Menachos 8:4-5

Menachos 8:4

There are three types of olives that produce three types of oil each. The first olive crop is gathered from the top of the trees; one pounds these olives with a mortar and puts them in the basket (from which the oil flows). Rabbi Yehuda says one places the olives around the perimeter of the basket. This is the first type of oil. One presses the already-pounded olives with a beam; Rabbi Yehuda says with stones. This is the second type of oil. One grinds the olives and presses them again – this is the third type of oil. The first oil is fit for use in the Menorah and the others are fit for flour offerings. The second olive crop is gathered from the roof-tops. These also are pounded and put into the basket or, according to Rabbi Yehuda, around the basket in order to produce the first oil; pressed with the beam or, according to Rabbi Yehuda, with stones in order to produce the second oil; ground and pressed again in order to produce the third oil. The first oil is fit for use in the Menorah and the others are fit for flour offerings. The third olive crop is stored inside until it decays, after which it is taken to the roof, where it is dried, and then pounded and put into a basket or, according to Rabbi Yehuda, around the basket in order to produce the first oil. It is pressed with the beam or, according to Rabbi Yehuda, with stones in order to produce the second oil; it is ground and pressed again in order to produce the third oil. The first oil is fit for use in the Menorah and the others are fit for flour offerings.

Menachos 8:5

There is no better oil than the first oil of the first olives; the second oil of the first olives and the first oil of the second olives are of equal quality. The third oil of the first olives, the second oil of the second olives and the first oil of the third olives are all of equal quality. The third oil of the second olives and the second oil of the third olives are of equal quality. There is no oil more inferior than the third oil of the third olives. One might think that flour offerings should also require pure olive oil. After all, if the Menorah, where oil isn’t for eating, requires pure olive oil, shouldn’t the same be true of the flour offerings, where the oil is eaten? Nevertheless, Exodus 27:20 tells us “pure beaten for light.” The light requires pure beaten olive oil but the flour offerings don’t.