the art of pressing the precious oil from the fruit of the olive tree. Archaeological studies prove that Greece has been producing high quality olive oil for more than 4000 years.

....

Homer, the immortal Greek poet, called olive oil liquid gold

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

According to myth, Poseidon and Athena competed against each other for the Kingdom of Attica. Poseidon, “God of seas”, struck his trident to the ground and a well of salt water was formed granting the Greeks with a means of trade and water which however was non potable. Athena on the other hand a “Goddess of wisdom and justice” gave them the olive tree and with it its many beneficial properties. Poseidon who probably foresaw the outcome was outraged and challenged Athena but Zeus intervened ordering the formation of a divine tribunal of Olympian deities. Cecrops the mythical king sided with the Goddess and on accepting her gifts, Athena became the patron deity of the Athenians who in her honour named the new city after her. Displeased by the outcome the God of seas tried to set fire to the tree using a thunderbolt. To his dismay he realised the next morning that the tree had re-grown.  

Chanuka Oil and Pillow Stones

Introduction: Yakov runs away from Esav, and says “if the dream promises come true this will be a holy place and this stone will be a monument”. 

·         Why the stress on the stone which was his pillow?

·         Why the conditional “If”? Why shouldn’t he make a monument?

 We know that he took several stones to put under his head, and that since it says clearly later on that only one was under his head when he awoke, according to Tradition, God made a miracle and had all the stones join into one.

My interpretation of the story: Yakov could not be sure that the dream was accurate and from God, but the unified stone was a sign that something special had occurred, that it was indeed holy ground, and therefore Yakov gave credence to the dream (appropriately it was the stone under his head while he dreamed which became unified.)

Introduction: In a similar manner: some people living at the time of the events we commemorate at Hannuka were not sure that the military victory was indeed a divine miracle: then as today, incredible military victories by the Jewish State could be laid at the door of naturalistic causes. We are taught that this was one of the reasons that God made the miracle of the oil: to indicate that the rededication of the Temple had come about via a miracle, that the whole process was one of divine intervention. And so the oil became the great symbol of the holiday, the focus of the commemoration of the miracle of the great military victory,

even though the war was in itself a ‘greater’ miracle.

My interpretation: Yakov understands that the miracle of the stone is not in itself consequential but rather was meant to indicate that the dream was a divine event: he therefore stipulates that IF the events foretold in the dream come true, so that it was indeed a message from God, then since the stone – like the oil -indicated that this indeed had been a divine event, it would then become the focus of the commemoration of the ‘greater’ miracle of the dream.

...

1. 
   

2. Deeper Implications:

   • The necessity of physical vessels for spiritual content

   • The role of time in spiritual processes

   • The preservation of spiritual essence through physical means

1. Common Themes Across Sources:

   • Preservation of sacred objects

   • Transmission through generations

   • Struggle over spiritual inheritance

   • Physical vessels containing spiritual power

2. Supporting Your Narrative:

   • While specific connections are original

   • Pattern is deeply rooted in traditional sources

   • Methodology follows established principles

3. New Insights:

   • Physical-spiritual correspondence in historical processes

   • Role of sacred objects in spiritual conflicts

   • Continuation of primordial light through physical means

...

I. Physical-Spiritual Correspondence

The Ramchal in Derech Hashem (Part I, Chapter 5) establishes the fundamental principle that the physical world mirrors the spiritual realm. Following this principle:

1. The Olive Process as Spiritual Metaphor:

   • Crushing olives represents bitul (self-nullification)

   • Initial cloudy oil represents confused understanding

   • Clarification process parallels spiritual refinement

   • Pure oil rising to top represents spiritual elevation

2. Stages of Oil Production as Spiritual Levels:

   • First pressing: Highest spiritual insight (שמן למאור)

   • Second pressing: Lower but still sacred use (למנחות)

   • Further pressings: Mundane use This hierarchy appears in Menachot 86a

....

