Lamp vegetable oil "Starorusskoe"

Lamp oil "Starorusskoe"(rapeseed) is made from highly purified vegetable/rasp oils, which do not emit toxic substances when burned. During cleaning, the oil is also filtered through pine shavings and acquires a light pine aroma. Natural essential oils give it healing properties. Starorusskoe oil burns smoothly and cleanly, and is environmentally safe.

The custom of lighting a lamp in front of icons came to us under the Holy Prince Vladimir from Greece - along with the Orthodox faith. Lamps fueled with oil were used in the Old Testament tabernacle of Moses. To build a lamp of pure gold with seven lamps is one of the first commands given to Moses by the Lord. The Old Testament testifies to this (Ex. 25, 31, 37). It is also commanded there: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Tell the children of Israel that they should make an offering unto me: from every man that is willing, ye shall accept an offering unto me. These are the offerings that you must accept from them... oil for the lamp, spices for the oil... And command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil, beaten from olive trees... so that the lamp burns at all times... (Ex. 25, 1-3, 6; 27, 20).

It is for this reason that the God-loving children of the entire Orthodox world, following the commandment given by the Lord, used and use oil of vegetable origin, most often olive, in lamps as a sacrifice.

And in Rus', the use of “live/vegetable” oil has been an unconditional canonical requirement for centuries.

It was only in the Soviet period that the Orthodox had to use industrial and petroleum jelly oils, in the absence of stably burning vegetable oils.

But now times have changed, there is a choice and the opportunity to use high-quality lamp oil. We must not forget that "oil and wax, as the purest of the substances used for combustion, signify the purity and sincerity of the offering made to glorify the holy Name of God (Exodus 27:20). Oil, in particular, signifies the zeal of people, similar to the zeal of the wise virgins who they took oil with their lamps to meet the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:3,4), i.e. it means the desire of Christians to be pleasing to God by their deeds, life, and not only by faith" (cf. Ps. 44:8)". (A manual for the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church by K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874).

Despite this, many, when buying oil, do not think about its quality and continue to sacrifice to the Creator sometimes poor, cheap technical oil, often “flavored” with various perfume impurities in order to fight off the odors of oil and kerosene. When burned, low-quality oil can cause people to feel unwell, headaches and even poisoning, while causing damage to churches by smoking icons and frescoes. And it burns out faster than good stuff, so the savings here are imaginary.

Our pious ancestors observed the canonicity of sacrificial oil, maintained ecological balance, and for centuries for them lamp oil was only vegetable.

New oil for lamps

The disadvantage of burning vegetable oils, which makes them difficult to use, is the formation of soot on the wick. Conventional vegetable oils contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which, when burned, form resins and soot and, as a result, clog the wick. A lamp using such oil quickly goes out, which causes a number of inconveniences when using it.

Recently, the Svetoch Missionary Center, together with Russian scientists, developed a unique technology for multi-level purification of vegetable oil. Which significantly reduces the amount of resins and, accordingly, carbon deposits, which allows you to achieve clean and even combustion for at least 48 hours. In other words, this technology made it possible to achieve significantly better combustion. When burned, it does not emit harmful toxic substances, which provides a significant advantage over traditional mineral lamp oils.

Plant origin is a canonical advantage over oils made on a petroleum basis (various types of mineral, including vaseline), which makes it truly alive, since the combustion products of petroleum oils have adverse effects on health. Moreover, until now, no one has studied the effects of vaseline oil vapors formed at such temperatures on the human body and no one has carried out a quantitative assessment of their danger, since the oil was not created for lamps, but for other purposes.

The primary product for the production of all types of petroleum oils is tar, which is a combination of a wide variety of hydrocarbons, sulfur and its compounds. Therefore, all petroleum oils contain these substances. The number of hydrocarbon compounds in refined oils, depending on the processing technology, may be more or less, but they are definitely present.

If we consider that when lamps burn, the flame temperature reaches 800-850 degrees, when high-boiling hydrocarbon compounds evaporate, then it becomes clear that petroleum jelly, like all other petroleum oils, poses a real threat to human health. Moreover, the main danger is that these substances tend to accumulate in the lymph nodes, pulmonary and epithelial tissues of the human body.

"Starorusskoe" Lamp oil is produced on the basis of highly purified vegetable oils, which, when burned, do not emit the toxic substances mentioned above, since they have a completely different origin.

One of the stages of multi-level purification includes filtering the oil through pine shavings, due to which the oil acquires a light pine aroma. The presence of natural essential oils from coniferous trees additionally gives it healing properties.

Of course, this type of vegetable lamp oil requires somewhat careful care of the lamp to achieve the longest burning time. Since unsaturated fatty acids still remain in the oil even after purification, they create a slight deposit on the wick that must be removed approximately every 24 hours of burning. But doesn’t a shrine require care and attention! If you carefully read the Old Testament, it will become clear that the deposits from the lamps in the tabernacle regularly had to be removed by the Levites, with tongs specially designed for this purpose. And again, returning to the parable, let us think about wise and foolish virgins. Why did the intelligent virgins, hearing the voice of the groom, adjust their lamps to meet Him before going out? What does it mean to adjust the lamps? In this context, we are talking about the fact that they removed carbon deposits from them. There is also some symbolism here, such as the removal of sinful deposits from the human soul and much more. Thus, it is vegetable lamp oil that brings Orthodox Christians closest to biblical truths. Maybe we should think about this and burn before the Lord, pure and natural oil, rather than the one extracted from oil?

To meet the Lord Jesus, will we really take lamps with bad oil for reasons of economy, justifying ourselves by the fact that we had nothing to buy good oil with? His Eminence Nikanor, Bishop of Kherson and Odessa, said this in his teaching: “How long ago did petty selfish deceit become a favorable sacrifice to God? How long ago did the Russian proverb (“On You, God, what is worthless to me”), which captured and aptly outlined this unattractive feature of our home-grown Pharisees, lose its meaning? After all, even in the Old Testament, in explanation of that, that it is not suitable to sacrifice to God what is not suitable for us ourselves is commanded (Lev. 22:21-22). "Only a penny candle, and even here you strive to make it not even a penny, but a penny. Who are you deceiving, like Ananias and Sapphira? Wasn’t your existing life with you?"

And the last thing I want to say in favor of the new lamp oil "Starorussky"- it is cheaper than the usual Vaseline, which makes it accessible to people with modest incomes, without forcing them to bend their conscience and choose between expensive Vaseline and numerous “yellow” and even “white” fakes of “Vaseline”.

• The ritual of lighting lamps;
• History of lamp oil;
• The spiritual meaning of a burning lamp;
• Olive oil;
• Counterfeiting of lamp oil in Russia;
• Vegetable lamp oils;
• Lamp Vaseline oil;
• Substitutes and counterfeits of lamp oil;
• Practical advice.

“Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning...

Be ready, too, for no matter what hour you think,

the Son of Man will come” (Luke 12:35, 40).

Our brochure tells about the church tradition of lighting lamps with oil in front of holy icons. We tried to focus on describing the canonical rules of this tradition, dispel misconceptions regarding lamp oil and help overcome confusion over the unjustified variety of it on today's shelves.

The particular importance of these issues is due to the fact that numerous church shops and stores offer a wide variety of oils for lamps: vegetable, mineral, technical, mixed, oils with various additives, flavors and dyes. But not all people are able to understand this deceptive abundance and often become victims of their own ignorance. Thus, on sale you can often find oils with tempting names, for example: “wooden” oil. Many people know that wood oil was used in pre-revolutionary times, but they incorrectly think that “wood” oil is extracted from wood. What is sold today under the name “wood” oil is most often an oily liquid of dubious quality that has nothing to do with “wood” oil. And this happens despite the fact that in the Holy Scriptures “wooden” oil is repeatedly mentioned as a synonym for oil (1 Chron. 27:28). Many misconceptions occur due to the fact that people simply do not know the religious foundations of the Christian tradition, the spiritual and symbolic meaning of a burning lamp, which is exploited by ungodly manufacturers who, in pursuit of profit, “invent” cheap types of low-quality oils and pass them off as lamp oils.

Therefore, the purpose of this brochure is to help you navigate the variety of oils on offer and not make a mistake in choosing, to give practical advice on how and when to light a lamp, what oil to choose, what wick or float to use. The brochure pays special attention to the origin of the Christian tradition of lighting lamps, the spiritual and symbolic meaning of the burning lamp and oil, as well as the changes that have occurred in this tradition over the last two centuries, when, due to the impoverishment of faith and piety, the loss of a deep understanding of the spiritual meaning of the ritual, use unclean, counterfeit oils as lamp oil.

I. The origin of the Christian rite of lighting lamps.

The religious custom of lighting a lamp with oil existed already in the times of the Old Testament. One of the first commandments of the Lord God to His prophet Moses was the command to build for Him a lamp of pure gold in the tabernacle of meeting: “And you shall make a lamp of pure gold; This lamp must be chased; its stem, its branches, its cups, its apples and its flowers shall come out of its sides: three branches of a lamp from one side of it, and three branches of a lamp from the other side of it... And thou shalt make seven lamps for it, and put its lamps on it, so that they may shine on its front” (Ex. 25:31-37). “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel to bring you pure oil, beaten, for illumination, so that the lamp may continually burn; outside the veil of the ark of the testimony in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron (and his sons) shall set it up before the Lord from evening to morning always: this is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; They shall always set up their lamp on a clean candlestick before the Lord” (Lev. 24:1–4).

Thus, we see that in the Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses the lamps constituted a necessary accessory to the Sacred Service and were lit in the evening before the Lord (Exodus 30:8).

The sacred temple fire differed from the worldly, ordinary one: when the sons of the High Priest Aaron - Nadab and Abihu - brought “strange fire” before the Lord, that is, not from the altar, not from the fire that was indicated for the temple, but ordinary, everyday fire, then both of them (Nadab and Abihu) were struck with death because of disrespect for the temple (Lev. 10:1,2). But on the other hand, the Lord encourages the power of faith in Him. Thus, even before the Nativity of Christ, in 164, Judas Maccabee, in honor of the liberation and cleansing of the Temple, established the feast of renewal. The temple was re-consecrated. The priests had to light the temple lamp, but in the entire Temple there was not a single sealed vessel with pure oil left. After a long search, a small jug was found with the intact seal of the high priest. The oil in it could last no more than one day. It took eight days to prepare new oil. And yet, it was decided to light the lamp without waiting for a new portion of oil. And a miracle happened: the fire burned for all the required eight days. The temple fire was considered so sacred that it was not forgotten after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and the Talmud prescribes that when lighting lamps in the evening, one should give thanks to God

Burning lamps and lamps served as a symbol of God’s leadership, a pillar of fire that Israel brought out in the night: “You, O Lord, are my lamp,” exclaims King David (II Sam. 22:29). “Your word is a lamp to my feet,” he says in another place (Ps. 119:105). Along with the tabernacle, the ark of the testimony, and the altars, the lampstand of the temple was considered a great shrine: everything that touched it was considered sanctified (Ex. 30:29).

In design, the temple lamps were similar to lamps for home use: a vessel filled with olive oil (oil), with a wick floating in it, which was lit - only they were made of pure gold and placed on the temple seven-branched candlestick (Ex. 25:31– 40; 27:20; 37:17–24). There was one seven-branched candlestick in the tabernacle, and ten in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chron. 4:7).

Over time, the religious ritual of lighting lamps moved from the Temple to the homes of Christians. It must be assumed that in the upper room of the Last Supper, which represents the prototype of Orthodox churches, during the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist, lamps with olive oil were also burning. Both the holy Apostles and the first followers of Christ lit lamps when they gathered at night to preach the word of God, pray and break bread: “In the upper room where we had gathered there were plenty of lamps” (Acts 20:8). The apostles came from Jews and spread their preaching about Christ primarily among their pious fellow tribesmen. This circumstance determined the existence of certain connections between the New Testament Church and the center of the religious life of Judaism - the Old Testament temple.

Those Jews who converted to Christianity could not abandon the pious custom of lighting a lamp, since Christianity itself did not put forward a new institution in place of this rite, just as it put forward baptism against circumcision, and the bloodless Eucharistic sacrifice against bloody sacrifice. On the contrary, in the apostolic sermon about Christ there was found a motive that gave Jewish Christians the basis for maintaining this sacred tradition of their ancestors, but in its new ideological content.

Christ the Savior Himself called Himself the Light of the world (John 8:12). The quiet light of the evening lamp reminded them of the One about whom the evangelist wrote: “There was the True Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9). The lamp burning in the prayer meeting vividly reminded those present of the spiritual presence of Christ with them, who promised to be where two or three were gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). Thus, the Old Testament rite received a new ideological, purely Christian meaning.

