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What bracha does olive oil require when consumed with other foods? Rashi (רש"י) holds berachos require actual eating, so more oil than food makes oil the ikar requiring borei pri ha'etz. The Rambam (רמב"ם) disagrees, basing berachos on hana'ah rather than achilah - since olive oil normally harms rather than benefits, it only gets borei pri ha'etz when treating throat ailments.
This shiur examines Gemara (גמרא) Berachos 35b-36a regarding the proper bracha for olive oil consumed with other foods. Rabbi Zweig begins by questioning the Rif's presentation of the halacha (הלכה) and Rabbeinu Yonah's difficulty with repeating the din of ikar and tafel. The core discussion centers on a fundamental machloket between Rashi (רש"י) and the Rambam (רמב"ם) concerning the nature of berachos. Rashi holds that berachos require ma'aseh achilah (an act of eating). According to his understanding, when olive oil is mixed with other foods and there is more oil than the accompanying food, the oil becomes the ikar and requires a borei pri ha'etz. The case of choshesh bigrono (sore throat) in Rashi's interpretation merely describes when this halacha practically applies - when one needs more oil for medicinal purposes.
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Berachos 35b-36a
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Should one learn Torah full-time trusting in Divine providence, or combine learning with work? The shiur distinguishes between Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai's approach of complete separation from worldly concerns versus Rabbi Shmuel's view that proper work itself becomes part of Torah. The key insight: true emunah means learning without demanding sustenance from either Hashem or community, unlike having a 'contract' expecting payment for learning.
