Eating Olives
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Question
It is stated in the Gemara that regular consumption of olives causes forgetfulness in learning, and regularity is defined as once every thirty days. Can one eat in the morning and evening on the thirtieth day, or only one meal on the thirtieth day?
Answer
One meal on the thirtieth day, or add olive oil to the olives, which is good for memory and restores what was forgotten due to the olives.
Source
Gemara Horayot 13: "Our Rabbis taught: Five things cause forgetfulness in learning: eating what a mouse eats, what a cat eats, the heart of an animal, regular consumption of olives, and drinking water left over from washing, and washing one's feet one over the other. Some say even leaving one's clothes under the pillow. Five things restore learning: bread from coals and certainly the coals themselves, an egg cooked without salt, regular consumption of olive oil, regular consumption of wine and spices, drinking water left over from dough. Some say even dipping one's finger in salt and eating. Regular consumption of olive oil supports Rabbi Yochanan, who said: Just as the olive causes forgetfulness of seventy years of learning, so olive oil restores seventy years of learning. The Yaavetz wrote that specifically raw olives cause forgetfulness, not pickled ones. However, in the Meiri, it is not so. Many of the poskim deduced from the words of the Gemara that it specifically concerns regular consumption of olives, not occasional, and defined it as consumption once every thirty days. In adding olive oil to olives, it was eased in Shut Shelemet Chaim, and this is also apparent from the end of the words of the Gemara.
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