Exploring why the oil for the Bet HaMikdash came all the way from Asher’s territory in the Northern Region
(From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom)
The chachamim taught, “The mitzvah of Channukah is a lamp for each person and their home” (Shabbat 21b).
Our chachamim relate that when the Hasmoneans came to light the lamps in the Bet HaMikdash after the Greeks defiled it, they only found one crucible of pure olive oil with which to light the lamps. This is because the wicked Greeks intentionally defiled all of the oils. Until they found one crucible of oil and from it they lit the lamps for eight days.
Every crucible of oil had only enough oil to last for one night. Why was this? In each crucible of oil there were 3.5 log of oil, and the amount of oil required for each lamp was only half a log, therefore 3.5 log sufficed for the seven lamps of the Menorah. This amount of oil sufficed that the lamps would be alight all the night, even in the long winter nights. The cohen would fill up the cups with oil and light the lamps which lasted until morning. [A log of oil is equivalent to either 345.6ml or 597.2ml depending on which opinion is followed, Rav Avrohom Chaim Noeh z”l (1890-1954) and the Chazon Ish z”l (1878-1953) respectively.]
Apart from this, there was a miracle in the Bet HaMikdash that each morning they would extinguish all the lamps, apart from the ner hamaravi (western lamp), which would remain alight until the following evening. Then the cohen would enter the Heichal and light the other six lamps. He would extinguish the seventh lamp with his hands and thoroughly clean all the lamps. He would fill them with fresh oil and then light them. He would take fire from the altar and from it he would light the lamps.
During the forty years of the second Bet HaMikdash, throughout the duration of the High Priesthood of Shimon HaTzaddik, it never happened that the western lamp was distinguished! Thereby Am Yisrael knew how dear they were to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. They realised that the Shechinah was amongst them, “a testament for Am Yisrael” [see Tehillim 122:4]
However, as we already said that the wicked ones defiled all the oil, yet they found one crucible and knew that they needed to make it last for eight days. As they had to travel to the land of the tribe of Asher in Gush Chalav, which is where there was pure olive oil, as Moshe Rabbeinu blessed the tribe of Asher “and dip his foot in oil” (Devarim (33:24). There was an abundance of oil there and it was also the purest of oils. Indeed, all the oil at that time was produced in the portion of Asher. This area was further than Tzefat and it took four days of travel from Yerushalayim to Gush Chalav whilst travelling on donkeys and horses! Therefore it took eight days to travel from Yerushalayim and back again, therefore they needed eight days.
We may ask, why did Asher specifically receive Moshe Rabbeinu’s blessing that there will be olive oil in his portion? And why wasn’t the manufacturing of oil closer to Yerushalayim for the Bet HaMikdash?
It is explained in the Midrash regarding what we read in last week’s Parashah that after the sale of Yosef the brother’s never imagined that their father Yaakov would react in such a way, “He tore his robes in grief and put on sackcloth. He kept himself in mourning for many days” (Bereishit 37:34). For twenty two years Yaakov Avinu mourned, he didn’t sleep in a bed! Every Shabbat, Yaakov would sit at the Shabbat table and say, “Where is Yosef, he should come and tell us Divrei Torah”? He would cry and cry! Therefore the brothers were petrified lest one of them would tell their father about the sale. They decided to make a cherem (ostracism) amongst themselves “a cherem of the tribes”, and they swore that if any one of them tells their father what had happened, he will be ostracized.
In next week’s Parashah it relates that Yosef revealed himself to his brothers and then the brothers were forced to tell their father, “They broke the news to him: ‘Yosef is still alive. He is the ruler of all Egypt’”. But Yaakov didn’t believe them, “[Yaakov’s] heart became numb, for he could not believe them.” Until he saw the wagons, as it states, “…and he saw the wagons that Yosef had sent to transport him. The spirit of their father Yaakov was then revived” (ibid. 45:26-8). Because he understood that Yosef indicated to him about the mitzvah of the “decapitated calf” [see Devarim 21:1-9. The Hebrew for wagon and calf have similar roots] which was the last subject matter that Yaakov had studied with his son Yosef and from that he understood that his son Yosef was still righteous.
