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Oil of Chanukah

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Rabbi David Sperling

Tevet 4, 5782
Question
Shalom, B”H this year I got to do a special thing, and I was blessed with being able to buy a beautiful glass and gold gilt jug to use to pour my oil to my chanookia. I was very excited, and normally I buy one special oil bottle for Chanukah and holy days, and I use it only for Chanukah and holy days, and this last candle of Chanukah, I emptied the last of my current oil bottle into this jug, and I used almost everything, but there’s a tiny bit left. I heard from a rabbanit I often learn from that if you did not Tnai that your oil could be used for other things prior to using it, might not be good to use it for other things. However I do not want to throw the rest of the oil, and I have no opportunity to burn the oil along with the petilliot as is the segulah. So the petilliot I am carefully carefully double wrapping, then double bagging, and placing gently (to discard sadly). But I wanted to ask if I may use the oil to light a candle for a tzaddik (since I am a baalat teshuva and where I am, I am unfortunately not able to light Shabbat candles, and I may not be able to hold onto my oil until Pesach) Thank you so much for your help, hope you had a good holiday.
Answer
Shalom, Thank you for your question. The concept that the leftover oil has a certain holiness, that should not be used for other things, is certainly correct – your Rabbinit is teaching you very well! However, this only applies to the oil poured into the actual cups that were lit for the mitzvah, not the oil left in the bottle or jug. That oil was never lit for Hanukah, and therefore does not have the status of “leftover mitvah oil”. So, you may use that oil for any purpose you see fit. Blessings.
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il