The latter turned out to be so close to the believing hearts of Christians that the ritual of the evening lighting of the lamp became firmly established in their everyday life. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, reporting the blessed death of St. Makrina, writes that when evening came and a fire was brought into the room, she opened her eyes wide and, looking at the light, tried to read the thanksgiving of the lamp , but since her voice had already disappeared, she performed the prayer only in her mind and with the movement of her hand and lips. When she finished her thanksgiving and raised her hand to her face to cross herself, she suddenly took a strong and deep breath. Along with the prayer, her life also ended. This story of St. Gregory about the last minutes of the life of St. Macrina shows how deeply he penetrated into the life of Christians of his time and how sacred the custom of thanksgiving with lamps was for them. A dying Christian woman, seeing a lamp brought into her room, strains her last strength to read the prayer of thanksgiving for the lamp. This prayer delays her last breath, which comes with the end of the thanksgiving of the lamp.

Already in the 3rd century, the tradition of evening thanksgiving with lamps, which arose in Christian life on the basis of Old Testament liturgical institutions, acquired the meaning of a church rite, from which vespers arose. Later, the ritual of lighting lamps began to be performed during all services, and not just evening ones: “We never have a service without lamps,” says church teacher Tertullian, “but we do not use them only to disperse the darkness of the night. Our liturgy is celebrated in daylight, but in order to portray Christ through this - the Uncreated Light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.”

Subsequently, they began to light lamps and place candles as a sign of their favor in front of various shrines: in front of the Gospel, in front of the tombs of martyrs, in front of icons of saints. Blessed Jerome of Stridon in his Epistle against Vigilantius testifies: “in all the Churches of the East, when the Gospel is read, candles are lit in the sunshine, truly not to drive away darkness, but as a sign of joy, in order to show that light under the image of sensual light... Others do this in honor of the martyrs."

The symbolism of fire and light in Christianity is also associated with the Miracle of the Descent of the Holy Fire onto the Holy Sepulcher. It is through the descent of Fire that the Lord annually testifies to His Resurrection. The first witness of the descent of the Holy Light into the Holy Sepulcher was the Apostle Peter. According to the testimony of St. Fathers, Peter, running to the Tomb after the news of the Resurrection of the Savior, in addition to the burial shrouds, as we read in the Gospel, saw an amazing light inside the Tomb of Christ. “Having seen this, Peter believed, he saw not only with sensual eyes, but also with a high apostolic mind: the Sepulcher was filled with light, so that although it was night, he saw it in two images: internally, sensually and spiritually.” This is how Saint Gregory of Nyssa tells us about this. The earliest written testimony of an eyewitness to the appearance of the Holy Fire on the Holy Sepulcher dates back to the 4th century and was preserved by the church historian Eusebius Pamphilus.

The practice of lighting lamps came to Rus' along with baptism from Byzantium, under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. Thus, we see that the Christian tradition of lighting lamps, symbolizing the uncreated Light, the invisible presence of Christ, as well as human veneration of shrines, developed in the first centuries of the emergence of Christianity based on the tradition of luminary thanksgiving and is rooted in the most ancient Old Testament rite, which was established by the Lord Himself in the commandment to Moses.

II. History of lamp oil

Since ancient times, in the religious tradition of lighting a lamp, the substance being lit had the most important, sacred significance. The Lord instructed Moses this way: “And command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil, beaten from olive trees, for light, so that the lamp may burn at all times” (Ex. 27:20). “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Tell the children to Israel, that they may make offerings to Me; From every person who has zeal, accept offerings to Me. These are the offerings that you must accept from them... oil for the lamp, spices for the anointing oil... And they will build a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them...” (Ex. 25:1-3, 6, 8).

The Lord commanded that only the purest fuel be burned in the lamp - olive oil, oil, which the Israelites had to bring to the temple as a voluntary sacrifice.

Oil ( from Greek Elaya - oil from the fruit of olives, fir trees; anointing oil) - is the purest extra virgin olive oil, which in those days was obtained from the best fruits of the olive tree (olives), beating with a stick or squeezing in presses (Ex. 27:20; Deut. 24:20; Mic. 6:15). In the Old Testament, oil is also called wood oil(1 Chron. 27:28), since olive oil is obtained from the fruits growing on the tree. Oil obtained from seeds is usually called vegetable oil. Therefore, oil and wood oil are different names for the same thing: olive oil.

In ancient Palestine, oil, along with bread and wine, was one of the main products of agriculture (Num. 18:12; Deut. 7:13; Neh. 10:39, 13:5) and nutrition (1 Sam. 17:14; 3 Kings 17:12-16; 1 Chronicles 12:40). It was called “liquid gold”, it was an essential item and one of the most valuable goods: it was exported to Phenicia, Egypt, and Rome. Since ancient times, the healing properties of oil have been known: it was poured on wounds to relieve pain (Isa. 1:6; Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34; James 5:14), used as a disinfectant and cleanser; it was used to anoint the body and hair (Isa. 61:3; Ps. 134:2). So, for example, according to Josephus, the sick Herod, as prescribed by doctors, took a bath of oil (Jewish Antiquities, XVII, 6, 5). The wood of the olive tree is particularly durable, and in those days it was very valuable: various crafts and decorations were made from it for rich houses and the temple (1 Kings 6:23,31).

Oil was added to each flour sacrifice, it was used for sprinkling in the sanctuary, and also for consecrating dwellings (Ex. 27:20, 30:22-23; Lev. 2:1-2, 4-7, 14:26). Kings were anointed with oil for their reign (1 Kings 10:1; 16:1,13; 1 Kings 1:39; Kings 9:1-6): according to custom in the Mediterranean and Middle East, when the successor was proclaimed monarch, the priest poured a cup of oil on his head. Oil was considered a symbol of strength, spiritual purity, enlightenment and blessing; the rite of “anointing” said that power was granted from God, whose Spirit would henceforth dwell on the Chosen One. Therefore, every ruler of Israel (and sometimes a prophet) was called the Anointed One, the Messiah, or in Greek - Christ. However, over time, this title began to be attributed only to the great King of the future.

Since ancient times, fir trees and olives have been in the sacred history signs of spiritual truths. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him a fresh olive leaf (Gen. 8:11) as evidence of the end of the flood and the appearance of dry land, as evidence that the wrath of God had ceased and was replaced by mercy (since oil “smoothes the waves,” softens, cleanses , nourishes). Since then, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace between God and people, a symbol of peace between people, a symbol of rebirth, return and resurrection. In the Holy Scriptures, in many places, oil signifies joy (Ps. 44:8; Is. 61:3).

In addition to the listed variety of beneficial qualities of oil, its symbolic and cultural meaning, it has clear advantages for burning in lamps.

Firstly, olive oil was considered the purest of oils: when burned, it does not emit any harmful substances and does not form soot; thanks to these properties, combined with healing properties, it was more suitable than others for long-term burning in a temple room and personified spiritual purity, enlightenment and blessing .

Secondly, the figurative association of the olive with light, widespread in ancient times, is significant. The light of an olive tree is not only the light of the flame of burning oil, but also the radiance of the crown of the tree itself. When the wind plays with the leaves, the olive trees are surrounded by a silvery halo that sways like waves of light. The underside of the leaf is silvery-white and the top is deep green. This contrast creates the feeling that the trees are emitting light.

IN New Testament the images of oil and olive are often used by the Savior and the apostles. Subsequently, the symbolism of the oil deepens even more under the influence of Greek culture and language, on the one hand, and the special emphasis of the Gospel preaching on the concept of mercy, on the other. The Savior’s sermon says a lot about mercy and mercy: “Blessed are the merciful; for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). And oil is often a symbol of God’s mercy and human mercy.

Thus, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lord says that the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of a man who had suffered from robbers (Luke 10:34). This secretly indicates the saving actions of God in relation to spiritually wounded humanity, onto which the ineffable mercy of God is poured out, giving the Only Begotten Son so that He would wash away the sins of people with His Blood.

In the parable of the ten virgins, the Savior speaks of the abundance of oil in the lamps of the wise virgins and the lack of it in the foolish ones. The wise had clean lamps and holy oil, while the foolish had only clean lamps. The lamps in this parable symbolize bodies, and the oil symbolizes mercy. The wise virgins had a virgin body with a virgin soul, but, in addition, they also had great mercy towards the weaker, towards those who had not yet freed themselves from sin. The foolish strictly observed bodily chastity, but were contemptuous and unmerciful towards the weaker, arrogantly condemned them and turned away from them with contempt. “The righteous women are called foolish,” said Saint Nilus of Sinai, “because, having succeeded in a very difficult, even almost impossible task - maintaining chastity, they neglected the small and easy.” But they neglected mercy, sympathy, forgiveness, and beneficence. Their lamp is clean, but empty and dark! When the hour of death comes, the body will be covered with earth, and the soul will set off on the path to its eternal homeland - the oil of mercy will shine on it and lead it.

In ancient times, there were many olive gardens in Palestine, the mountain slopes were often planted with them, so many places are toponymically associated with olive and olive oil. They are also mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, where the association of these places with the olive tree has a symbolic meaning.

So, Gethsemane(from the Hebrew Gat Shemen, which means “oil press”) is an olive garden in the vicinity of Jerusalem at the foot of the Mount of Olives, beyond the Kidron stream (John 18:1). In the New Testament, the Garden of Gethsemane is described as Jesus' favorite resting place, where He was betrayed by Judas and prayed for the cup of suffering (Matt. 26:46; Mark 14:32). As a symbol of purification, peace, grace, the olive, and, accordingly, the olive grove is the best place for rest and prayer; It is symbolic that Jesus prayed to God the Father for mercy, to remove the cup of suffering from Himself, among the olive trees, which also symbolize the mercy of God. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Romans cut down all the trees around the city for a long distance, so nothing remained of the former Gethsemane.

Olivet- translated from Greek means “olive grove” (Acts 1:12). The Mount of Olives or Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zeitim) rises above Jerusalem by about 60 m, offering an amazing view of the city and the mountains in the distance, the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Once upon a time, its slopes were planted with olive tree orchards. This mountain is mentioned in the Old Testament as a sacred burial place and as the place from which the second coming of the Savior will begin (2 Kings 15:30-32). Here David worshiped God. From this mountain Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection (Acts 1:11). The ascension of Jesus from the mountain called Olivet is deeply symbolic, since in a spiritual sense it means the pinnacle of God’s mercy towards people, elevating human nature to the heavenly palace of glory and eternal life. Where did the word “oily” (oil, unctuous) come from with a figurative meaning - “softened” (and therefore “merciful”)? The fact is that in Greek “mercy” is pronounced “eleos” (eleeo - compassionate, merciful) and has a common root with the word “oil” (from elaia - oil) - el-//-il-, which goes back to ancient primordial: cheerful, joyful; voluntary, giving; merciful, merciful; quiet, Holy Spirit Comforter. These basic meanings are expanded by additional ones: resinous, juicy (now also oily); and knowledgeable, enlightened (now light). Therefore, it is no coincidence that in ancient texts the words “oil”, “oil” and “mercy”, “mercy” coexist with the words “tree”, “joy”, “glows”, “blessed”, “comfort”. They are designated in Greek: eleon, ileos, eleimones. The Prague Academic Dictionary (18), compiled based on Old Church Slavonic, Greek, Latin, German and other languages, contains many examples of such neighborhoods taken from the Bible, apocrypha, homilies: “ May his angel send oil from the tree of mercy."(misericordiae Nicod. 19, Stojanovie 109, 10); "And the oil of mercy shall be a joy" ( Ibid. 109, 26 ); “where, like the oil of the olive tree, before the eyes of God Almighty (the Worker of mercy) the (fruits of mercy) shine(Gregorii Magni, Homiliae. Misericordiae fructus. Bes.20, 110 bb 9 sq. - Exh.).

The consonance of the Greek words - eleos and elaion - indicates that oil, as a softening and healing substance, serves as a symbol of Divine mercy, softening our bitterness and healing our sinful ulcers.

Thus, Christianity accepted and preserved the deep religious and symbolic meaning of oil. To this day, oil is widely used in the Christian Church. Oil is used in the ritual of blessing the loaves: along with the five loaves, wine and grains of wheat, oil is also blessed as a nutritious and healing substance in diseases.

At the festive morning, the illumination of the church is enhanced by the lighting of candles and oil, when psalms are sung about the many mercy of God to the chosen people and the refrain is repeated many times: “For His mercy endures forever, alleluia!” In church language, this part of the festive matins (which begins with the singing of Psalms 134 and 135 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and - “Confess the Lord” and continues until the beginning of the canon) is meant by the word polyeleos(Greek polis - many and eleos - mercy; or from polis - many and elaion - oil). According to the first word formation, polyeles means many-merciful, and according to the second, many-heeled. Others believe that the reason for this name of this part of Matins is that in Polyeleos Psalm 135 the word is repeated many times mercy(eleos) in the chorus - “as in the age mercy His"; others are that during this part of Matins the Charter prescribes, in honor of the holiday, to intensify the illumination of the church by lighting candles and oil (elaion). Both of these reasons can be combined. At matins with polyeleos or all-night vigil after reading the Gospel, a ritual is performed with oil Anointing, symbolically depicting the outpouring of God's mercy on the anointed one.

The rite of anointing is also present in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Blessing of Anointing. In the Sacrament Unction A priest or bishop, when anointing a sick person with consecrated oil, asks for him, together with the Church, the grace of God, healing his mental and physical infirmities. In this case, the oil carries within itself the mercy of God towards a sick person, expressed in the remission (forgiveness) of his sins, the grace of the Holy Spirit, cleansing and spiritually regenerating a person, and healing power from physical and mental illnesses.