Light Properties in Kabbalistic Thought

1. Physical and Spiritual Light:

   • Or Hashem (Crescas) discusses the metaphysical nature of light

   • The Maharal (Ner Mitzvah) explains how physical light properties reflect spiritual truth:

     • Light travels in straight lines (truth is direct)

     • Light enables vision (wisdom enables understanding)

     • Light is instantaneous (spiritual insight is immediate)

2. The Ramban's Commentary on Genesis 1:3:

   • Distinguishes between physical and spiritual light

   • Explains how the original light was spiritual in nature

   • Shows how physical light is a diminished reflection

3. The Baal Shem Tov's Teaching:

   • Everything physical contains spiritual light

   • This light can be "released" through proper intention

   • Connects to the concept of raising holy sparks

Olive Oil, Peace, and Wisdom

1. Textual Connections:

   • Zechariah 4: The vision of the Menorah and olive trees

   • Menachot 85b: Special properties of olive oil for wisdom

   • Shemot Rabbah 36:1: Oil as symbol of Torah wisdom

2. Peace Symbolism:

   • Noah's olive branch: First symbol of peace after destruction

   • Oil floating above water: Transcending conflict

   • The Maharal: Oil's inability to mix represents maintaining peace through distinct identity

3. Wisdom Aspects:

   • Oil penetrating all substances represents wisdom's penetrating power

   • Clear oil representing clarity of thought

   • The flame reaching upward representing aspiration for higher wisdom

...

Additional Kabbalistic/midrashic Elements to Consider

1. The Light of Creation Connection:

   • The Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:3 describes the Or Haganuz (hidden light) of creation

   • This primordial light was hidden away for the righteous future

   • The sacred oil could be seen as a vessel containing sparks of this original light

   • The Sefat Emet connects Hanukkah lights to this concealed primordial light

2. The Role of Shemen (Oil) in Kabbalah:

   • The word שמן (oil) contains the same letters as נשמה (soul)

   • The Maharal explains that oil represents חכמה (wisdom) because:

     • It floats above other liquids (wisdom transcends physicality)

     • It spreads light (wisdom illuminates)

     • It doesn't mix with other liquids (wisdom maintains its purity)

3. The Number Eight:

   • Eight transcends the natural cycle of seven

   • The Maharal connects this to brit milah on the eighth day

   • The eight days of Hanukkah represent transcendence of nature

   • This connects to the supernatural properties of the original oil

Deepening Applications

1. Personal Spiritual Development:

   • Each person contains their own "pach hashemen" - a pure essence that cannot be defiled

   • Like the sealed flask, this essence remains pure even in spiritual exile

   • The Hanukkah lights represent awakening this inner pure point

2. Historical Cycles:

   • The struggle for the oil represents recurring patterns in Jewish history:

     • External forces attempting to access holy wisdom without proper preparation

     • The tension between wisdom (Yavan/Greece) and holiness (Israel)

     • The pattern of concealment and revelation

3. Contemporary Implications:

   • Modern struggles over Jerusalem/Temple Mount as continuation of the oil narrative

   • The role of science (descended from Greek wisdom) in revealing divine truth

   • Integration of physical and spiritual wisdom in the modern era

...

Analysis of Sacred Oil Concepts: Origins and Connections

I. Original Elements in Your Analysis

Your most innovative contributions appear to be:

1. The unified narrative connecting the sacred oil from Eden through Noah to Hanukkah

   • While individual elements exist in traditional sources, the complete chain linking these events through one specific flask of oil appears original

   • Closest parallel: The Maharal discusses continuity of spiritual light but doesn't propose a single physical vessel

2. The interpretation of Jacob's struggle for "pachim ketanim" as specifically about the sacred oil flask

   • While Chullin 91a mentions the small vessels, connecting them to Noah's oil appears novel

   • Closest parallel: Various midrashim about sacred objects passed down through generations (like Abraham's staff)

3. The Greek-Yefet claim to the oil based on Noah's blessing

   • This specific interpretation of the Greek invasion's spiritual motivation seems original

   • Closest parallel: Maharal's discussion of Greece's relationship to wisdom and beauty

II. Source Verification

After careful review, I need to modify some earlier source attributions:

1. Bereishit Rabbah 15:7 discusses the Tree of Knowledge but doesn't specifically mention the olive theory

   • More accurate source: The olive theory appears in later commentaries but needs specific citation

2. The Zohar I:251b connection to the olive branch requires verification

   • This should be presented as a conceptual parallel rather than direct source

.....

