05 Dec OLIVES – OLIVE OIL – AND CHANUKAH

As we all know, we use
olive oil to light the
Chanukah menorah.
Recently, olive oil has
become very popular for
its health benefits. Olive
oil has many other uses
as well (see below). In
previous years, its main
purpose was as fuel for
lamps. Aside from the
Chanukah questions, there are other questions
regarding olives and olive oil. Are there any
restrictions with eating olives? How is olive
oil made? What beracha is recited on olives?
What are the different kinds of olive oil? Are
there any kashrus concerns about olive oil
without a hechsher? Why do we use olive oil
on Chanukah? Is there a difference in which
olive oil is used? If the price of olive oil is
high can one light with other oils or wax?
Does the olive oil have to be edible? Can one
give his children wax as opposed to oil? Can
one light some lights with olive oil and other
lights with different oil? Can one light with
an electric menorah? What are the customs
regarding eating foods with oil on Chanukah?
These questions will be addressed in this
article.
Olives in Chazal
Olives are mentioned frequently in chazal
Olives for pickling were more expensive than
those for oil making. Olives were pickled or
preserved in jars or barrels.
Buying Olives
Green olives are grown in many parts of
the world such as California, Italy or Eretz
Yisroel. Olives from Eretz Yisroel pose issues
of teruma, ma’aser and shemitta. Olives even
from other locales pose kashrus concerns
since olives can be packed in brine which can
be made with salt, acetic acid and vinegar.
Therefore, olives require a hechsher. If they
are packed in salt or lactic acid no hechsher is
required. This applies to both green and black
olives (they are the same fruit but black olives
remain on the tree longer).
Eating Olives
The Gemorah says that the frequent
consumption of olives is one of the items
which make one forget his Torah knowledge.
This is brought in many poskim as well.
Many poskim opine that there is no difference
if the olives are pickled or raw. According
to Harav Chaim Kanievesky Shlita one may
eat olives once every thirty days and it is not
considered “frequent.” There is a discussion
in the poskim if one is permitted to eat olives
frequently if he adds olive oil to them. Many
are lenient.
The custom seems to be lenient with eating
olives in any case. The Mor U’ketizah explains
that the entire concern is eating raw olives as
a meal. However, pickled olives (even in salt
or vinegar) as a snack are permitted.
The custom is to be lenient either because it is
mixed with olive oil or is pickled.
Eating olive tortilla chips are permitted and

are excluded from the above discussion.
Beracha on Olives
Olives are not generally eaten raw and
they taste better when cooked or pickled.
Therefore, raw olives are a shehakol, and
cooked or pickled olives are a ha’etz. After
a kezayis of cooked or pickled olives, the
beracha acharona is al ha’etz.
Olive Oil in History
Olive oil was used for many things throughout
our history. It is one of the seven species for
which Eretz Yisroel is praised. Olive oil was
used to light the menorah in the mishkan. In
addition, it was used in the purification for
a person who was recovering from tzara’as.
Olive oil was used as an ingredient in the
korban mincha. Olive oil was used to soften
skins such as animal hides, to gargle for
a remedy of a sore throat, to remove hair,
and a treatment for headaches and stomach
disorders. It was also used to heal wounds.
How is Olive Oil Made?
Background
Olives are harvested by shaking them off
the tree onto a sheet on the ground. While
more sophisticated facilities have a special
harvesting machine. They are sent to the
factory where the olives are placed on a
vibrating table to remove leaves and other
debris. A crusher grinds the olives into a
paste. The oil is then removed from the paste
through a process called centrifuge. Some
vegetable oils are extracted from the seed
of the vegetable, such as corn, soybeans,
peanuts, hazelnuts, and sunflowers. Some
vegetable oils come from the “fruit of the
vegetable,” as in olives and palm. A variety of
processes are used to extract oils. Olive oils
are graded according to their acidity levels.
The best-quality oils are called cold-pressed,
a chemical-free process that involves only
pressure and produces oils that are low in
acidity. Extra virgin olive oil, a cold-pressed
oil, is only one percent acid and is considered
the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils. Extra
virgin olive oil undergoes no refining process;
the sediment is allowed to settle and the oil is
sold as is.
Cold Pressing
Cold pressing is also known as physical
or mechanical extraction, as it does not use
processing aids. All varieties of vegetable oils
are expressed through chemicals and heat.
Cold pressing is unique to olive oil.
Olive oil is truly one of Hashem’s unique
creations. It is the only fruit oil that can be
extracted through cold pressing. This means
that the oil only needs to be squeezed out; no
further refining is required before it is ready for
consumption. Although the heavy grindstones
and millstones that crushed and expressed the
olive oil in ancient times have given way to
mechanical crushers and centrifuges, cold
pressing extraction has remained virtually
unchanged. The olive oil’s quality is rated
by its acidity content. If there is little or no
acidity, then this supreme quality olive oil is
labeled extra extra virgin; up to .5% acidity,

