📚 Daf Yomi Summary – Menachot 86–88: The oil of the Menachos

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Menachot 86 (86a–86b)

The Finest Olive Oil

Menachot 86 turns from grain to olive oil, focusing on the oil used for meal‑offerings and for lighting the Menorah.

 

  1. Grades of Olive Oil

The Mishnah teaches that there are multiple qualities of oil, depending on:

  • Which olives are harvested (top, middle, bottom of the tree)
  • How the oil is extracted (dripping, pressing, grinding)

Key distinction:

  • Menorah oil requires the purest, first‑extracted oil
  • Meal‑offerings may use lower‑grade oil

This reflects the Menorah’s unique symbolic role.

  1. Oil That Is Actually “Sap”

A debate arises about oil produced from unripe olives:

  • One source rules it invalid
  • Another rules it valid

Rav Yosef resolves:

  • This is a dispute between Rabbi Ḥiyya (who rejected it as oil)
  • And Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (who treated it as usable oil)

Mnemonic: “The wealthy are parsimonious” — Rabbi Shimon (wealthy) did not discard it.

 

  1. “Oil of Myrrh” (Esther 2:12)

The Gemara digresses to explain:

  • “Oil of myrrh” used by Queen Esther

Two views:

  • An aromatic oil
  • Unripe olive oil used as a depilatory and skin‑softener

This reinforces how different oils serve different purposes.

Theme: Sanctity depends not only on substance, but on intended function.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.