Is there a ban on eating olives?

Is there a ban on eating olives?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

The Talmud teaches that eating olives can lead to forgetting one’s Torah knowledge As such, some authorities go so far as to say that eating olives might be a violation of the biblical prohibition against causing oneself to forget one’s Torah knowledge! 

even though the Shulchan Aruch does not include a ban on eating olives, nevertheless it is the accepted custom to avoid eating olives.

Some explain that the Talmudic ban against eating olives only applies to eating raw olives. According to this approach, there is no issue with eating the mass produced commercial olives that are sold today. All such olives are cured, soaked, or otherwise marinated in some way. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to eat a raw olive off the tree.  Even merely salting a raw olive would remove it from the designation of “raw” and would permit one to eat olives without worry. Nevetheless one would have to add some pure olive oil when eating the olives.

It is noted that the Talmud says that eating olives is only a problem when they are eaten “ragil,” meaning, eaten regularly. Eating olives occasionally, however, wouldn’t be a problem. Therefore le'halocho, eating olives once a month is considered as occasional and is permitted even without adding olive oil.

Some add olive oil when eating olives since it is said to negate the harmful effects of olives which would even allow one to eat olives at any time, although there are those who are stringent and do not rely on this leniency.
 

Horiyot 13b;  Berachot 38b; Magen Avraham OC:170; Aruch Hashulchan OC 170:2; Mor U'ktzia 170