the oil is considered extra virgin, and from
1 to 1.5% acidity, virgin olive oil. The oil
is filtered through a cold filter press and is
ready to go. Extra virgin olive oil comes
from the first pressing of the olive. Virgin
olive oil comes from additional pressings
of the olives. Pomace olive oil is extracted
sometimes with the aid of solvents and
enzymes from the remaining mass of pulp
residues and pits of the olives after the
initial pressings. This is the lowest quality
oil and more concerns for adulteration. The
Pomace oils are subject to more processing
for refining in equipment that could of been
used for non-kosher oils as well.
Beracha on Olive Oil
One who consumes olive oil as is does not
recite a beracha since it is damaging and
not enjoyable. This is true even if one eats
the oil with bread. However, there is a
possible exception in a case where one eats a
little bread with olive oil, and the oil is being
consumed to soothe his throat. The poskim
debate whether a beracha is recited on the
oil and no beracha on the bread. The beracha
would be a ha’etz, followed by an al ha’etz
if one consumed the shiur. Based on this, the
Aruch Hashulchan suggests that a beracha
would be recited on olive oil because it would
be a benefit in certain cases; perhaps their
olive oil was better tasting than ours. Some
poskim are of the opinion that our oil is better
than in the time of the Gemorah and Shulchan
Aruch, and one would recite a beracha on
olive oil when eaten alone. However, this is
not the accepted custom.
Olive Oil for Chanukah
The miracle of Chanukah was that olive
oil was found after the victory against the
Yevonim and it lasted eight days. Since
the miracle happened with olive oil, it is
preferable to use olive oil for the mitzvah
of lighting the menorah. In addition, olive
oil produces a clear light. Based on the first
reason, one should try to use extra virgin cold
pressed olive oil, which is the type of olive
oil used in the Bais Hamikdash. Many oils do
not burn cleanly. Nevertheless, one fulfills the
mitzvah even if the flame goes out. Therefore,
all oils are permitted for Chanukah.
If Olive Oil is Expensive
Wax candles may be used if olive oil is very
expensive. Nonetheless, one should light
with oil on the first night. Others say that
one should use olive oil even if it is very
expensive.
Lighting With Wax
There are many circles that light with wax
candles since their light is as clear as olive oil.
Some poskim say that lighting with wax is not
acceptable. However, this is not the custom,
and lighting with wax is acceptable but not
the preferred method. Those who have the
custom to light with wax candles should make
sure they are long, since they look nicer. The
Chai Adom says that wax is only permitted if
there is no oil available.
Lighting Some Oil and Some Wax

Some poskim frown on the practice of using
both oil and candles on the same menorah,
as people will conclude that two people are
lighting one menorah, and are not fulfilling
mehadrin min hamehadrin. Others are
lenient. According to some poskim one can
light on one night with oil and other nights
with wax.
Olive Oil and Other Oils
One can light the menorah with some olive oil
and some other kind of oil as well.
Prepared Wax Candles
One who prepared to light with wax candles
and then received a supply of olive oil should
light with the olive oil even if the menorah
was already set up with the wax candles.
Does the Oil Have to be Yours?
There is a discussion in the poskim if one must
own the oil used for Chanukah as opposed to
borrowing it. Some poskim maintain that one
should make sure to pay for the olive oil, while
others are not convinced that this is so.
If a guest needs to borrow oil from his host, he
should either pay for it or ask that it be given
as a gift in order to fulfill all opinions.
On the Road
One who is lighting on the road (he is away
for Chanukah) may light with wax candles.
Edible Oil
The opinion of some poskim is that the olive
oil used for Chanukah should be edible.
Giving Children Olive Oil
There is a discussion in the poskim if children
have to be given olive oil or if they can light
with wax. The consensus is that giving them
wax is permitted even l’chatchilah.
Shamash From Olive Oil
There is no need for the shamash to be lit with
olive oil, and using a wax candle is permitted.
Floating Wicks
Many people use floating wicks for Chanukah.
Some claim that this is not preferable since
the fuel for the flame is the wax coating on
the wick, and only later does the oil start to
burn. However, this is not the overwhelming
opinion of the poskim.
Woman to Prepare the Oil
The Gemorah says one who is haragel b’ner
– accustomed to lighting (Shabbos and

