The contribution of Israel’s olives and grapes

In Parshat Vayikra (Vayikra 1:7-8) we read:

The sons of Aharon, the Kohen shall place (ignite) a fire on the altar and they shall arrange logs on the fire. The sons of Aharon, the Kohanim, shall arrange the pieces, the head and the fat on the logs which are on the fire that is on the altar.

Rashi explains that even though the fire descends from Heaven, it is a mitzvah to bring fire by human efforts as well.

Can any type of wood be used for the fire?

We learn in the Talmud, Tamid 29b:

The Kohanim began raising logs onto the altar to assemble the arrangement of wood. Wood from all of the trees is fit for the arrangement, except for wood from the olive tree and the grape vine

What is the reason that wood from the olive tree and the grape vine are not fit for the arrangement?

Rav Pappa said: Because they have thick knots in their branches, which cause the wood to burn poorly and produce excessive smoke.

Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: The olive wood and the grapevine are unfit for the arrangement primarily because they burn poorly, but there is also an additional reason: Using them would deplete the olive trees and grape vines, which would be detrimental to the settlement of the Land of Israel.

The Rosh comments that since a lot of wood is required in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple), the supply of wine and oil would be diminished if olive trees and grape vines were used for the pyre. This in turn would render Israel desolate as lacking those essentials people would move away.

We learn from the olive and the grape that even more important than having fire for the sacrifices is having Jews settle the Land of Israel.

Even now, during a time of war, Israelis abroad are fighting to get flights to come back home so that they can continue to settle and inhabit the Land of Israel.

May the Jewish people continue to return to the Land of Israel and settle it and may the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days.