- Q. See question above. What is the definition of “Rogil” How often is it?
A. On question 452 and 2550 regarding the eating of olives, we wrote:
“What is meant by Rogil? How often? How many? Does it make a difference in which climate one is? What time of the month, week or day? Does eating them on Shabbos cause this forgetting as well? At a Seudas Mitzvah? In the Sukkah? As Shirayim from a Rebbe?
Sefer Hazikaron (p. 10) maintains that even eating olives once in thirty days meets the criteria, (as in Brochos 40a – on eating lentils). Others (Vein Lomo Michshol p. 345) argue that “roggil” is every day (as in Brochos 6b – on attending shul). Maim Chaim (O.H. 190) rules that even eating olives every day if the amounts are small, is not called being regular.
There is also one opinion that asserts that only black olives can cause forgetting not the green ones (Toras Yaakov 3, quoting Avrohom Ezkor).
Finally, the Arizal (quoted in Kaf Ha”Chayim 24:43) writes that olives cause amei haaretz to forget, but if one eats them with the right kavanah or intention, on the contrary they help one to remember. We should intend “Kel Elokim Matzpatz, which has the same Gematriya (417) as zayis, and this intention counters the forgetting power of olives.
Horav Shlomo Miller”s Shlit”a opinion is that there is no prohibition on eating olives and “roggil” could be even less than thirty days.
We can add to the above that Sefer Hazikaron (Siach Hassodeh 2: 11) quotes from Mogen Avrohom (170: 19), similarly to the above in the name of the Arizal. He mentions that all the Tanaim and Amoraim that consumed olives, did so with the right kavanah and intention, and therefore, on the contrary it helped them remember.”
The Rov added that the above would definitely apply when eating a seudas mitzva.”
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Important Numbers