Topics:

• Parallels in the Midrash Konen regarding sacred vessels and their transmission. 

• The correspondence between oil production stages and spiritual development 

..

Sources and further development

Sacred Objects and Spiritual Correspondences: Deeper Analysis

I. Patterns of Sacred Object Transmission in Batei Midrashot

1. From Batei Midrashot (ed. Wertheimer):

   • "Midrash Alpha Beita":

     • Describes sacred objects from Adam passing through generations

     • Includes specific mention of vessels containing primordial light

     • Details how each patriarch received and transmitted sacred items

   • "Midrash Konen":

     • Lists sacred objects preserved from Creation

     • Describes special vessels used by Adam in Garden of Eden

     • Traces their path through Noah's ark

2. Patterns in Sacred Object Transmission:

   • Common Elements:

     • Objects often connected to light/illumination

     • Transmission through worthy individuals

     • Protection during catastrophic events

     • Hidden/revealed cycles

   • Verification Methods:

     • Special marks or signs

     • Divine confirmation

     • Miraculous properties

3. From Otzar HaMidrashim:

   • Sacred vessels passing from Adam to Seth

   • Seth to Noah transmission

   • Special emphasis on preservation through flood

 Synthesis and Application

1. Common Patterns in Sacred Transmission:

   • Objects maintain connection to higher realms

   • Transmission requires worthy vessels (both physical and human)

   • Sacred objects often hidden/protected during spiritual decline

   • Revelation occurs at times of spiritual elevation

2. Physical-Spiritual Integration:

   • Process mirrors spiritual development

   • Physical properties reflect spiritual qualities

   • Time and space constraints apply differently to sacred objects

3. Contemporary Applications:

   • Understanding preservation of tradition

   • Personal spiritual development paths

   • Community transmission of wisdom

 Additional Textual Support

1. From Sefer HaBahir:

   • Discusses vessels of light

   • Describes transmission patterns

   • Connects physical objects to spiritual forces

2. From Talmudic Sources:

   • Horayot 13b on oil properties

   • Shabbat 23a on light qualities

   • Menachot on oil preparation

...

Sacred Transmission: Textual Analysis and Modern Applications

I. Additional Batei Midrashot Texts

1. From "Seder Gan Eden" (Batei Midrashot, Vol. 2):
   hebrew
   Copy
   וכלים שהשתמש בהם אדם הראשון בגן עדן נגנזו ונמסרו מדור לדור
   Analysis:

   • Suggests continuous chain of transmission

   • Implies special storage/preservation methods

   • Indicates selective transmission process

2. "Midrash Aggadah" Collection:

   • Describes vessels used by Adam containing:

     • Light from creation

     • Wisdom from the Tree of Knowledge

     • Elements from all four worlds

3. "Midrash HaGadol" parallel texts:
   hebrew
   Copy
   ויש אומרים כלי שרת שעשה משה במדבר מאותו שמן המשחה שעשה משה נגנזו
   Key points:

   • Connection between vessels and sacred oil

   • Concept of hiding/preserving sacred items

   • Transmission through worthy individuals

4. "Pirkei Heichalot":

   • Describes heavenly vessels

   • Their earthly counterparts

   • Transmission protocols

II. Detailed Textual Analysis

1. Key Phrase Analysis from Midrash Konen:
   hebrew
   Copy
   וכלים של אור שנבראו בששת ימי בראשית
   Components:

   • כלים של אור: Vessels of light

   • נבראו: Created/formed

   • בששת ימי בראשית: During six days of creation

2. Implications:

   • Physical vessels containing spiritual light

   • Direct connection to creation

   • Purpose in world refinement

3. Pattern Analysis: Common elements across texts:

   • Verification methods

   • Protection protocols

   • Transmission requirements

   • Hidden storage locations

..

1. Personal Development:

   • Understanding stages of spiritual growth:

     • Initial awakening (like first pressing)

     • Refinement process (like oil clarification)

     • Transmission to others (like spreading light)

..

...

