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A Parasha & Halacha Shiur Summary, Parashat Tetzave by Rabbi Moshe Medrez
The Gemara in Shabbat 21b relates the story of the miracle of Hanukkah. Maran asks the famous question (which was asked by many Rishonim): why is Hanukkah 8 days and not 7 days if they found oil that would last for at least the first day?
The Tosafot HaRosh gives his own three answers: 1. They divided the oil into eighths, thus every night was a miracle, 2. They poured all of the oil in the Menorah on the first night, but the amount left in the Menorah didn’t go down, 3. They poured the contents of the jug into the Menorah, but found that the amount of oil in the jug remained the same.
Rav Chaim Brisker asks on the third answer, how can such oil be used, if it is produced by a miracle and is not a physically sourced oil? Rav Chaim concludes that the answer has to be that the miracle enhanced the ability of the oil to last for eight days and not that the miracle “produced” oil.
The Gemara in Horayot and Keritut discusses the many miracles that involved the Shemen HaMishcha – the oil that was used to anoint the Mishkan and its vessels as well as the Kohanim.
The Havatzelet HaSharon quotes Rav David Soloveitchik, grandson of Rav Chaim Brisker, who claims his grandfather never said what is attributed to him. He adds, that the Gemara in Menahot says that wheat that is brought miraculously is acceptable to be used for a Minha. He says that the reason must be that as long as the miraculous item is exactly like the one that is naturally found, it is acceptable.
The Gemara in Sanhedrin discusses two Amoraim who were studying the secrets of the Torah and created a calf. The Shlah in Parashat VaYeshev writes that it didn’t require Shehita, unlike our previous assertion. Another Gemara writes that if it would be possible that a non-kosher item would fall from Heaven it would be permissible. How then do we reconcile all of these sources?
The Havatzelet HaSharon writes that there is a special Halacha with regards to Menorah oil that it must be crushed. This seems to be the Rambam’s opinion as well. Thus we can understand why miraculous oil would be unacceptable.