Our chachamim comment on the passuk, “Yosef is still alive. He is the ruler of all Egypt”, who said this passuk? Who told Yaakov about Yosef? This was Serach the daughter of Asher! [See Bereishit (46:17) and Bamidbar (26:46), she both went down to Egypt and left Egypt, she lived many hundreds of years and is buried in the Upper Galilee.] She said this, she was playing the harp and said this passuk.
What exactly happened? Serach bat Asher took out her harp and began playing it. Yaakov heard the music and was puzzled, who is playing music in his home? He is in mourning for twenty two years and doesn’t listen to songs and music! Yaakov drew near and behold he heard Search singing, “Yosef is still alive” and he didn’t understand. He was amazed in his heart and then he saw the wagons which Yosef sent and understood the whole episode. Therefore Serach merited that she entered Gan Eden whilst she was still alive. This is because Yaakov blessed her as a reward for her having delivered this good news to him!
Afterward the brothers entered and they gathered together and took counsel from one another. How did Serach bat Asher know the true story, that Yosef was indeed alive? They didn’t know that Serach knew this through ruach hakodesh due to her righteousness and greatness, she was someone who experienced ruach hakodesh, and the brothers erred thinking that a person had actually told her and transgressed their cherem.
The brothers probably thought that it was Asher, he had transgressed the cherem, as our chachamim said, “what a child says in the marketplace is either from their father or mother” (Sukkah 56a). Meaning that the child’s tales come either from their father or their mother. Therefore they decided that Asher is the one who told his daughter what had happened. Therefore they ostracized him. From their perspective Asher was banished!
Moshe Rabbeinu blessed Asher at the end of his days. All his berachah was about this matter. He undid the ostracizm that the tribes had done, because Moshe Rabbeinu knew that Serach knew through ruach hakodesh, therefore he blessed Asher with these words:
“To Asher he said: Blessed among the sons is Asher”, someone who is ostracized is forbidden to procreate, therefore Moshe blessed him that he should merit children.
“He shall be accepted by his brothers,” his brothers had separated and distanced themselves from him, therefore he said let Asher be accepted by his brothers.
“and dip his foot in oil,” because someone who is ostracized is forbidden to rub his body with oil, therefore he blessed him that he shall dip his foot in oil, that it will be permissible for him to rub himself with oil.
“Iron and copper are your door bolts,” because someone who is ostracized is forbidden to wear footwear, therefore he blessed him that he won’t just have shoes and clothes but that his shoes be of metal.
“and your strength shall increase each day” (Devarim 33:24-5), means that that he shall live a long life because a person who is ostracized their days are shortened, therefore he blessed him that his days should be long.
Now there is another consideration written about someone who has been ostracized that they are forbidden to study Torah. Therefore on Simchat Torah, do you know which piece is read and read over and over again [according to the minhag of the Sefaradim] and as such we are studying Torah? It is the passage about Asher! It is this section that is repeatedly read. The brothers thought that it will be forbidden for him to study Torah, therefore he merited that his berachah is read tens of times in every kehillah!
It states, blessed “among the sons is Asher. He shall be accepted” by his brothers, [the first four letters of the four Hebrew words of the English words in speech marks] spell “meir” – “lights up”. This is indicative of the oil that would enlighten the Mikdash from through the portion of Asher. Therefore from this berachah that Asher was blessed with, this unique berachah of the oil, he merited to all of the oil factories of the Mikdash in his portion, even though his inheritance was very far from Yerushalayim. This is the reason!
Also Yaakov Avinu a”h blessed Asher in a similar vein, “From Asher shall come the richest foods; he shall provide the king’s delights” (Bereishit 49:20), from Asher’s oil were given the “king’s delights” that is the King of Kings, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
Shabbat Shalom Um’vorach and Happy Channukah!
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