The Holy Apostle James in the Council Epistle indicated the Sacrament of Anointing: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). It is advisable to perform the consecration of oil by several (according to the breviary - seven) priests (hence the other name - unction), but it is also allowed by one. The rite of consecration of oil consists of a blessing, the beginning of the usual canon, litanies for the sick, consecration of the oil with a priestly prayer, reading the Apostle seven times and the Gospel seven times (passages that talk about repentance, healing, the need to believe and trust in God, and also to be compassionate and merciful). After each reading of the Apostle and the Gospel, a litany is said and a secret prayer is read with the anointing of the sick person with oil. After the seventh and final anointing, the priest places the Gospel on the patient’s head and reads a prayer of permission. The number “seven” is a symbolic sign of the Church and its fullness. For this reason, the very anointing of the sick person and prayers for the remission of his sins and healing are repeated seven times. Oil in the sacrament of anointing is usually used mixed with wine.

The healing power of anointing with sacred oil is evidenced by many miracles that occurred through the prayers of holy saints. Thus, the following miracle is described in the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

One winter, a sick woman was brought on a sleigh to the monastery cell of the monk. The patient was all hunched over, her knees brought to her chest. They carried her into the elder’s home and laid her on the floor. Father Seraphim asked her:

Where are you from, mother?

From Vladimir province.

How long have you been sick?

Three years and a half.

What is the cause of your illness?

Before, father, I was of the Orthodox faith, but they gave me in marriage to an Old Believer. I changed the sign of the cross to two fingers and did not go to church.

Do you believe in the Holy Orthodox Church again?

“I believe, father,” answered the patient.

Then Father Seraphim folded his fingers in the Orthodox manner, put a cross on himself and said:

Cross yourself like this in the name of the Trinity.

Father, I would be glad,” the patient answered, “but I don’t know how to use my hands.”

Father Seraphim took oil from the lamp from his icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” and anointed the chest and hands of the sick woman. Suddenly she began to straighten out, even her joints began to crack, and immediately she received perfect health.

One brother asked Father Seraphim: why does he anoint those who come to him from the lamp burning in his cell in front of the icon? The priest answered like this: “We read in Scripture that the Apostles anointed with oil, and many sick people were healed from this. Who should we follow if not the Apostles?” The holy elder also followed this custom, and therefore those who were anointed received healing. In the Sacrament Baptism oil, consecrated with a special prayer, is used to anoint the one who approaches the holy. Baptism. Olive oil (with an admixture of special aromas) is also used to make myrrh, which is used to perform Confirmation- A sacrament in which the believer, when anointing the body with sacred oil, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification, strengthening and growth of his spiritual life.

In all the Sacraments the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, but Confirmation is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit par excellence; it completes Baptism. There is spiritual birth, here there is spiritual growth. When anointing different parts of the body, the priest says each time: “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This seal is a mark indicating that man has become God's. The main gift of the Holy Spirit is love, in comparison with which everything is nothing. The fruits of the Holy Spirit include “goodness, righteousness and truth” (Eph. 5:9), “joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), silence, sweetness, warmth , fragrance, light. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are uncreated: the Holy Fathers call them Divine energies, that is, the manifestation of Divine life, which is given to us from the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit, and which we partake of, bearing the fruits of the Spirit (St. Seraphim of Sarov).

Thus, oils is an image-symbol (as its spiritual depth differs): the compassion and mercy of God; the light of the Divine, enlightening every person; tree of life; The Holy Spirit and His gifts (joy, peace, mercy, gentleness).

III. The spiritual meaning of a burning lamp

Pure sacrifice

In ancient temples there was twilight even on the brightest day. Twilight is not darkness, not a complete absence of light, but a symbol of earthly human life, immersed in the darkness of sin and ignorance, in which, however, the light of Faith, the light of God, shines: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” ( John 1:5).

The darkness in the temple is an image of that mental spiritual darkness with which the mysteries of God are surrounded. Light in the true sense for the church consciousness is only Divine light, the light of Christ, the light of future life in the Kingdom of God.

As we have already said above, lamps and candles burning in front of shrines have been symbols of this true light since ancient times. Church lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning, enshrined in the charter of the Church. They are lit both at night and during the day during daytime services, when there is enough light from the windows for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps may be lit in very small quantities during evening and night services. And when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, it is necessary to extinguish all candles, except for the candles in the middle of the church for the reader, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple icon in the iconostasis. But during holiday and Sunday services, all the lamps are lit according to order, including the upper ones - panikandilo and polikandila, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine for the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the explanations to the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church there is a special chapter “On lamps and lighting,” which describes in detail the symbolism and purpose of each of the lamps (candlesticks, censers, lamps).

The image and shape of the lamps are largely determined by its purpose and location. A single light from a lamp can mean one of the saints of the Church. Floor lamps Their prototype is the Deity, which appears to people, according to the Old Testament, in the form of fiery entities: the pillar that led the people of Israel through Egypt, the burning bush that appeared to Moses. Any lamp with candles, arranged in different ways on each lamp, can serve as an image of the burning bush. The church chandelier, the largest of all church lamps, has a special status.

“The Clergyman’s Handbook” interprets chandelier, descending from above into the central part of the temple, and polycandyla, located in the side chapels, as symbols of “a meeting, a constellation of people, sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the fire of faith, burning with the fire of love for God...” Liturgist of the 15th century. Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, likens the candles in the horos to the stars, and calls the circle where the candles are placed the firmament. The church chandelier bears the characteristics of the three highest angelic ranks: Seraphim as beings “flaming or burning”; Cherubim, having the property of “abundance of knowledge, or outpouring of wisdom”; and Thrones, capable of “constantly rising above everything below, peacefully striving for the things above.” Therefore, these lamps descend from above into that part of the temple where there is a meeting of the earthly Church, called to spiritually strive upward, to its heavenly brothers.

The most important place in the temple - behind the throne in the altar - is occupied by seven-branched candlestick. Its oldest prototype, mentioned above, is described in the Old Testament, during the construction of the Tabernacle of Moses. In the Apocalypse, seven stars mean the seven Angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamps mean the seven churches, the seven spirits of God (Rev. 1:20, 4:5). Seven lamps burn before the throne of the Almighty. This explains the number of lamps in the seven-branched candlestick. The seven-branched candlestick is also characterized by the shape of a stylized tree. Located behind the altar in the altar, that is, in the very center of the church, in the heart of its microcosm, this lamp symbolizes the world tree of life, which grew in the center of the Old Testament Paradise.

Another type of church lamps is lamps, which, like stars in the sky, shine in abundance in the church twilight. It is no coincidence that two light sources are placed in front of the icons: a candlestick with wax candles and a lamp with burning oil. Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica, explaining the symbolic meaning wax, says that pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people bringing it. It is offered as a sign of our repentance for perseverance and readiness to continue to obey God, like the softness and pliability of wax. Produced by bees after collecting nectar from many flowers and trees, the wax symbolically means an offering to God, as if on behalf of all creation. And a burning wax candle - the transformation of wax into fire - means deification, the transformation of earthly man into a new creature under the influence of fire and the warmth of Divine love and grace.

Oil, like wax, signifies the purity and sincerity of a person in his worship of God. Therefore, oil is burned in front of holy icons - in churches and in the homes of believers. But it also has another meaning: testifying to the purity of human relations to God, oil is a sign of God’s mercy towards people - it softens wounds, has a healing effect, and approves of food. So, in front of the icon there is a symbolic meeting, a dialogue between the Heavenly Father and his flock.

On the iconostasis and in front of almost every icon case in the temple one or more lamps hang, and there are candlesticks with burning candles. According to the saint, he is right. John of Kronstadt, “the lamps burning in front of the icons mean that the Lord is an unapproachable light and a consuming fire for unrepentant sinners, and for the righteous a cleansing and life-giving fire; that the Mother of God is the Mother of light and the purest light Herself, unflickering, shining throughout the entire universe, that she is a burning and unburnt bush, which has unburntly received the fire of the Divine - the fiery throne of the Almighty... that the saints are lamps, burning and shining to the whole world with their faith and virtues " He said the same thing in the 7th century AD. Sophrony, Patriarch of Jerusalem: “Lamps and candles are an image of eternal Light, and also mean the light with which the righteous shine.”

The saint is right. John of Kronstadt continues: “The fire of burning... candles and lamps... serves for us as an image of spiritual fire - the Holy Spirit, who descended in fiery tongues on the apostles, burning away our sinful defilements, enlightening our minds and hearts, igniting our souls with the flame of love for God and each other to a friend. The fire in front of the holy icons reminds us of the fiery love of the saints for God, because of which they hated the world and all its delights, all untruths; It also reminds us that we must serve God, pray to God with a fiery spirit, which for the most part we do not have, for we have cold hearts. So, in the temple everything is instructive, and there is nothing idle or unnecessary.”

Saint Gregory the Theologian in his “Word for Holy Baptism” attaches a mysterious meaning to the pious custom of lighting lamps: “The lamps that you light will mysteriously form the local light, with which we, pure and virgin souls, will go out to meet the groom, having clear lamps of faith.”

The words from the “Missionary Teachings” of St. Nicholas of Serbia sum up the versatility of the spiritual meaning of a burning lamp: “Why is a lamp lit in front of an icon? Firstly, because our faith is light. Christ said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12). The light of the lamp reminds us of the light with which the Savior illuminates our souls. Secondly, in order to remind us of the bright character of the saint, in front of whose icon we light a lamp. For the saints are called sons of light (John 12:36.) Thirdly, in order to serve as a reproach for our dark deeds, evil thoughts and desires, and in order to call us onto the path of the gospel light, so that we They cared with zeal for the fulfillment of the Savior’s commandment: Let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds (Matthew 5:16). Fourthly, so that it becomes our small sacrifice to the Lord, who sacrificed all of Himself for us, a small sign of our great gratitude and bright love for the One from whom in our prayers we ask for life, health and salvation - all that can give only boundless Heavenly Love. Fifthly, to frighten the forces of evil that sometimes attack us during prayer, diverting our thoughts from the Creator. For the forces of evil love darkness and tremble at light, especially that which serves God and His saints. Sixth, to encourage us to sacrifice. Just as oil and wick burn in a lamp, submissive to our will, so let our souls burn with the flame of love, submissive to the will of God in all suffering. Seventhly, to remind us that just as a lamp cannot light up without our hand, so our heart, this inner lamp of ours, cannot light up without the holy fire of Divine grace, even if it is filled with all virtue. For our virtues are fuel that the Lord ignites with His fire” (Missionary Teachings, letter 18).

Since ancient times, many miracles have been known in which, with the help of burning lamps and oil, the firmness of faith in the Lord God was tested and God’s mercy towards believers was signified. Thus, at the end of the 2nd century in the Church of Jerusalem, God performed a miracle: when on Easter there was no oil for the lamps in the church, Bishop Narkis ordered well water to be poured into the lamps - and they burned throughout Easter, as if they had been filled with the best oil.

And on our land, consecrated by baptism, many miracles were revealed that revealed the meaning of this church tradition. In the monastery of St. Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, the following incident once occurred. The feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was approaching, and there was no wooden oil in the church to light the lamps on that day; and the church builder decided to squeeze oil from the field seeds and fill the lamps with it, instead of the wooden one. Having asked Rev. Theodosius and having received his blessing, the builder did as he planned. When he was about to pour the prepared oil into the lamps, he saw a dead mouse in a vessel with oil. Then he hurried to the monk and told him about what had happened, assuring him that he had covered the vessel with oil with all care and did not understand how the mouse got in there. The monk, realizing that this happened according to God’s will, condemned his unbelief and said to him: “We need, brother, to have hope in God and trust that He is able to give us what we need; and not do out of unbelief what should not be done. Go, pour the oil on the ground, and, praying to God, let’s endure a little, and He will give us oil in abundance today.” When the monk gave this order to the builder and prayed, it was already evening. At this time, one rich man brought a large barrel filled with wooden oil as a gift to the monastery. Seeing this, the monk glorified God that He heard his prayer so quickly. All the lamps were filled with oil, and most of it remained. And the next day they brightly celebrated the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Venerable Elder Seraphim of Sarov, in his prayer for the dead and the living, attached special importance to the sacrificial meaning of the lamps and candles burning in his cell. In November 1831, Father Seraphim himself, in a conversation with N.A. Motovilov explained this.

