[Avodah] How small is a Kad Katan?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, December 22, 2008 5:38 am, R Danny Schoemann wrote to Areivim:
: IIRC a quantity of 0.5 log of oil was required in each lamp to last
: the entire winter night.

You do recall correctly, Menachos 88b.

Given the volumes suggested for a revi'is (= 1/4 lug, as the name
suggests), a lug would be 12-21.2 oz (the usual RCN to CI spread),
with RMF holding 13.2 oz. Multiplying that out by 3.5 and converting
into liters, I get 1.24 - 2.19 liter. Or, as RDS skipped ahead:
: In that case we're talking about ~1.5 liters of oil! Makes one
wonder : how such a quantity managed to remain hidden.

In an area the size of a mountain top? Picture losing a 2 liter bottle
of Coke (lehavdil) amidst the entire Har haBayis. Add to that lots of
chaos and rubble (destroyed pagan stuff). I'm not surprised at all.

: Why are the kids taught about a Kad katan? 1.5 liters doesn't really
: qualify...

I was taught it was a pach shemen. I don't know where you got the "kad
qatan" from. In fact, the Yalqut Re'uveini makes a whole thing about
the pach shemen.

Yaakov went back for pachim qetanim. One of which ended up in the
hands of Shemu'el, who used it to annoint Shaul. This in turn got
handed down the chain of nevi'im to Elisha, who had it on hand when he
needed to support the Shunamit. Of course you see what's coming, the
same berakhah for the Shunamit was the neis Chanukah -- same pach
shemen!

What's the point of the medrash? I hope to find time to blog it.
Beqitzur -- why did Yaaqov go back? Because memonam shel tzadiqim. And
why is that money chaviv lahem? Because they engage in masa umatan
be'emunah. Which earns the berakhah of always having enough, thus
Yaaqov's pach is the basis for the nissim of the Shunamit and neir
Chanukah. In addition, there is a connection to Esav, who should have
been the Am Qadosh's fiscal arm, and thus via Amaleiq, to Shaul. Edom
in turn failed by looking to emulate Yavan. Look at their empires;
Rome was a shallow imitation of Greece. The Chashmonaim unified Torah
and a holy utilization of wealth, which is how their leadership
devolved into becoming melakhim in addition to the kehunah. And also
why binyan bayis rishon fell to David, not Sha'ul, and chanukas
hamizbei'ach to the Chashmona'im.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
http://www.aishdas.org     - Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, Alter of
Novarodok Fax: (270) 514-1507



SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
http://www.aishdas.org     - Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, Alter of Novarodok
Fax: (270) 514-1507