III. Light and Knowledge (דעת) in Kabbalistic Thought

1. The Relationship Between Oil and דעת:

   • The Maharal explains that oil represents the highest form of wisdom because:

     • It penetrates deeply (like deep understanding)

     • It illuminates (brings clarity to confusion)

     • It rises above other liquids (transcends physical limitations)

2. The Spiritual Properties of Olive Oil:

   • The Kli Yakar notes that olives must be crushed to produce light, symbolizing how spiritual understanding often comes through challenge

   • The Sfat Emet teaches that just as oil naturally separates and rises, the soul naturally strives toward spiritual elevation

   • The Ramchal in Derech Hashem discusses how physical light corresponds to spiritual illumination

IV. Special Nature of Olive Oil in Jewish Tradition

1. Physical Properties with Spiritual Significance:

   • Cannot be mixed with other liquids (maintaining purity)

   • Provides both food and light (sustenance and illumination)

   • Floats above water (spiritual transcendence)

2. Traditional Sources on Olive Oil's Uniqueness:

   • Menachot 85b discusses the superior quality of olive oil for the Temple service

   • Shemot Rabbah 36:1 connects olive oil to wisdom

   • The Talmud (Horayot 13b) states that olive oil improves memory and wisdom

3. Symbolic Meanings:

   • The olive leaf represents peace (after the flood)

   • Olive oil represents abundance (שמן in Hebrew related to שמונה/eight/abundance)

   • Used for anointing kings and priests (conferring divine authority)

4. Kabbalistic Interpretations:

   • The Zohar compares olive oil to the flow of divine blessing

   • Ramak discusses how oil represents the sefirah of Chochmah

   • The AriZal connects olive oil to the highest levels of soul (Yechidah)

V. Applications and Modern Relevance

1. Environmental Consciousness:

   • The olive tree's longevity teaches sustainable relationship with nature

   • Traditional agricultural laws (orlah, peah) regarding olive trees demonstrate environmental ethics

   • The self-renewing nature of olive oil (lasting eight days) suggests sustainable resource use

2. Scientific Understanding:

   • Modern research on olive oil's health benefits aligns with traditional wisdom

   • The physical properties of oil (wavelength absorption, luminescence) reflect spiritual properties

   • The extraction process parallels spiritual refinement

3. Practical Applications:

   • Using olive oil for Hanukkah as connection to historical continuity

   • Understanding the relationship between physical and spiritual light

   • Appreciating the symbolism in daily use of olive oil

....

Additional Sources to Consider

1. Maharal's Ner Mitzvah:

   • Connects Greek wisdom to surface understanding

   • Contrasts with Torah's penetrating inner wisdom

   • Explains why the miracle occurred specifically with oil

2. Pri Tzadik on Hanukkah:

   • Explains how each generation has its own "pach hashemen"

   • Connects the oil to the concept of mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice)

3. Shem MiShmuel:

   • Elaborates on the relationship between Yavan and Shem

   • Explains how Greek wisdom can be elevated through Torah

Practical Applications

1. Meditation Practice:

   • Contemplating the pure point within during candle lighting

   • Using the eight days for progressive spiritual elevation

   • Connecting to the original light of creation through the flames

2. Educational Framework:

   • Teaching the integration of secular and sacred wisdom

   • Understanding personal spiritual inheritance

   • Recognizing divine providence in historical patterns

3. Contemporary Relevance:

   • Applying the oil narrative to modern ethical dilemmas

   • Understanding current geopolitical tensions through this lens

   • Finding balance between material and spiritual pursuits

...

Physical-Spiritual Correspondence Principle

3. Ramchal's Framework (Derech Hashem):

   • Every physical process reflects spiritual reality

   • Physical objects can serve as vessels for spiritual forces

   • Time itself has corresponding spiritual dimensions

4. Application to Oil:

   • Physical Properties:

     • Purity through separation

     • Upward movement

     • Light-giving capacity

     • Preservation properties

   • Spiritual Correspondences:

     • Spiritual refinement

     • Elevation of consciousness

     • Illumination of understanding

     • Preservation of wisdom

5. The Process of Oil Production:

Physical Stage

Spiritual Correspondence

Olive Growing

Development of potential

Harvesting

Readiness for elevation

Crushing

Breaking of ego

Separation

Spiritual refinement

Rising

Elevation of consciousness

Illumination

Spreading of wisdom