“I,” Nikolai Alexandrovich said, “having seen many lamps at Father Seraphim’s place, especially many piles of wax candles... I thought to myself: “Why does Father Seraphim light so many candles and lamps, producing in his cell an unbearable heat from the warmth of the fire?” ? And he, as if silencing my thoughts, said to me:

Do you want to know, your love for God, why I light so many lamps and candles in front of the holy icons of God? This is what it's for. I have, as you know, many persons who are zealous for me and do good to my mill orphans (Diveyevo sisters - ed.). They bring me oil and candles and ask me to pray for them. When I read my rules, I remember them first once. And since, due to the many names, I will not be able to repeat them at every place of the rule where it should be, then I would not have enough time to complete my rule, then I put all these candles for them as a sacrifice to God, one candle for each , for others - for several people one large candle, for others I constantly warm lamps; and where it is necessary to remember them in the rule, I say: “Lord, remember all those people, Thy servants, for their souls I, wretched one, kindled these candles and chandeliers for Thee” (that is, lamps - ed.). And that this is not my, poor Seraphim’s, human invention, or just my simple zeal, not based on anything, then I will give you the words of Divine Scripture to support it. The Bible says that Moses heard the voice of the Lord saying to him: “Moses, Moses! Say to your brother Aaron, let him kindle fire before Me day and night: for this is acceptable before Me and the sacrifice is acceptable to Me.” So, your love for God, why has the Holy Church of God adopted the custom of lighting candils, or lamps, before the holy icons of the Lord, the Mother of God, holy Angels and holy men who have pleased God.

We light lamps in front of holy images, like a visible expression of the fire of our love for the Lord and our neighbor, from all our pure hearts. If you make a sacrifice, but do not have love for God and your neighbor in your heart, then your sacrifice to God is in vain: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). You cannot truly love the Lord without loving your loved ones.

Unfortunately, today many do not know the spiritual meaning of the lamp and the oil burning in it and do not attach much importance to them; and therefore they do not hesitate to use cheap, low-quality oil for lamps, made from various mixtures, flavored with perfume additives that hide the unpleasant smell of these surrogates. Today, such oil is often called “wooden” oil, although it has nothing to do with olive oil. The original true meaning of “wood oil” has almost been lost, and the name began to be used for cheap oils because of its attractiveness. The reason for this substitution is the impoverishment of faith and piety and, as a consequence, a formal attitude towards church services. The Lord called this attitude the leaven of the Pharisees(Mark 8:15). For many, a lamp is just an external attribute of a temple or home icons, an element of decoration - and nothing more.

The main argument for using bad oil is its cheapness. But we must not forget that "Oil and wax are like the most clean of substances used for combustion means purity and sincerity an offering made to glorify the holy Name of God (Ex. 27:20). Oil (oil), in particular, means the zeal of people, similar to the zeal of the wise virgins who took oil with their lamps to meet the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:3,4), i.e. it means the desire of Christians to be pleasing to God with their deeds, by life, and not by faith only (cf. Ps. 44:8)” (Manual for the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church by K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874).

What then is the zeal of people who light cheap but not pure oil in a lamp? Can their offering be called sincere and pure? To meet the Lord Jesus, will we, for reasons of economy, take lamps with bad oil, justifying ourselves by the fact that we had nothing to buy good ones with?

In the Old Testament, through the mouth of the prophet Malachi, the Lord reproached the priests for bringing an unworthy sacrifice to the holy altar: “You bring unclean bread to My altar, and say: “How do we dishonor You?” - By saying: “The Lord’s table is not worthy of respect.” And when you sacrifice a blind thing, is it not bad? or when you bring the lame and the sick, is this not bad? Offer this to your prince; Will he be pleased with you and will he accept you favorably? says the Lord of hosts. So, pray to God to have mercy on us; and when such things come from your hands, can He graciously receive you? says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 1:7–9).

Is not unclean oil the likeness of the sacrificial animal of the blind and lame? And if we choose a gift for a loved one, will we really be guided only by considerations of cheapness, and not quality?

His Eminence Nikanor, Bishop of Kherson and Odessa, said this in his teaching: « How long ago did petty selfish deceit become an acceptable sacrifice to God? How long ago has the Russian proverb “On You, God, what is worthless to me,” which captures and aptly outlines this unattractive feature of our home-grown Pharisees, lost its meaning? After all, even in the Old Testament it is commanded that it is not suitable to sacrifice to God what is not suitable for us ourselves (Lev. 22:21-22). And you, Orthodox child of the New Testament, a Christian soul, and not a Jew, bring to the altar of the Lord not an ox, not a sheep, not a goat, but only a penny candle, and even here you strive for it to be not even a penny, but a penny. Who are you deceiving, like Ananias and Sapphira? Wasn’t your existence with you?”

External fulfillment of this commandment alone cannot save a person. Not only our sacrifice itself must be pure, but our deeds and thoughts: “Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord... when you stretch out your hands, I will close my eyes from you; and when you multiply your prayers, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash yourself, make yourself clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; stop doing evil; learn to do good, seek truth, save the oppressed, defend the orphan, stand up for the widow. Then come and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they will be as white as wool” (Isa. 1:11, 15–18).

The Lord expects from His disciples, from us, Orthodox Christians, not a gift in the form of the best and most precious oil, but our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole soul, all our strength and in the Holy Spirit to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is what is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark 12:32–33).

Only in this way will we be able to achieve the Kingdom of God, the heavenly city, which “needs neither the sun nor the moon to illuminate it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23).

IV.Olive oil

Until now, we have talked about the spiritual meaning and symbolism of the burning lamp and oil, about the historical background of the ritual of lighting lamps. We found out that oil - olive oil - as a symbol of pure sacrifice to God, since ancient times, has been the only canonically established type of oil that can be used to light lamps. Today, finding olive oil in stores is not difficult; but in order not to make a mistake when choosing and purchasing, you need to know the basic characteristics of olive oil accepted in the modern world.

Nowadays, the production of olive oil is a large global industry that produces various types of this oil and uses various production methods. To help you navigate the abundance on offer, we will talk about the types of olive oil, how to distinguish high-quality oil from low-quality oil, and modern methods of its production.

Olive oil (also spruce, wood oil) is a vegetable, fatty, non-drying oil extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the olive tree (olive). The main characteristic of oil quality is acidity. This is the percentage of organic acids remaining in the oil after production and refining. Typically, the higher the acidity, the more intense the odor of the oil; the lower the acidity, the higher the quality of the oil. Depending on the stage of ripening of the olives, the color of the oil changes from golden to dark green: yellow is the color of oil from ripe fruits, green is from unripe fruits. Green oils tend to be bitter; yellow ones - practically without taste.

The olive tree (Olea europaea, olive tree) is an ancient crop native to the Middle East. This is an evergreen subtropical fruit tree 4–12 m high. The leaves are small, dark green above, silver-gray below. Olive is a drought-resistant fruit species that can withstand short-term frosts down to -15 C. It lives 300–400 years or more. Trees are known to be over 1500 years old. Productivity - 20–40 kg of fruits per tree. Archaeologists claim that the cultivation of olive trees began in the Mediterranean about six thousand years ago, hundreds of years earlier than vineyards.

Currently, the largest olive plantations are in Spain (more than 2.2 million hectares), Italy (1.5 million hectares), and Greece (0.5 million hectares). In the territory of the former USSR, olives were grown in Crimea, Transcaucasia, Turkmenistan, and Krasnodar Territory. There are about 500 varieties of olives known in the world, and about 80 in the former USSR. Today, 99% of all olive oil in the world is produced in the Mediterranean regions. Local peasants treat it with deep respect and value it even higher than another Mediterranean gift from heaven - wine. Olive trees are cared for with the same meticulous care as a good vineyard, to ensure that each harvest produces olives of the best quality. Spain ranks first in the world in olive oil production. Unlike other global olive oil exporters, Spain prohibits the production and export of olive oil mixed with other vegetable oils. This is one of the reasons for its high price on the world market.

Olive oil (especially Extra Virgen oil) is the undisputed leader among other vegetable oils in many respects. Firstly, it is rich in vitamins and is very easily digestible: the body digests it almost 100 percent, while sunflower oil is only 80 percent. The reason is the high content of oleic acid, which is necessary for the functioning of our body. Secondly, according to specialists from the Institute of Nutrition, 100 percent olive oil does not release carcinogenic substances even with repeated heat treatment, and most importantly, olive oil heals. Since ancient times, Mediterranean doctors have known about the healing properties of olives. Due to the content of mono- and polyunsaturated acids, with constant use, olive oil helps slow down the wear and tear of the body, prevent cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, hypertension, etc.), stabilize the level of cholesterol in the blood, improve digestion, and strengthen the protective functions of the skin ( treatment of ulcers, burns, other skin diseases) and stimulation of bone tissue growth.

Depending on the degree of processing of the fruits and the stages of their extraction, as well as on the quality characteristics of the product, olive oils are classified as follows: virgin oil, pressed with heat treatment and filtration (refined) and pomace oil (second pressing). .

1. Oil Extra Virgen- obtained exclusively mechanically, in which no irreversible changes occur in the composition of the oil (first cold pressed, virgin oil). The process consists only of washing, drying, and spinning in a centrifuge. Cold pressed oil Virgen most appropriate Old Testament oil;

2. Refined oil Refinado- usually obtained by refining Virgen. Refining involves rapid evaporation of oil without access to oxygen and condensation.

3. Pomace oil Pomace- oil obtained from pomace and other by-products of olives (from previous pressings), or from a mixture of oils of unknown origin (corresponds to wood oil in 19th century terminology).

Olive oil should be stored in a dry and, most importantly, dark place, at a temperature of about 20 0C in a tightly closed container. At low temperatures (from +5 C and below) it can form sediment, without compromising quality. Upon subsequent heating to room temperature, this precipitate dissolves without a trace. The authenticity of olive oil can be verified by the formation of sediment upon cooling. Oil produced between November and January may gradually become lighter during long-term (up to a year) storage - this is normal and only indicates that the oil is “living”. For extra virgin oils, the cap color on the bottle is usually green. The color of the cap on a bottle of refined olive oil is most often red, yellow or brown.

The use of extra virgin olive oil as a lamp oil, as established in the Old Testament, is the most correct approach to the sacred rite. And today there is an opportunity not to deviate from the Old Testament instructions. But historically, substitutes and counterfeits of olive oil appeared in church use already in the 19th century, partly due to the poor quality of the product supplied from abroad, partly due to the pursuit of cheapness. Various substitutes and counterfeiters are still common today. Next, we will look at how and why falsification of lamp oil occurred in Russia, as well as what are the possibilities of replacing olive oil with more affordable types of oils without compromising piety and health.

V. Adulteration of lamp oil in Russia in the 19th century

Olive oil has always come to Russia from abroad, since the weather and climatic conditions of our country do not allow it to be produced in industrial quantities. By the middle of the 19th century, more than a million pounds of wood (olive) oil were imported to Russia per year. However, it should be noted that even then this oil was of the lowest grade, had an unpleasant odor, and was absolutely unsuitable for food. Even then, three varieties of olive oil were distinguished: the highest grade - olive (Provencal superior), which was extracted by weak pressing of ripe fruits in the cold (3500 years ago it was called oil); the second grade is ordinary Provençal, obtained by hot pressing, and wooden- from the squeezed residues from the above-mentioned pressing, when heated and distilled with carbon sulphide. In fact, waste from olive oil production was used as a lamp lamp. Often this oil was diluted in the country of origin. Here is a quote from a famous literary work of the mid-19th century, characterizing low-quality wood oil: “The moon is usually made in Hamburg; and it is done very badly... A lame cooper makes it... He put a pitch rope and a part wood oil; and that’s why there’s a terrible stench all over the earth, so you need to plug your nose” (N.V. Gogol. Notes of a Madman). Thus, the decline of piety led to a change in terminology. But, despite the poor quality, the cost of even low-grade wood oil remained quite high. Thanks to the development of industry, it began to be counterfeited on a huge scale. To adulterate wood oil, vegetable oils were used: coconut, rapeseed, castor, as well as hydrocarbon mineral oils (petroleum distillates), kerosene, fish oil and lard. Sometimes a little olive oil was added to this mixture, and sometimes there was no olive oil at all.

In the Moscow region at the end of the 19th century, there were 13 large factories that produced about 840,000 pounds of adulterated wood oil per year. In addition to these factories, there were also numerous handicraft industries located in private apartments. Numerous manuals for preparing “garnished oil” at home have appeared on the market. Moscow manufacturer Davydov, who took out a patent for the production of artificial wood oil, called it “ garnished oil" It consisted of a mixture of petroleum and cheap vegetable oils and was intended to be burned in light bulbs. Gradually, the distinction between garnish and wood oil was erased, and fake “wooden garnish” oil began to penetrate into churches.

At the end of the 80s of the 19th century, the situation reached an extreme; it was necessary to take vigorous measures to supply churches with pure lamp oil. By order of the Holy Synod, in 1888, a chemical analysis of 27 samples of oil was carried out and the results were reported in the Church Gazette (Nos. 1, 2 for 1888). The diocesan authorities were asked to independently order lamp oil directly from abroad and to set up special warehouses for it in dioceses at monasteries and diocesan candle factories. But this didn't help much. Economic considerations took precedence over piety: the so-called “market economy”, which also affected the earthly part of the Church.

After the revolution of 1917, the question of lamp oil was temporarily removed, like many other questions concerning the ritual side of worship. During the Soviet period, you had to use what you could get. In a hopeless situation, in violation of all canonical requirements, petroleum oils - transformer oil, perfume oil and a number of others - were forced into church use. And about twenty years ago or a little more, they were replaced by Vaseline oil.

