My Musing
The first midrash of the tanhuma for Beha'alotecha begins with the second mishna of the tractate Shabbat. However, the midrash continues and develops a discussion between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Tarfon. The tension is the balance between the ideal and the realty of what you can find.
As a historical aside one must be careful to understand the midrash and the mishna to be discussing using a light that is lit before Shabbat on the Sabbath. This became one of the more debated points between the Karaites who wanted to limit rabbinic authority and follow the Bible literally and therefore did not allow the use of previously lit light on Shabbat and the Rabbi who allow it.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת בהעלותך סימן אThe first midrash of the tanhuma for Beha'alotecha begins with the second mishna of the tractate Shabbat. However, the midrash continues and develops a discussion between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Tarfon. The tension is the balance between the ideal and the realty of what you can find.
As a historical aside one must be careful to understand the midrash and the mishna to be discussing using a light that is lit before Shabbat on the Sabbath. This became one of the more debated points between the Karaites who wanted to limit rabbinic authority and follow the Bible literally and therefore did not allow the use of previously lit light on Shabbat and the Rabbi who allow it.
(במדבר ח:ב) "דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת"
'Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.'
Our Master should teach us:
ילמדנו רבינו:Our Master should teach us:
מהו להדליק בשמן שריפה בשבת?
כך שנו רבותינו: אין מדליקין בשמן שריפה ביום טוב;
רבי ישמעאל אומר, אין מדליקין בעטרן מפני כבוד השבת.
וחכמים מתירין בכל השמנים: בשמן שומשמין, בשמן אגוזים, בשמן צנונות, בשמן דגים, בשמן פקועות, בעטרן, ובנפט.
רבי טרפון אומר, אין מדליקין אלא בשמן זית בלבד.
What is the rule regarding lighting with oil that is to be destroyed by burning (since it was consecrated) for Shabbat?
The Rabbis taught: We do not light with consecrated oil to be burnt on the Festival.
Rabbi Yishmael said, we do not light with Itran, tar, for the sake of honoring the Shabbat.
The Sages allow all oils, sesame oil, nut oil, radish oil, fish oil, gourd oil, tar or naptha.
Rabbi Tarfon said, we do not light except with olive oil.
The Rabbis taught: We do not light with consecrated oil to be burnt on the Festival.
Rabbi Yishmael said, we do not light with Itran, tar, for the sake of honoring the Shabbat.
The Sages allow all oils, sesame oil, nut oil, radish oil, fish oil, gourd oil, tar or naptha.
Rabbi Tarfon said, we do not light except with olive oil.
עמד רבי יהודה על רגליו ואמר ליה לרבי טרפון, 'מה יעשו אנשי מדי שאין להם אלא שמן אגוזים?! מה יעשו אנשי אלכסנדריא שאין להם אלא שמן צנונות?! ומה יעשו אנשי קפוטקיא שאין להם לא זה ולא זה?!
Rabbi Yehudah stood up and said to Rabbi Tarfon, what will the people of Medea do who only have nut oil?! What will the people of Alexandria who only have radish oil?! And what will the inhabitants of Kapotkia ( a derogatory Talmudic term for the land inhabited by Jews outside of Israel) who have neither?
אמר ליה רבי טרפון, הרי מצינו שחבב הקדוש ברוך הוא שמן זית יותר מכל השמנים בנר ובהדלקה, שהרי שנה פרשת הדלקת הנר ושילש בכמה מקומות. ומרוב חיבתו בחר שמן זית זך (שמות כז:כ) "וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד" למאור ולא למנחות.
Rabbi Tarfon said to him, we have found that The Holy One blessed be He endeared olive oil more than any other oil for candles and lighting since the discussion of the kindling of the light is repeated three times in many places. And from His endearment He chose olive oil "And you should command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually" For the light and not for the sacrifices.
ומותר מן הזית הראשון היה למנחות הנקרבות. תדע שהרי כל המנחות לא נאמר בהן אלא
(ויקרא ב:טו) "וְנָתַתָּ עָלֶיהָ שֶׁמֶן וְשַׂמְתָּ עָלֶיהָ לְבֹנָה מִנְחָה הִוא" ובנר הדלקה כתב "שֶׁמֶן זַיִת" ולא שאר שמנים. "זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר" ואנו מוצאין בהרבה מקומות צוה הקדוש ברוך הוא על הנרות להדליקן מן שמן זית זך שנאמר (שמות כז:כ) "וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד", (ויקרא כד:ב) "צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד" [ו]על המנורה הטהורה
And the remains of the first olive were for the mincha, flour, offerings that were offered. Understand that for all the mincha offerings it was not said except that it receives oil but not the finest olive oil. But for the light it is written "olive oil" and not other oils. "beaten, for the light" and we find in many places that the Holy One blessed be He commanded to kindle the lights from olive oil and is says "And you should command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually", "Command the Children of Israel and they shall take to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually"
ואף כאן כתיב "בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת".Here also it is written, "when you light the lamps"
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה