nature
oil
At a glance
In short
Shemen is the general word, oil. The authorities differ over what sets yitzhar apart. Rabbi Klein argues that it is olive oil in itself: the Torah must say shemen zayis zach to specify pure olive oil, while yitzhar is never joined to zayis in Tanach, with the one exception he notes, eretz zeis yitzhar (Melachim II 18:32). Radak takes yitzhar to be oil just as it comes from the press, and every occurrence of the word in Tanach is indeed agricultural; on his reading both words can mean olive oil, yitzhar marking it in its freshest state. Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Yadler holds that yitzhar does not mean olive oil in itself but whatever oil a place burns for light, which in Eretz Yisrael was olive oil.
Distinctions
Shemen (שמן)
Close to two hundred occurrences with its derivatives, against roughly a tenth as many for yitzhar. Ibn Saruk's link to shuman fixes its sense as the fatty substance, and Rabbi Klein takes the Torah's qualifying it for the Menorah, shemen zayis zach, pure olive oil, as a sign that shemen alone does not intrinsically mean olive oil.
Yitzhar (יצהר)
- Rabbi Yosef Kimchi (Sefer HaGalui) roots the word in tzohar, light. His son Radak explains him: oil is a peculiarly clear and shining substance, and for the same reason olive oil is called "gold" (Zecharyah 4:12).
- Ibn Ezra (to Iyov 24:11) takes tzohar in its other sense, "noon," since oil is burned for light and that light resembles the sun at midday.
- Chizkuni (to Bereishis 6:16) and others: tzohar taaseh lateivah means yitzhar, oil to light it.
- Rabbi Eliyahu Benamozegh (Eim LaMikra to Bereishis 35:2): tahor means light, like tzohar, tes and tzadi interchanging, and yitzhar is oil as what brings light when kindled.
Yitzhar is also a proper name nine times in Tanach, Levi's grandson and Korach's father (Shemos 6:18 and elsewhere). The Midrash has Korach read his father's name as an omen that he would succeed in his rebellion against Moshe: oil always sits on top of water, and Moshe's name was given for his being drawn from the water (Shemos 2:10), so Korach thought he would come out on top. Rabbi Yadler answers that in reality the name pointed not at Korach but at his descendant Shmuel HaNavi, who would use specially made ritual olive oil to anoint David and begin the Messianic line.
Where the authorities disagree
Three possible ways of differentiating the words, and they do not reduce to one; none is chosen over the others.
- By species. Menachem Ibn Saruk defines yitzhar as olive oil, while shemen answers to shuman and shamen, fat, and names the fatty, glyceride property of oil. On that basis Rabbi Klein argues, as his own inference rather than Ibn Saruk's stated distinction, that yitzhar means olive oil by definition and shemen may mean oil of any kind. The phrase shemen zayis zach implies as much from the other side: shemen alone does not intrinsically mean olive oil, and yitzhar is joined to zayis only once, in eretz zeis yitzhar (Melachim II 18:32), which Rabbi Klein notes as the one exception.
- By stage. Radak (Sefer HaShorashim): yitzhar is oil as it comes out of the press. Every occurrence in Tanach is olive oil as an agricultural product, and Iyov 24:11 has a verb form of the word, which Rashi explains as the producing of olive oil. On this reading both words can mean olive oil, yitzhar marking it in its freshest state right after production and shemen covering it in later states as well.
- By local usage. Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Yadler: yitzhar does not mean olive oil at all in itself, but whatever oil a given place burns for light. In Eretz Yisrael that was olive oil, so yitzhar in the Torah means olive oil; Shabbos 26b records that Bavel used sesame oil, Media nut oil, Alexandria radish oil, and Cappadocia naphtha.
Also discussed in
- Fatשמן / שומן (ש-מ-נ)
- Prohibitionצהר / tzohar (and zohar, yitzhar)
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
צ-ה-ר
Noon, when the day's light is strong; צֹהַר, a window the light comes in by; and יִצְהָר, oil fresh from the treading, called by a word of light for its great clearness.
Noon
כִּי אִתִּי יֹֽאכְלוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים בַּֽצָּֽהֳרָֽיִם (Bereishis 43:16), for the men will eat with me at noon; עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם (Tehillim 55:18), evening and morning and noon; וּֽמִצָּהֳרַיִם יָקוּם חָלֶד (Iyov 11:17), and a lifetime will rise above noon. The word is known: it is the time when the day's light is strong. It is said in the dual because the day is divided in its light into two, from morning to midday going on and growing light, and from midday onward going on toward evening, and noon is the time when the light is strong on both sides.
The window
צֹהַר תַּֽעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה (Bereishis 6:16), you shall make a צֹהַר for the ark: a window through which the light comes in.
Fresh oil
דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר (Devarim 28:51), grain, wine and oil, and אֶרֶץ זֵית יִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ (Melachim II 18:32), a land of olive oil and honey: oil is called so at the time of its newness, after the treading. It is called by a word of light for its great clearness, as it is also called gold in another place. The verb from it is בֵּין־שֽׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ (Iyov 24:11), between their rows they make oil, that is, they tread the olives and make the oil.
The two sons of oil
שְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי הַיִּצְהָר (Zecharyah 4:14), the two sons of the oil, are Zerubavel ben Shealtiel and Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, who were anointed with the oil of anointing, the one for kingship and the other for the kehunah.
כִּי אִתִּי יֹֽאכְלוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים בַּֽצָּֽהֳרָֽיִם (בראשית מג, טז), עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם (תהלים נה, יח), וּֽמִצָּהֳרַיִם יָקוּם חָלֶד (איוב יא, יז), ידוע. והוא העת שאור היום חזק. ונקרא בלשון שנים לפי שהיום נחלק מאורו לשנים מהבקר ועד חצי היום הולך ואור, ומחצי היום ולמעלה הולך וערב, והצהרים היא העת שהאור חזק בו בשני הצדדין. צֹהַר תַּֽעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה (בראשית ו, טז), חלון שממנו יכנס האורה. דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר (דברים כח, נא), אֶרֶץ זֵית יִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ (מלכים ב, יח, לב), נקרא השמן כן בעת חידושו אחר הדריכה. ונקרא השמן בלשון מאור לרוב זכותו כמו שנקרא גם כן במקום אחר זהב. והפעל הכבד ממנו [הִפְעִיל] בֵּין־שֽׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ (איוב כד, יא), רצה לומר ידרכו הזתים ויעשו השמן. שְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי הַיִּצְהָר (זכריה ד, יד), הם זרובבל בן שאלתיאל ויהושע בן יהוצדק שנמשחו בשמן המשחה זה למלוכה וזה לכהונה.
ש-מ-ן
Oil, and close to it, growing fat; שָׁמֵן, fat, and of land, rich. Another sense is eight, שְׁמֹנֶה.
Oil
שֶׁמֶן זַיִת (Shemos 27:20), olive oil; כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב עַל־הָרֹאשׁ (Tehillim 133:2), like the good oil upon the head. וְלֹא רֻכְּכָה בַּשָּֽׁמֶן (Yeshayahu 1:6), nor softened with oil, means the salve fit for a wound, called so because oil is put in it. שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ (Shir HaShirim 1:3), your name is oil poured out, is oil poured from vessel to vessel so that its scent spreads; perfumer's oil is meant, and it is spoken of in the feminine. It may be that תּוּרַק is an adjective on the pattern of תּוֹשָׁב, the one with a cholam and the other with a shuruk being all one.
Growing fat
Close to this is growing fat: שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ (Devarim 32:15), you grew fat and thick and gorged; וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן (Devarim 32:15), Yeshurun grew fat; and וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ וַיַּשְׁמִינוּ (Nechemiah 9:25), they were sated and grew fat, which he calls intransitive. The transitive is הַשְׁמֵן לֵֽב־הָעָם הַזֶּה (Yeshayahu 6:10), fattening the heart of this people, which his father takes as an infinitive, מקור; Radak spells out the meaning, that they themselves made their heart fat and their ear heavy and shut their eyes, so as not to see and not to understand.
Fat and rich
The adjective: וְהָיָה דָשֵׁן וְשָׁמֵן (Yeshayahu 30:23), and it shall be rich and fat; מִרְעֶה שָׁמֵן וָטוֹב (Divrei HaYamim I 4:40), fat and good pasture; שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ (Bereishis 49:20), his bread shall be fat, meaning his land that brings out his bread; and וַֽאֲדָמָה שְׁמֵנָה (Nechemiah 9:25), and fat soil. His father writes that in אוֹצָר נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם (Mishlei 21:20), a treasure desirable and rich in the dwelling of the wise, וָשֶׁמֶן is an adjective like שָׁמֵן. By way of borrowing, כָּל־ שָׁמֵן וְכָל־אִישׁ חָיִל (Shoftim 3:29), every שָׁמֵן and every man of valour, means sound and strong, and Targum Yonasan renders כָּל אֵימְתָן, every formidable one.
The fat hill, and the yoke broken
בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן־ שָֽׁמֶן (Yeshayahu 5:1), on a horn, a son of fatness: the place is called a horn because it was high ground, and בן שמן, a son of fatness, because it was fat and rich; his father writes that Yerushalayim is called so because an anointed king and an anointed kohen were there, by the horn of the oil of anointing. וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי־ שָֽׁמֶן (Yeshayahu 10:27), and the yoke shall be broken because of fatness, Radak reads as: through the fatness and strength of Chizkiyahu the yoke of Sancheriv will be broken; some explain the same words of the oil, of Chizkiyahu who was anointed with the oil of anointing. The plural is מִשְׁתֵּה שְׁמָנִים (Yeshayahu 25:6), a feast of fat things; or this plural may be from the sense of olive oil.
The oily tree
Said from this are עֲצֵי־ שָׁמֶן (Melachim I 6:31), wood of the oil tree, and וַֽעֲלֵי־עֵץ שֶׁמֶן (Nechemiah 8:15), and leaves of the oil tree: the tree called in the vernacular pine, because it is oily. Targum Yonasan renders אֲעֵי זֵיתָא, olive trees.
Eight, and a word for the graves
Another sense: וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָֽם (Michah 5:4), and eight princes of men; שְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִֽים (Shoftim 12:14), eight years; and וּשְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה (Bereishis 5:28), and eighty years; which is known. בָּֽאַשְׁמַנִּים כַּמֵּתִֽים (Yeshayahu 59:10), in graves like the dead, as Radak explains it by its place, has an added alef; one can also say it is a four-letter word. His father writes that the alef is of the root and the nun added, and its sense is from תֶּאְשַׁם שֹֽׁמְרוֹן (Hoshea 14:1), Shomron shall be desolate, a word of desolation, a place with no settlement, which is the graves.
שֶׁמֶן זַיִת (שמות כז, כ), בשש נקודות. כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב עַל־הָרֹאשׁ (תהלים קלג, ב), וְנַֽהֲרוֹתָם כַּשֶּׁמֶן אוֹלִיךְ (יחזקאל לב, יד). וְלֹא רֻכְּכָה בַּשָּֽׁמֶן (ישעיה א, ו), רצונו לומר במשיחה הראויה למכה. ולפי שמשימין בה שמן נקראת כן. שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ (שיר השירים א, ג), כלומר שהורק מכלי אל כלי וריחו נודף. ורוצה בו שמן רוקח וכנהו בלשון נקבה. ויתכן לומר שמלת תּוּרַק תאר בפלס תּוֹשָׁב, ואם זה בחולם וזה בשורק הכל אחד. ויש מפרשים מזה וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי־שָֽׁמֶן (ישעיה י, כז), רצונו לומר מפני חזקיה שהוא משוח בשמן המשחה. וְשֶׁמֶן יְמִינוֹ יִקְרָֽא (משלי כז, טז), פירשתי הפסוק בשרש צָפַן. וקרוב לזה שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ (דברים לב, טו), שָֽׁמְנוּ עָֽשְׁתוּ (ירמיה ה, כח), וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן (דברים לב, טו). והפעל הנוסף [הִפְעִיל] וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ וַיַּשְׁמִינוּ (נחמיה ט, כה), זהו עומד. ואשר הוא יוצא הַשְׁמֵן לֵֽב־הָעָם הַזֶּה (ישעיה ו, י), ופירשו אדוני אבי ז"ל מקור, רצונו לומר כי הם השמינו את לבם והכבידו אזנם והשעו עיניהם שלא יראו ושלא יבינו. והתאר וְהָיָה דָשֵׁן וְשָׁמֵן (ישעיה ל, כג), וַיִּמְצְאוּ מִרְעֶה שָׁמֵן וָטוֹב (דברי הימים א' ד, מ). וכתב אדוני אבי ז"ל אוֹצָר נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם (משלי כא, כ), תאר כמו שָׁמֵן ובא בפלס מֶלֶך, עֶבֶד שהם שמות תאר. שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ (בראשית מט, כ), ארצו המוציאה לחמו. וַֽאֲדָמָה שְׁמֵנָה (נחמיה ט, כה). ועל דרך ההשאלה כָּל־שָׁמֵן וְכָל־אִישׁ חָיִל (שופטים ג, כט), רוצה לומר בריא וחזק. ויונתן תרגם כָּל אֵימְתָן. והתאר עוד בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן (ישעיה י, טז), וַֽיַּֽהֲרֹג בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּיהֶם (תהלים עח, לא), בחרק המ"ם הראשונה. והשם וּמִשְׁמַן בְּשָׂרוֹ יֵרָזֶֽה (ישעיה יז, ד), הִנֵּה מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ (בראשית כז, לט), גם כן בחרק. ובפתח גם המ"ם הראשונה לְכוּ אִכְלוּ מַשְׁמַנִּים (נחמיה ח, י). ומשקל אחר וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן (תהלים קט, כד), בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן־שָֽׁמֶן (ישעיה ה, א), וכנה המקום בקרן שהיה מקום גבוה, ובן שמן שהיה שמן ודשן. ואדוני אבי ז"ל כתב כי נקראת כן ירושלם לפי שהיה שם מלך משוח וכהן משוח בקרן שמן המשחה. וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי־שָֽׁמֶן (ישעיה י, כז), מפני שמנינות וחוזק חזקיהו יחובל עול סנחריב. והקבוץ מִשְׁתֵּה שְׁמָנִים מִשְׁתֵּה שְׁמָרִים שְׁמָנִים מְמֻחָיִם שְׁמָרִים מְזֻקָּקִֽים (ישעיה כה, ו). או יהיה זה הקבוץ מענין שֶׁמֶן זַיִת. ונאמר מזה עֲצֵי־שָׁמֶן (מלכים א' ו, לא), וַֽעֲלֵי־עֵץ שֶׁמֶן (נחמיה ח, טו), והוא העץ הנקרא בלע"ז פי"ן כי הוא שמן. ויונתן תרגם אֲעֵי זֵיתָא. וענין אחר וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָֽם (מיכה ה, ד), שְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִֽים (שופטים יב, יד), וּשְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה (בראשית ה, כח), ידוע. בָּֽאַשְׁמַנִּים כַּמֵּתִֽים (ישעיה נט, י), האל"ף נוספת ופירושו לפי מקומו בקברים. ויש לומר שהוא בן ארבע אותיות. ואדוני אבי ז"ל כתב שהאל"ף שרש והנו"ן נוספת וענינו מן תֶּאְשַׁם שֹֽׁמְרוֹן (הושע יד, א), וְהָֽאֲדָמָה לֹא תֵשָֽׁם (בראשית מז, יט), לשון שממה מקום שאין שם יישוב והם הקברים.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Olives and Oil," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 24 December 2016.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Olives and Oil," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Shemos 6:18, 2:10; Iyov 24:11; Melachim II 18:32; Zecharyah 4:12; Shabbos 26b; Machberes Menachem; Radak, Sefer HaShorashim; Rabbi Yosef Kimchi, Sefer HaGalui; Ibn Ezra to Iyov 24:11; Chizkuni to Bereishis 6:16; Benamozegh, Eim LaMikra to Bereishis 35:2.