Chanukah) candles
– will have children
who are talmidei
chachamim. Therefore,
there is an opinion in
the poskim that the
wife should prepare the
wicks and oil as a segula.
Olive Oil Under the
Bed
One should not use
olive oil which was
stored under a bed unless the olive oil is bitter
tasting. The reason for this is because there is
“ruach rah” under a bed.
Hard – Jelled Olive Oil
A recent innovation is hard-jelled olive oil
lights. The consensus of the poskim is that
lighting with this is like lighting with regular
olive oil.66
Disposable Cups

With Olive Oil Another innovation is ready-
made disposable glass cups preloaded with

oil and wicks. These are permitted, and it is
not considered a disgrace for Chanukah and it
looks like a proper arrangement.
Electric Lights
Over the years the question about using
an electric Chanukah menorah arose. The
electric lights certainly burn as clearly as
olive oil. Most of the poskim who dealt

with the question maintained that using
such a menorah was not allowed (many of
the reasons below were challenged but not
accepted). If no other options are available,
one should light an electric menorah without
a beracha. We will detail some of their reasons
below:
In order to light a regular fire, the lamp must
be in the person’s presence; this is not the case
when it comes to an electric light. An electric
light is like a torch, which is not valid for
the Chanukah lights. The light of an electric
menorah does not resemble the light which
was used in the Bais Hamikdosh which had
wicks and oil. Since one lights with electricity
all year round there is no pirsumei nisa that
the lighting is being done for Chanukah. The
menorah at the time of the miracle was lit by a
human, while this is lit by a machine.
Those who wish to light an electric light in
public to publicize the miracle should light at
home with a regular menorah and then light
on the street to publicize the miracle.
Foods Eaten With Oil – Doughnuts / Latkes
The minhag of eating doughnuts and latkes
is a zecher of the miracle that happened
with oil, since these items are made with oil.
Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l said
that in regard to latkes if the potatoes are still
recognizable, then the beracha is ha’adama. If
they are not recognizable then a shehakol is

made. Furthermore, doughnuts that are eaten
during the meal, even for dessert, do not
require their own beracha. The poskim advise
that one should not eat a lot of doughnuts
outside of a bread meal and if one wishes to
eat doughnuts at a bread meal he should have
in mind to do so when he washes for bread.
Uncovered Oil
Many people prepare the oil for the menorah
early in the day. In addition, they may use
some leftover oil in the cup from the night
before. The question is if using oil that was
uncovered is in an issue.
In the time of Chazal there was a concern
that one should not drink water, wine, milk,
and honey that was left uncovered because a
snake might drink from these beverages and
inject some venom into them. Today, snakes
are not commonly found and therefore, most
of klal yisroel are not concerned for this
halacha (except for Kiddush). However, there
are some poskim who say that even today one
should be careful with this.
The din of uncovered beverages does not
apply to oil. Therefore, one is permitted to
use oil that was left uncovered for lighting
Chanukah neiros.
Kashrus of Olive Oil
Extra virgin oil is packed at the source so
presents no problem for kashrus. One may
purchase such olive oil without a hechsher.

However, any other form of olive oil must
have a reliable hechsher. Most processed oils
are often processed on the same equipment
as non-kosher fats, are stored in the same
equipment as non-kosher fats, and are shipped
on the same carriers as non-kosher fats. Great
care, therefore, must be taken to ensure that
all these products carry a reliable hechsher.
Jews Compared to Oil
The Medrash says just as oil in the beginning
is bitter and at the end sweet, so too Torah is
hard at first and then one finds it sweet. Just as
oil last forever so too Torah lasts forever. Just
as oil cannot mix with other liquids, so too
Yisroel cannot mix with other nations. Just as
oil will rise to the top of other liquids, so too
Yisroel are on top of all other nations.