IN present time Once again, the opportunity arose to choose which oil and what quality to use during worship, as well as during cell prayer. Unfortunately, the reality in today's Russia is that it cannot produce its own olive oil in large quantities, and purchasing imported oil is very expensive for many. Therefore, modern Church practice offers some already established solutions on this issue. The basic principle when choosing lamp oil, in our opinion, should be the following: if funds or other reasons do not allow burning olive oil in lamps, then olive oil should be replaced with at least oil clean and high quality, at least in this respect corresponding to the instructions of Holy Scripture. And it is advisable to add a little olive oil to this oil. Of course, in everyday life you can use any oil for lamps: mineral (petroleum-based) and vegetable oil, but when choosing lamp oil for a ritual, you must buy pure and high-quality oil.

Let's consider the possibility of using other oils of plant origin as lamps.

VI. Vegetable lamp oils

Today it is sometimes suggested to use lamp oil as vegetable oils, quite widely represented on the Russian market: sunflower, corn, etc. This is not the worst solution from a canonical point of view. But due to their properties, vegetable oils quickly go out when lit in lamps, clogging the wick and forming carbon deposits on the wick. Why is this happening?

Vegetable oils fatty products are products extracted from oilseeds, which consist mainly (95–97%) of organic compounds, full esters of glycerol and fatty acids. When exposed to air, many fatty oils undergo oxidative polymerization (“dry out”), forming films. Some vegetable oils require mandatory purification to remove impurities that are harmful to human health. Thus, cotton seeds contain the poisonous pigment gossypol, which is removed by refining. Almost all of these crops belong to the category of grains. The oils extracted from them are either drying (linseed, hemp, etc.) or semi-drying (sunflower, corn, rapeseed, etc.).

Under the influence of temperature and atmospheric oxygen, they polymerize and form fine resinous substances. As they pass through the wick, particles of the resulting resins clog it, reducing the oil supply and the size of the flame. Those particles that do rise to the surface of the wick and enter the combustion zone, due to incomplete combustion, form soot, which completely cokes the wick, and the lamp goes out. Thus, these oils, being an excellent food product, are practically unsuitable as lamp oil. The same vegetable oils that do not dry out (castor, almond and some others) are not inferior in cost to olive oil.

At one time, organizations producing lamp oil tried to establish widespread sales of plant-based lamp oil in the church environment. But these undertakings failed, since most manufacturers, for economic reasons, began to sell cheap mixtures based on industrial technical oils. These oils will be discussed below.

VII. Lamp Vaseline oil

Some ruling bishops of the Local Orthodox Churches bless the use of mineral medical vaseline oil as a lamp oil (instead of olive oil), and today it occupies a leading place in use in Russia.

Medical vaseline oil (GOST 3164-78) appears to be a transparent, odorless liquid, quite viscous and thick in consistency. It is approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for external and internal use. Thanks to modern refining technologies, it is a highly purified white oil that does not contain harmful organic compounds: aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfur, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compounds. It does not contain: paraffin, water, acids, alkalis, low-boiling fractions (up to 360C). The combustion of petroleum jelly occurs with a large release of heat, hence the high flame temperature. Therefore, the vaseline oil vapor burns completely (this is evidenced by a non-smoking flame), only carbon dioxide and water vapor are formed - natural components of air. Thanks to this, when Vaseline oil burns, no soot or odor is released; it burns without soot.

When burning, the flame is even and does not go out, and the sufficiently high viscosity contributes to uniform impregnation of the wick. In practical use, Vaseline oil is convenient and economical. It does not have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes and skin, does not exhibit sensitization and allergenic properties.

Studies conducted by special medical units (Research Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Medicinal Substances, Oncology Center) have shown that medical petroleum jelly does not have a negative effect on vital organs, and does not have embryotoxic, mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. It does not accumulate in the human body and is completely eliminated from it.

The shelf life of medical vaseline oil exceeds ten years. You can even store it in non-airtight packaging. Although this oil is made from inorganic compounds (petroleum), it meets the purity requirement quite well.

This is how the now living Archbishop of Ivanovo and Kineshma Ambrosy speaks about the quality of lamp Vaseline oil: “The oil is wonderful, truly lamp oil, and fully corresponds to its purpose. This is what we testify to.”+ Archbishop. Ambrose.

Today, only three factories produce medical vaseline oil in the CIS: Yaroslavl Oil Refinery named after. DI. Mendeleev, the Samara plant "Medkhim" and the Belarusian plant "AKSO". Imported petroleum jelly is much more expensive. Its authenticity can only be accurately verified in a lamp or in a laboratory. Before the invention of electricity, oil lamps, along with candles, were lit not only in front of icons, but also to illuminate churches, many of which were installed on chandeliers. This tradition is preserved in some temples to this day, especially in those where electricity is not used for lighting at all. In this case, the convenience of Vaseline oil can hardly be overestimated. Oil (olive oil) is a sign of God's mercy towards people: it softens wounds, has a healing effect, and flavors food. Vaseline oil is also used in medical practice to treat and help with various diseases. We deliberately dwelled in such detail on Vaseline oil, because today it is the most popular lamp oil in Russia.

VIII. Substitutes and counterfeits of lamp oil in modern Russia

Purity- one of the main requirements set by the Holy Scriptures for lamp oil. But a high-quality and pure product is usually not cheap. Therefore, some manufacturers, in order to reduce costs, make cheap counterfeits of both olive and vaseline oils, and also “invent” new mixtures - as long as they burn and make a profit. In the USA, Greece, Italy and Turkey, the export of mixtures of olive oil with other vegetable oils is allowed, subject to the mandatory indication of the word MIXT on the label. All mixtures (mixes), naturally, are cheaper than 100% olive oil. Most often, the mixture contains cheap soybeans or rapeseed. Some manufacturers honestly admit this: they write the true composition on the label, albeit in small print. Others are completely silent about it. Mixed oil is easily recognized by its brownish tint, a small sediment at the bottom of the bottle or other container in which the oil is contained, and the absence of a “specific” odor. Counterfeit “wooden” lamp oil sometimes appears on sale. At best, it is made on the basis of low-grade technical olive oil with the addition of cheaper oil - vegetable or mineral based.

Medical vaseline oil is also falsified today. White technical oils are often passed off as medical oils, and sometimes they are diluted with industrial oils and softening oils for the rubber industry.

Today in church shops you can see fairly cheap lamp oils, which are a yellow, sometimes transparent liquid of low viscosity, which has an unpleasant odor (if flavorings are not added). Mostly they are cheap industrial oils or mixtures of similar cheap oils. If vaseline medical oil is an expensive product, the production of which requires a lot of time and expense, then flavored industrial oils are not much different from ordinary kerosene and should cost 2-3 times less. A reasonable person would not use such cheap mixtures based on industrial technical oils, if he knows what they are. Often the names of such oils sound quite tempting - “Plant-based lamp oil”, “Flavored”, “Wood”, there are even names of holy places. Sometimes the label indicates that the oil is made with a “petroleum jelly base.”

The All-Russian Research Institute for Oil Refining analyzed two samples of such “traditional” lamp oils based on vegetable and petroleum jelly. The official conclusion states that none of these samples meets GOST standards in terms of basic physical and chemical indicators. There was no Vaseline or vegetable base in these oils. The presence in the samples of a significant amount of organic impurities and a large amount of sulfur (which should not be present normally), altered fractional composition and low kinematic viscosity indicate that the basis of these oils is cheap petroleum oil such as industrial I-20A. And to suppress unpleasant odors, persistent aromatic compounds of synthetic origin are added to them.

It turns out that these oils burn faster than Vaseline or olive oil, but this creates soot, greasy stains on the ceiling, an unpleasant odor and allergic reactions.

In addition, the producers of such oil have not received the blessing of a single bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church to use it in lamps. Church tradition does not know aromatization lamp oil, although aromas and incense are present in other parts of the service as an obligatory element (for example, incense).

Impure, cheap oils when anointed cause allergies in many people, and eating it as food is out of the question. When burning, the smell of kerosene “breaks through” all perfume additives, this often causes people who stay near a burning lamp for a long time to feel unwell, have headaches and even poisoning, and the room is gradually filled with a suffocating stench. Bad oil causes significant damage to churches, smoking icons and frescoes, and it burns faster than good oil, so the savings here are imaginary. As a rule, such oil is slightly viscous and flammable, which can lead to a fire: lamps filled with it often spontaneously burst into flames. Recently, some oil refineries have begun producing new types of lamp oil.

The Novokuybyshevsk experimental organic synthesis plant "Volgasintez" produces the so-called "refined low-viscosity lamp oil." For some reason, some sellers call it “paraffin”. This substance is an ethylene heptomer consisting of C 14 H 28 hydrocarbons with different arrangements of the double bond along the length of the chain (tetradecenes). In fact, this chemical compound does not belong to the class of oils, but is highly purified kerosene. This is confirmed by the unacceptably low flash point in a closed crucible - 90 0 C.

Therefore, such “oil” cannot be lit in an ordinary open lamp, as this can lead to ignition of its vapors and a fire. So, in the church of St. VMC. Catherine in St. Petersburg, vapors of this “oil” flared up in the seven-branched candlestick in the altar during the service.

We emphasize that “refined low-viscosity lamp oil” produced by Volgasintez OJSC can be used due to fire hazard only in closed “Greek” lamps such as a kerosene lamp with a wick and an adjustable wheel. The oil company LUKoil is soon going to start producing lamp oil, obtained through the process of hydroisomerization of paraffin hydrocarbons. According to preliminary data, this oil will be similar in characteristics to vaseline oil.

Despite the penetration of artificial and synthetic substances into church use, the undoubted priority remains with traditional and natural substances. The significant, profound differences between traditional, natural substances used by the Church and their technical substitutes were well described by the Russian philosopher A.F. Losev: “You cannot, for example, be so insensitive as not to see the difference between stearin and wax, between kerosene and wood oil, between cologne and incense. There is something practical and useful in stearin, and also something dirty and greasy, something impudent and self-important. Wax is something touching and warm; in him there is meekness and love, kindness and purity; it contains the beginning of mental prayer, invariably striving for silence and warmth of the heart. Kerosene is also impudent and unfavorable; he measures love in pounds and warmth in calories; he is spiritually unclean and stinks of stench; he is the machine and the lubricant. Just as tobacco is incense for Satan, so kerosene is sauce for the demon. Cologne generally exists only for hairdressers and clerks, and, perhaps, only for fashionable protodeacons. Thus, praying with a stearine candle in your hands, pouring kerosene into the lamp and perfumed yourself with cologne, is only possible if you deviate from the right faith. This is heresy in the truest sense...”

Choosing lamp oil

Since olive oil is an expensive product and requires the use of special floats (see about them below), some pious Christians have found a solution to this problem: they use a mixture of olive and vaseline oils in lamps or simply add a little olive oil to the vaseline oil (they mix well between themselves). It is better not to buy such a mixture, but to make it yourself - this way you will know exactly what is burning in your lamp.

Note: If, when using such a mixture, the olive oil (vegetable) content is more than 20%, then it is better to use a floating (Greek) float; if the olive oil content is less than 20%, then an ordinary metal one will do. If you buy an unfamiliar oil, pay attention to the appearance of the packaging. If it is untidy and poorly made, then there is a high probability that the quality of the oil itself will be the same. Lamp Vaseline oil should be colorless and odorless (see Chapter VI). The types of olive oil are described in detail in Chapter III.

You should especially study the label. It must indicate: the exact name of the oil, GOST or TU, oil composition, storage conditions, volume (displacement), date of manufacture, number of the hygienic certificate of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, information about the manufacturer - name and address. Large manufacturers of lamp oil have their own retail outlets. In these places you can buy oil of the expected quality at a low price. You can find out about such places of sale by calling the manufacturer at the phone number indicated on the label. It is useful to compare the quality and cost of lamp oil from different manufacturers during major Orthodox fairs and exhibitions.

At home distinguish real petroleum jelly from surrogates possible by freezing temperature. Place the butter in the freezer. Real medical oil thickens greatly at a temperature of plus 5C and freezes almost completely at a temperature of minus 16–18C. Oil on an “industrial” basis freezes much later - at minus 25–27 C.

Choosing a lamp

There are three types of lamps: hanging, standing, and mounted on special brackets at the bottom in front of the icon. The cups for lamps themselves can be either transparent (glass) or opaque (ceramics, metal). Glass lamps (glasses) usually come in red, green, blue, clear and light yellow. Blue glasses are used during fasting. Most standing lamps come without metal holders, just glass or ceramic.

Float selection

There are two types of floats: floating (in oil) and lying on the edges of the lamp (metal).

A floating float consists of three parts: a piece of cork (balsa wood), a metal plate (above the cork) and a wick impregnated with a special composition. . For lighting pure olive oil (or any other vegetable oil, as well as mixtures with a high content of it), only floating floats brought to us from Greece are suitable. In Greece, natural olive oil is widely used. And in order for the wick to pull it well, the distance between the flame and the surface of the oil must be minimal, since the very properties of natural oil do not allow it to rise high. That is why the Greek wick, sticking out of a hole in a thin tin plate, simply floats on the surface of the oil, held on to it by pieces of cork. Thus, the light of the lamp and the oil are separated from each other only by the thinnest tin plate. This device floating on the surface of the oil is called a float. This name came to us in Russia, although our modern “floats” do not float at all, but hang motionless on the edges of a lamp glass.

The main disadvantage of Greek floats is the fire hazard, since the fire is too close to the surface. To prevent fires, a little ordinary water is first poured into lamps with such floats, then oil is carefully poured into them. Water is heavier than oil and occupies the bottom of the lamp. When the oil burns out completely, the wick does not ignite, but is extinguished by water.

Choosing a wick for a recumbent float

Typically, the wick is made (or purchased) from cotton threads 10–15 cm long. The wick should move (move) fairly freely inside the hole in the float. The thicker the oil, the smaller the diameter of the wick.

When to light and extinguish a lamp

Many pious Orthodox people light lamps the entire time they are at home, some only during evening and morning prayers, and some do not extinguish the lamps at all, even when leaving home: they believe that the Lord will not allow a fire to occur from a lamp dedicated to Him or His saints. Decide for yourself what to do, in accordance with your zeal and faith.

Prayer recited when lighting a lamp

Light, O Lord, the extinguished lamp of my soul with the light of virtue and enlighten me, Your creation, Creator and Benefactor. For You are the immaterial Light of the world, accept this material offering: light and fire, and reward me with inner light to the mind and fire to the heart. Amen.

Literature

1. The Bible, or the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in the Synodal translation.
2. Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1992.
3. A guide to the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874.
4. Beloborodov V.V. Basic processes in the production of vegetable oils. M., 1966.
5. Vartov N.I. Homemade production of lamp oil. M., 1917.
6. Zhigarevich I. A. Olive culture. M., 1955.
7. The life of our venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, abbot of Pechersk.
8. The life of Elder Seraphim, Sarov monastery, hieromonk, desert dweller and recluse. Murom, 1893.
9. Losev A.F. Dialectics of myth // A.F. Losev. From early works. M. 1990.
10. Instruction for Orthodox Christians about the church candle. M., Trifonov Pechenga convent, 2002.
11. Nikitinsky Ya. Falsification of wood oil. St. Petersburg, 1888.
12. Ryumin V.V. Handicraft production of vegetable oil. St. Petersburg, 1910.
13. Sergeeva O.A. Oil: physics and metaphysics of the word (Based on the material of church and poetic texts).
14. Sosnin I.S. Homemade artisanal production of lamp oil. M., 1902.
15. Sidorov A. Preparation of lamp (burning) lighting and machine oil. St. Petersburg, 1912.
16. Uspensky N.D. Orthodox Vespers. BT. 1960, no. 1.
17. “Church Gazette” No. 1, 2 for 1888
18. Slovnic Iazyka staroslovenskeno (Lexicon Linguae Paleoslovenicae) // Praha, Academia, 1973.

“Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning...

Be ready, too, for no matter what hour you think,

The Son of Man will come” (Luke 12:35, 40).

Our brochure tells about the church tradition of lighting lamps with oil in front of holy icons. We tried to focus on describing the canonical rules of this tradition, dispel misconceptions regarding lamp oil and help overcome confusion over the unjustified variety of it on today's shelves.

The particular importance of these issues is due to the fact that numerous church shops and stores offer a wide variety of oils for lamps: vegetable, mineral, technical, mixed, oils with various additives, flavors and dyes. But not all people are able to understand this deceptive abundance and often become victims of their own ignorance. Thus, on sale you can often find oils with tempting names, for example: “wooden” oil. Many people know that wood oil was used in pre-revolutionary times, but they incorrectly think that “wood” oil is extracted from wood. What is sold today under the name “wood” oil is most often an oily liquid of dubious quality that has nothing to do with “wood” oil. And this happens despite the fact that in the Holy Scriptures “wooden” oil is repeatedly mentioned as a synonym for oil (1 Chron. 27:28). Many misconceptions occur due to the fact that people simply do not know the religious foundations of the Christian tradition, the spiritual and symbolic meaning of a burning lamp, which is exploited by ungodly manufacturers who, in pursuit of profit, “invent” cheap types of low-quality oils and pass them off as lamp oils.

Therefore, the purpose of this brochure is to help you navigate the variety of oils on offer and not make a mistake in choosing, to give practical advice on how and when to light a lamp, what oil to choose, what wick or float to use. The brochure pays special attention to the origin of the Christian tradition of lighting lamps, the spiritual and symbolic meaning of the burning lamp and oil, as well as the changes that have occurred in this tradition over the last two centuries, when, due to the impoverishment of faith and piety, the loss of a deep understanding of the spiritual meaning of the ritual, use unclean, counterfeit oils as lamp oil.

I. The origin of the Christian rite of lighting lamps.

The religious custom of lighting a lamp with oil existed already in the times of the Old Testament. One of the first commandments of the Lord God to His prophet Moses was the command to build for Him a lamp of pure gold in the tabernacle of meeting: “And you shall make a lamp of pure gold; This lamp must be chased; its stem, its branches, its cups, its apples and its flowers shall come out of its sides: three branches of a lamp from one side of it, and three branches of a lamp from the other side of it... And thou shalt make seven lamps for it, and put lamps on it it, to give light on its front” (Ex. 25:31-37). “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel to bring you pure oil, beaten, for illumination, so that the lamp may continually burn; outside the veil of the ark of the testimony in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron (and his sons) shall set it up before the Lord from evening to morning always: this is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; They shall always set up their lamp on a clean candlestick before the Lord” (Lev. 24:1–4).

Thus, we see that in the Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses the lamps constituted a necessary accessory to the Sacred Service and were lit in the evening before the Lord (Exodus 30:8).

The sacred temple fire differed from the worldly, ordinary one: when the sons of the High Priest Aaron - Nadab and Abihu - brought “strange fire” before the Lord, that is, not from the altar, not from the fire that was indicated for the temple, but ordinary, everyday fire, then both of them (Nadab and Abihu) were struck with death because of disrespect for the temple (Lev. 10:1,2). But on the other hand, the Lord encourages the power of faith in Him. Thus, even before the Nativity of Christ, in 164, Judas Maccabee, in honor of the liberation and cleansing of the Temple, established the feast of renewal. The temple was re-consecrated. The priests had to light the temple lamp, but in the entire Temple there was not a single sealed vessel with pure oil left. After a long search, a small jug was found with the intact seal of the high priest. The oil in it could last no more than one day. It took eight days to prepare new oil. And yet, it was decided to light the lamp without waiting for a new portion of oil. And a miracle happened: the fire burned for all the required eight days. The temple fire was considered so sacred that it was not forgotten after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and the Talmud prescribes that when lighting lamps in the evening, one should give thanks to God

Burning lamps and lamps served as a symbol of the leadership of God, the pillar of fire that Israel brought out in the night: “You, O Lord, are my lamp,” exclaims King David (II Sam. 22:29). “Your word is a lamp to my feet,” he says in another place (Ps. 119:105). Along with the tabernacle, the ark of the testimony, and the altars, the lampstand of the temple was considered a great shrine: everything that touched it was considered sanctified (Ex. 30:29).

In design, the temple lamps were similar to lamps for home use: a vessel filled with olive oil (oil), with a wick floating in it, which was lit - only they were made of pure gold and placed on the temple seven-branched candlestick (Ex. 25:31– 40; 27:20; 37:17–24). There was one seven-branched candlestick in the tabernacle, and ten in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chron. 4:7).

Over time, the religious ritual of lighting lamps moved from the Temple to the homes of Christians. It must be assumed that in the upper room of the Last Supper, which represents the prototype of Orthodox churches, during the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist, lamps with olive oil were also burning. Both the holy Apostles and the first followers of Christ lit lamps when they gathered at night to preach the word of God, pray and break bread: “In the upper room where we had gathered there were plenty of lamps” (Acts 20:8). The apostles came from Jews and spread their preaching about Christ primarily among their pious fellow tribesmen. This circumstance determined the existence of certain connections between the New Testament church and the center of the religious life of Judaism - the Old Testament temple.

Those Jews who converted to Christianity could not abandon the pious custom of lighting a lamp, since Christianity itself did not put forward a new institution in place of this rite, just as it put forward baptism against circumcision, and the bloodless Eucharistic sacrifice against bloody sacrifice. On the contrary, in the apostolic sermon about Christ there was found a motive that gave Jewish Christians the basis for maintaining this sacred tradition of their ancestors, but in its new ideological content.

Christ the Savior Himself called Himself the Light of the world (John 8:12). The quiet light of the evening lamp reminded them of the One about whom the evangelist wrote: “There was the True Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9). The lamp burning in the prayer meeting vividly reminded those present of the spiritual presence of Christ with them, who promised to be where two or three were gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). Thus, the Old Testament rite received a new ideological, purely Christian meaning.

The latter turned out to be so close to the believing hearts of Christians that the ritual of the evening lighting of the lamp became firmly established in their everyday life. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, reporting the blessed death of St. Makrina, writes that when evening came and a fire was brought into the room, she opened her eyes wide and, looking at the light, tried to read the thanksgiving of the lamp , but since her voice had already disappeared, she performed the prayer only in her mind and with the movement of her hand and lips. When she finished her thanksgiving and raised her hand to her face to cross herself, she suddenly took a strong and deep breath. Along with the prayer, her life also ended. This story of St. Gregory about the last minutes of the life of St. Macrina shows how deeply he penetrated into the life of Christians of his time and how sacred the custom of thanksgiving with lamps was for them. A dying Christian woman, seeing a lamp brought into her room, strains her last strength to read the prayer of thanksgiving for the lamp. This prayer delays her last breath, which comes with the end of the thanksgiving of the lamp.

Already in the 3rd century, the tradition of evening thanksgiving with lamps, which arose in Christian life on the basis of Old Testament liturgical institutions, acquired the meaning of a church rite, from which vespers arose. Later, the ritual of lighting lamps began to be performed during all services, and not just evening ones: “We never have a service without lamps,” says church teacher Tertullian, “but we do not use them only to disperse the darkness of the night. Our liturgy is celebrated in daylight, but in order to portray Christ through this - the Uncreated Light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.”

Subsequently, they began to light lamps and place candles as a sign of their favor in front of various shrines: in front of the Gospel, in front of the tombs of martyrs, in front of icons of saints. Blessed Jerome of Stridon in his Epistle against Vigilantius testifies: “in all the Churches of the East, when the Gospel is read, candles are lit in the sunshine, truly not to drive away darkness, but as a sign of joy, in order to show this light under the image of sensual light... Others they do in honor of the martyrs."

The symbolism of fire and light in Christianity is also associated with the Miracle of the Descent of the Holy Fire onto the Holy Sepulcher. It is through the descent of Fire that the Lord annually testifies to His Resurrection. The first witness of the descent of the Holy Light into the Holy Sepulcher was the Apostle Peter. According to the testimony of St. Fathers, Peter, running to the Tomb after the news of the Resurrection of the Savior, in addition to the burial shrouds, as we read in the Gospel, saw an amazing light inside the Tomb of Christ. “Having seen this, Peter believed, he saw not only with sensual eyes, but also with a high apostolic mind: the Sepulcher was filled with light, so that although it was night, he saw it in two images: inwardly, sensually and spiritually.” This is how Saint Gregory of Nyssa tells us about this. The earliest written testimony of an eyewitness to the appearance of the Holy Fire on the Holy Sepulcher dates back to the 4th century and was preserved by the church historian Eusebius Pamphilus.

The practice of lighting lamps came to Rus' along with baptism from Byzantium, under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. Thus, we see that the Christian tradition of lighting lamps, symbolizing the uncreated Light, the invisible presence of Christ, as well as human veneration of shrines, developed in the first centuries of the emergence of Christianity based on the tradition of luminary thanksgiving and is rooted in the most ancient Old Testament rite, which was established by the Lord Himself in the commandment to Moses.

II. History of lamp oil

Since ancient times, in the religious tradition of lighting a lamp, the substance being lit had the most important, sacred significance. The Lord instructed Moses this way: “And command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil, beaten from olive trees, for light, so that the lamp may burn at all times” (Ex. 27:20). “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Tell the children to Israel, that they may make offerings to Me; From every person who has zeal, accept offerings to Me. These are the offerings that you must accept from them... oil for the lamp, spices for the anointing oil... And they will build a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them...” (Ex. 25:1-3, 6, 8).

The Lord commanded that only the purest fuel be burned in the lamp - olive oil, oil, which the Israelites had to bring to the temple as a voluntary sacrifice.

Oil ( from Greek Elaia- oil from the fruit of olives, fir trees; anointing oil) - is the purest extra virgin olive oil, which in those days was obtained from the best fruits of the olive tree (olives), beating with a stick or squeezing in presses (Ex. 27:20; Deut. 24:20; Mic. 6:15). In the Old Testament, oil is also called wood oil(1 Chron. 27:28), since olive oil is obtained from the fruits growing on the tree. Oil obtained from seeds is usually called vegetable oil. Therefore, oil and wood oil are different names for the same thing: olive oil.

In ancient Palestine, oil, along with bread and wine, was one of the main products of agriculture (Num. 18:12; Deut. 7:13; Neh. 10:39, 13:5) and nutrition (1 Sam. 17:14; 3 Kings 17:12-16; 1 Chronicles 12:40). It was called “liquid gold”, it was an essential item and one of the most valuable goods: it was exported to Phenicia, Egypt, and Rome. Since ancient times, the healing properties of oil have been known: it was poured on wounds to relieve pain (Isa. 1:6; Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34; James 5:14), used as a disinfectant and cleanser; it was used to anoint the body and hair (Isa. 61:3; Ps. 134:2). So, for example, according to Josephus, the sick Herod, as prescribed by doctors, took a bath of oil (Jewish Antiquities, XVII, 6, 5). The wood of the olive tree is particularly durable, and in those days it was very valuable: various crafts and decorations were made from it for rich houses and the temple (1 Kings 6:23,31).

Oil was added to each flour sacrifice, it was used for sprinkling in the sanctuary, and also for consecrating dwellings (Ex. 27:20, 30:22-23; Lev. 2:1-2, 4-7, 14:26). Kings were anointed with oil for their reign (1 Kings 10:1; 16:1,13; 1 Kings 1:39; Kings 9:1-6): according to custom in the Mediterranean and Middle East, when the successor was proclaimed monarch, the priest poured a cup of oil on his head. Oil was considered a symbol of strength, spiritual purity, enlightenment and blessing; the rite of “anointing” said that power was granted from God, whose Spirit would henceforth dwell on the Chosen One. Therefore, every ruler of Israel (and sometimes a prophet) was called the Anointed One, the Messiah, or in Greek - Christ. However, over time, this title began to be attributed only to the great King of the future.

Since ancient times, fir trees and olives have been in the sacred history signs of spiritual truths. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him a fresh olive leaf (Gen. 8:11) as evidence of the end of the flood and the appearance of dry land, as evidence that the wrath of God had ceased and was replaced by mercy (since oil “smoothes the waves,” softens, cleanses , nourishes). Since then, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace between God and people, a symbol of peace between people, a symbol of rebirth, return and resurrection. In the Holy Scriptures, in many places, oil signifies joy (Ps. 44:8; Is. 61:3).

In addition to the listed variety of beneficial qualities of oil, its symbolic and cultural meaning, it has clear advantages for burning in lamps.

Firstly, olive oil was considered the purest of oils: when burned, it does not emit any harmful substances and does not form soot; thanks to these properties, combined with healing properties, it was more suitable than others for long-term burning in a temple room and personified spiritual purity, enlightenment and blessing .

Secondly, the figurative association of the olive with light, widespread in ancient times, is significant. The light of an olive tree is not only the light of the flame of burning oil, but also the radiance of the crown of the tree itself. When the wind plays with the leaves, the olive trees are surrounded by a silvery halo that sways like waves of light. The underside of the leaf is silvery-white and the top is deep green. This contrast creates the feeling that the trees are emitting light.

IN New Testament the images of oil and olive are often used by the Savior and the apostles. Subsequently, the symbolism of the oil deepens even more under the influence of Greek culture and language, on the one hand, and the special emphasis of the Gospel preaching on the concept of mercy, on the other. The Savior’s sermon says a lot about mercy and mercy: “Blessed are the merciful; for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). And oil is often a symbol of God’s mercy and human mercy.

Thus, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lord says that the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of a man who had suffered from robbers (Luke 10:34). This secretly indicates the saving actions of God in relation to spiritually wounded humanity, onto which the ineffable mercy of God is poured out, giving the Only Begotten Son so that He would wash away the sins of people with His Blood.

In the parable of the ten virgins, the Savior speaks of the abundance of oil in the lamps of the wise virgins and the lack of it in the foolish ones. The wise had clean lamps and holy oil, while the foolish had only clean lamps. The lamps in this parable symbolize bodies, and the oil symbolizes mercy. The wise virgins had a virgin body with a virgin soul, but, in addition, they also had great mercy towards the weaker, towards those who had not yet freed themselves from sin. The foolish strictly observed bodily chastity, but were contemptuous and unmerciful towards the weaker, arrogantly condemned them and turned away from them with contempt. “The righteous women are called foolish,” said Saint Nilus of Sinai, “because, having succeeded in a very difficult, even almost impossible task - maintaining chastity, they neglected the small and easy.” But they neglected mercy, sympathy, forgiveness, and beneficence. Their lamp is clean, but empty and dark! When the hour of death comes, the body will be covered with earth, and the soul will set off on the path to its eternal homeland - the oil of mercy will shine on it and lead it.

In ancient times, there were many olive gardens in Palestine, the mountain slopes were often planted with them, so many places are toponymically associated with olive and olive oil. They are also mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, where the association of these places with the olive tree has a symbolic meaning.

So, Gethsemane(from the Hebrew Gat Shemen, which means “oil press”) - an olive garden in the vicinity of Jerusalem at the foot of the Mount of Olives, beyond the Kidron stream (John 18:1). In the New Testament, the Garden of Gethsemane is described as Jesus' favorite resting place, where He was betrayed by Judas and prayed for the cup of suffering (Matt. 26:46; Mark 14:32). As a symbol of purification, peace, grace, the olive, and, accordingly, the olive grove is the best place for rest and prayer; It is symbolic that Jesus prayed to God the Father for mercy, to remove the cup of suffering from Himself, among the olive trees, which also symbolize the mercy of God. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Romans cut down all the trees around the city for a long distance, so nothing remained of the former Gethsemane.

Olivet- translated from Greek means “olive grove” (Acts 1:12). The Mount of Olives or Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zeitim) rises above Jerusalem by about 60 m, offering an amazing view of the city and the mountains in the distance, the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Once upon a time, its slopes were planted with olive tree orchards. This mountain is mentioned in the Old Testament as a sacred burial place and as the place from which the second coming of the Savior will begin (2 Kings 15:30-32). Here David worshiped God. From this mountain Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection (Acts 1:11). The ascension of Jesus from the mountain called Olivet is deeply symbolic, since in a spiritual sense it means the pinnacle of God’s mercy towards people, elevating human nature to the heavenly palace of glory and eternal life. Where did the word “oily” (oil, unctuous) come from with a figurative meaning - “softened” (and therefore “merciful”)? The fact is that in Greek “mercy” is pronounced “eleos” (eleeo - compassionate, merciful) and has a common root with the word “oil” (from elaia - oil) - el-//-il-, which goes back to the ancient primordial: cheerful, joyful; voluntary, giving; merciful, merciful; quiet, Holy Spirit Comforter. These basic meanings are expanded by additional ones: resinous, juicy (now also oily); and knowledgeable, enlightened (now light). Therefore, it is no coincidence that in ancient texts the words “oil”, “oil” and “mercy”, “mercy” coexist with the words “tree”, “joy”, “glows”, “blessed”, “comfort”. They are designated in Greek: eleon, ileos, eleimones. The Prague Academic Dictionary (18), compiled based on Old Church Slavonic, Greek, Latin, German and other languages, contains many examples of such neighborhoods taken from the Bible, apocrypha, homilies: “ May his angel send oil from the tree of mercy."(misericordiae Nicod. 19, Stojanovie 109, 10); "And the oil of mercy shall be a joy" ( Ibid. 109, 26 ); “where, like the oil of the olive tree, before the eyes of God Almighty (the Worker of mercy) the (fruits of mercy) shine(Gregorii Magni, Homiliae. Misericordiae fructus. Bes.20, 110 bb 9 sq. - Exh.).

The consonance of the Greek words - eleos and elaion - indicates that oil, as a softening and healing substance, serves as a symbol of Divine mercy, softening our bitterness and healing our sinful ulcers.

Thus, Christianity accepted and preserved the deep religious and symbolic meaning of oil. To this day, oil is widely used in the Christian Church. Oil is used in the ritual of blessing the loaves: along with the five loaves, wine and grains of wheat, oil is also blessed as a nutritious and healing substance in diseases.

At the festive morning, the illumination of the church is enhanced by the lighting of candles and oil, when psalms are sung about the many mercy of God to the chosen people and the refrain is repeated many times: “For His mercy endures forever, alleluia!” In church language, this part of the festive matins (which begins with the singing of Psalms 134 and 135 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and - “Confess the Lord” and continues until the beginning of the canon) is meant by the word polyeleos(Greek polis - many and eleos - mercy; or from polis - many and elaion - oil). According to the first word formation, polyeles means many-merciful, and according to the second, many-heavy. Others believe that the reason for this name of this part of Matins is that in Polyeleos Psalm 135 the word is repeated many times mercy(eleos) in the chorus - “as in the age mercy His"; others are that during this part of Matins the Charter prescribes, in honor of the holiday, to intensify the illumination of the church by lighting candles and oil (elaion). Both of these reasons can be combined. At Matins with polyeleos or all-night vigil, after reading the Gospel, the ritual is performed with oil Anointing, symbolically depicting the outpouring of God's mercy on the anointed one.

The rite of anointing is also present in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Blessing of Anointing. In the Sacrament Unction A priest or bishop, when anointing a sick person with consecrated oil, asks for him, together with the Church, the grace of God, healing his mental and physical infirmities. In this case, the oil carries within itself the mercy of God towards a sick person, expressed in the remission (forgiveness) of his sins, the grace of the Holy Spirit, cleansing and spiritually regenerating a person, and healing power from physical and mental illnesses.

The Holy Apostle James in the Council Epistle pointed out about the Sacrament of Anointing: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick one, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has done his sins will be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15). It is advisable to perform the consecration of oil by several (according to the breviary - seven) priests (hence the other name - unction), but it is also allowed by one. The rite of consecration of oil consists of a blessing, the beginning of the usual canon, litanies for the sick, consecration of the oil with a priestly prayer, reading the Apostle seven times and the Gospel seven times (passages that talk about repentance, healing, the need to believe and trust in God, and also to be compassionate and merciful). After each reading of the Apostle and the Gospel, a litany is said and a secret prayer is read with the anointing of the sick person with oil. After the seventh and final anointing, the priest places the Gospel on the patient’s head and reads a prayer of permission. The number "seven" is a symbolic sign of the Church and its fullness. For this reason, the very anointing of the sick person and prayers for the remission of his sins and healing are repeated seven times. Oil in the sacrament of anointing is usually used mixed with wine.

The healing power of anointing with sacred oil is evidenced by many miracles that occurred through the prayers of holy saints. Thus, the following miracle is described in the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

One winter, a sick woman was brought on a sleigh to the monastery cell of the monk. The patient was all hunched over, her knees brought to her chest. They carried her into the elder’s home and laid her on the floor. Father Seraphim asked her:

Where are you from, mother?

From Vladimir province.

How long have you been sick?

Three years and a half.

What is the cause of your illness?

Before, father, I was of the Orthodox faith, but they gave me in marriage to an Old Believer. I changed the sign of the cross to two fingers and did not go to church.

Do you believe in the Holy Orthodox Church again?

“I believe, father,” answered the patient.

Then Father Seraphim folded his fingers in the Orthodox manner, put a cross on himself and said:

Cross yourself like this in the name of the Trinity.

Father, I would be glad,” the patient answered, “but I don’t know how to use my hands.”

Father Seraphim took oil from the lamp from his icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” and anointed the chest and hands of the sick woman. Suddenly she began to straighten out, even her joints began to crack, and immediately she received perfect health.

One brother asked Father Seraphim: why does he anoint those who come to him from the lamp burning in his cell in front of the icon? The priest answered like this: “We read in Scripture that the Apostles anointed with oil, and many sick people were healed from this. Who should we follow if not the Apostles?” The holy elder also followed this custom, and therefore those who were anointed received healing. In the Sacrament Baptism oil, consecrated with a special prayer, is used to anoint the one who approaches the holy. Baptism. Olive oil (with an admixture of special aromas) is also used to make myrrh, which is used to perform Confirmation- A sacrament in which the believer, when anointing the body with sacred oil, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification, strengthening and growth of his spiritual life.

In all the Sacraments the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, but Confirmation is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit par excellence; it completes Baptism. There is spiritual birth, here there is spiritual growth. When anointing different parts of the body, the priest says each time: “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This seal is a mark indicating that man has become God's. The main gift of the Holy Spirit is love, in comparison with which everything is nothing. The fruits of the Holy Spirit include “goodness, righteousness and truth” (Eph. 5:9), “joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), silence, sweetness, warmth , fragrance, light. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are uncreated: the Holy Fathers call them Divine energies, that is, the manifestation of Divine life, which is given to us from the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit, and which we partake of, bearing the fruits of the Spirit (St. Seraphim of Sarov).

Thus, oils is an image-symbol (as its spiritual depth differs): the compassion and mercy of God; the light of the Divine, enlightening every person; tree of life; The Holy Spirit and His gifts (joy, peace, mercy, gentleness).

III. The spiritual meaning of a burning lamp

Pure sacrifice

In ancient temples there was twilight even on the brightest day. Twilight is not darkness, not a complete absence of light, but a symbol of earthly human life, immersed in the darkness of sin and ignorance, in which, however, the light of Faith, the light of God, shines: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” ( John 1:5).

The darkness in the temple is an image of that mental spiritual darkness with which the mysteries of God are surrounded. Light in the true sense for the church consciousness is only Divine light, the light of Christ, the light of future life in the Kingdom of God.

As we have already said above, lamps and candles burning in front of shrines have been symbols of this true light since ancient times. Church lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning, enshrined in the charter of the Church. They are lit both at night and during the day during daytime services, when there is enough light from the windows for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps may be lit in very small quantities during evening and night services. And when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, it is necessary to extinguish all candles, except for the candles in the middle of the church for the reader, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple icon in the iconostasis. But during holiday and Sunday services, all the lamps are lit according to order, including the upper ones - panikandilo and polikandila, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine for the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the explanations to the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church there is a special chapter “On lamps and lighting,” which describes in detail the symbolism and purpose of each of the lamps (candlesticks, censers, lamps).

The image and shape of the lamps are largely determined by its purpose and location. A single light from a lamp can mean one of the saints of the Church. Floor lamps Their prototype is the Deity, which appears to people, according to the Old Testament, in the form of fiery entities: the pillar that led the people of Israel through Egypt, the burning bush that appeared to Moses. Any lamp with candles, arranged in different ways on each lamp, can serve as an image of the burning bush. The church chandelier - the largest of all temple lamps - has a special status.

“The Clergyman’s Handbook” interprets chandelier, descending from above into the central part of the temple, and polycandyla, located in the side chapels, as symbols of “a meeting, a constellation of people, sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the fire of faith, burning with the fire of love for God...” Liturgist of the 15th century. Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, likens the candles in the horos to the stars, and calls the circle where the candles are placed the firmament. The church chandelier bears the characteristics of the three highest angelic ranks: Seraphim as beings “flaming or burning”; Cherubim, having the property of “abundance of knowledge, or outpouring of wisdom”; and Thrones, capable of “constantly rising above everything below, peacefully striving for the things above.” Therefore, these lamps descend from above into that part of the temple where there is a meeting of the earthly Church, called to spiritually strive upward, to its heavenly brothers.

The most important place in the temple - behind the throne in the altar - is occupied by seven-branched candlestick. Its oldest prototype, mentioned above, is described in the Old Testament, during the construction of the Tabernacle of Moses. In the Apocalypse, seven stars mean the seven Angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamps mean the seven churches, the seven spirits of God (Rev. 1:20, 4:5). Seven lamps burn before the throne of the Almighty. This explains the number of lamps in the seven-branched candlestick. The seven-branched candlestick is also characterized by the shape of a stylized tree. Located behind the altar in the altar, that is, in the very center of the church, in the heart of its microcosm, this lamp symbolizes the world tree of life, which grew in the center of the Old Testament Paradise.

Another type of church lamps is lamps, which, like stars in the sky, shine in abundance in the church twilight. It is no coincidence that two light sources are placed in front of the icons: a candlestick with wax candles and a lamp with burning oil. Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica, explaining the symbolic meaning wax, says that pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people bringing it. It is offered as a sign of our repentance for perseverance and readiness to continue to obey God, like the softness and pliability of wax. Produced by bees after collecting nectar from many flowers and trees, the wax symbolically means an offering to God, as if on behalf of all creation. And a burning wax candle - the transformation of wax into fire - means deification, the transformation of earthly man into a new creature under the influence of fire and the warmth of Divine love and grace.

Oil, like wax, signifies the purity and sincerity of a person in his worship of God. Therefore, oil is burned in front of holy icons - in churches and in the homes of believers. But it also has another meaning: testifying to the purity of human relations to God, oil is a sign of God’s mercy towards people - it softens wounds, has a healing effect, and approves of food. So, in front of the icon there is a symbolic meeting, a dialogue between the Heavenly Father and his flock.

On the iconostasis and in front of almost every icon case in the temple one or more lamps hang, and there are candlesticks with burning candles. According to the saint, he is right. John of Kronstadt, “the lamps burning in front of the icons mean that the Lord is an unapproachable light and a consuming fire for unrepentant sinners, and for the righteous a cleansing and life-giving fire; that the Mother of God is the Mother of light and the purest light Herself, unflickering, shining throughout the entire universe, that she is a burning and unburnt bush, which has unburntly received the fire of the Divine - the fiery throne of the Almighty... that the saints are lamps, burning and shining to the whole world with their faith and virtues " He said the same thing in the 7th century AD. Sophrony, Patriarch of Jerusalem: “Lamps and candles are an image of eternal Light, and also mean the light with which the righteous shine.”

The saint is right. John of Kronstadt continues: “The fire of burning... candles and lamps... serves for us as an image of spiritual fire - the Holy Spirit, who descended in fiery tongues on the apostles, burning away our sinful defilements, enlightening our minds and hearts, igniting our souls with the flame of love for God and each other to a friend. The fire in front of the holy icons reminds us of the fiery love of the saints for God, because of which they hated the world and all its delights, all untruths; It also reminds us that we must serve God, pray to God with a fiery spirit, which for the most part we do not have, for we have cold hearts. So, in the temple everything is instructive, and there is nothing idle or unnecessary.”

Saint Gregory the Theologian in his “Word for Holy Baptism” attaches a mysterious meaning to the pious custom of lighting lamps: “The lamps that you light will mysteriously form the local light, with which we, pure and virgin souls, will go out to meet the groom, having clear lamps of faith.”

As a generalization of the versatility of the spiritual meaning of a burning lamp, the words from the “Missionary Teachings” of St. Nicholas of Serbia sound: “Why is a lamp lit in front of an icon? Firstly, because our faith is light. Christ said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12. The light of the lamp reminds us of the light with which the Savior illuminates our souls. Secondly, in order to remind us of the bright character of the saint, in front of whose icon we light the lamp. For the saints are called sons of light (John 12:36. ) Thirdly, in order to serve as a reproach for our dark deeds, evil thoughts and desires, and in order to call us onto the path of the gospel light, so that we would be more zealous about fulfilling the commandment of the Savior: Let your light shine before people, so that they see your good deeds (Matthew 5:16.) Fourthly, so that it becomes our small sacrifice to the Lord, Who sacrificed Himself all for us, a small sign of our great gratitude and bright love for Him, From whom in our prayers we ask for life, health and salvation - all that only boundless Heavenly Love can give. Fifthly, to frighten the forces of evil that sometimes attack us during prayer, diverting our thoughts from the Creator. For the forces of evil love darkness and tremble at light, especially that which serves God and His saints. Sixth, to encourage us to sacrifice. Just as oil and wick burn in a lamp, submissive to our will, so let our souls burn with the flame of love, submissive to the will of God in all suffering. Seventhly, to remind us that just as a lamp cannot light up without our hand, so our heart, this inner lamp of ours, cannot light up without the holy fire of Divine grace, even if it is filled with all virtue. For our virtues are fuel that the Lord ignites with His fire” (Missionary Teachings, letter 18).

Since ancient times, many miracles have been known in which, with the help of burning lamps and oil, the firmness of faith in the Lord God was tested and God’s mercy towards believers was signified. Thus, at the end of the 2nd century in the Church of Jerusalem, God performed a miracle: when on Easter there was no oil for the lamps in the church, Bishop Narkis ordered well water to be poured into the lamps - and they burned throughout Easter, as if they had been filled with the best oil.

And on our land, consecrated by baptism, many miracles were revealed that revealed the meaning of this church tradition. In the monastery of St. Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, the following incident once occurred. The feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was approaching, and there was no wooden oil in the church to light the lamps on that day; and the church builder decided to squeeze oil from the field seeds and fill the lamps with it, instead of the wooden one. Having asked Rev. Theodosius and having received his blessing, the builder did as he planned. When he was about to pour the prepared oil into the lamps, he saw a dead mouse in a vessel with oil. Then he hurried to the monk and told him about what had happened, assuring him that he had covered the vessel with oil with all care and did not understand how the mouse got in there. The monk, realizing that this happened according to God’s will, condemned his unbelief and said to him: “We need, brother, to have hope in God and trust that He is able to give us what we need; and not do out of unbelief what should not be done. Go, pour the oil on the ground, and, praying to God, let’s endure a little, and He will give us oil in abundance today.” When the monk gave this order to the builder and prayed, it was already evening. At this time, one rich man brought a large barrel filled with wooden oil as a gift to the monastery. Seeing this, the monk glorified God that He heard his prayer so quickly. All the lamps were filled with oil, and most of it remained. And the next day they brightly celebrated the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Venerable Elder Seraphim of Sarov, in his prayer for the dead and the living, attached special importance to the sacrificial meaning of the lamps and candles burning in his cell. In November 1831, Father Seraphim himself, in a conversation with N.A. Motovilov explained this.

“I,” Nikolai Alexandrovich said, “having seen many lamps at Father Seraphim’s place, especially many piles of wax candles... I thought to myself: “Why does Father Seraphim light so many candles and lamps, producing in his cell an unbearable heat from the warmth of the fire?” ? And he, as if silencing my thoughts, said to me:

Do you want to know, your love for God, why I light so many lamps and candles in front of the holy icons of God? This is what it's for. I have, as you know, many persons who are zealous for me and do good to my mill orphans (Diveyevo sisters - ed.). They bring me oil and candles and ask me to pray for them. When I read my rules, I remember them first once. And since, due to the many names, I will not be able to repeat them at every place of the rule where it should be, then I would not have enough time to complete my rule, then I put all these candles for them as a sacrifice to God, one candle for each , for others - for several people one large candle, for others I constantly warm lamps; and where it is necessary to remember them in the rule, I say: “Lord, remember all those people, Thy servants, for their souls I, wretched one, kindled these candles and chandeliers for Thee” (that is, lamps - ed.). And that this is not my, poor Seraphim’s, human invention, or just my simple zeal, not based on anything, then I will give you the words of Divine Scripture to support it. The Bible says that Moses heard the voice of the Lord saying to him: “Moses, Moses! Say to your brother Aaron, let him kindle fire before Me day and night: for this is acceptable before Me and the sacrifice is acceptable to Me.” So, your love for God, why has the Holy Church of God adopted the custom of lighting candils, or lamps, before the holy icons of the Lord, the Mother of God, holy Angels and holy men who have pleased God.

We light lamps in front of holy images, like a visible expression of the fire of our love for the Lord and our neighbor, from all our pure hearts. If you make a sacrifice, but do not have love for God and your neighbor in your heart, then your sacrifice to God is in vain: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). You cannot truly love the Lord without loving your loved ones.

* * *

Unfortunately, today many do not know the spiritual meaning of the lamp and the oil burning in it and do not attach much importance to them; and therefore they do not hesitate to use cheap, low-quality oil for lamps, made from various mixtures, flavored with perfume additives that hide the unpleasant smell of these surrogates. Today, such oil is often called “wooden” oil, although it has nothing to do with olive oil. The original true meaning of “wood oil” has almost been lost, and the name began to be used for cheap oils because of its attractiveness. The reason for this substitution is the impoverishment of faith and piety and, as a consequence, a formal attitude towards church services. The Lord called this attitude the leaven of the Pharisees(Mark 8:15). For many, a lamp is just an external attribute of a temple or home icons, an element of decoration - and nothing more.

The main argument for using bad oil is its cheapness. But we must not forget that "Oil and wax are like the most clean of substances used for combustion means purity and sincerity an offering made to glorify the holy Name of God (Ex. 27:20). Oil (oil), in particular, means the zeal of people, similar to the zeal of the wise virgins who took oil with their lamps to meet the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:3,4), i.e. it means the desire of Christians to be pleasing to God with their deeds, by life, and not by faith only (cf. Ps. 44:8)” (Manual for the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church by K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874).

What then is the zeal of people who light cheap but not pure oil in a lamp? Can their offering be called sincere and pure? To meet the Lord Jesus, will we, for reasons of economy, take lamps with bad oil, justifying ourselves by the fact that we had nothing to buy good ones with?

In the Old Testament, through the mouth of the prophet Malachi, the Lord reproached the priests for bringing an unworthy sacrifice to the holy altar: “You bring unclean bread to My altar, and say: “How do we dishonor You?” - By saying: “The Lord’s table is not worthy of respect.” And when you sacrifice a blind thing, is it not bad? or when you bring the lame and the sick, is this not bad? Offer this to your prince; Will he be pleased with you and will he accept you favorably? says the Lord of hosts. So, pray to God to have mercy on us; and when such things come from your hands, can He graciously receive you? says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 1:7–9).

Is not unclean oil the likeness of the sacrificial animal of the blind and lame? And if we choose a gift for a loved one, will we really be guided only by considerations of cheapness, and not quality?

His Eminence Nikanor, Bishop of Kherson and Odessa, said this in his teaching: « How long ago did petty selfish deceit become an acceptable sacrifice to God? How long ago has the Russian proverb “On You, God, what is worthless to me,” which captures and aptly outlines this unattractive feature of our home-grown Pharisees, lost its meaning? After all, even in the Old Testament it is commanded that it is not suitable to sacrifice to God what is not suitable for us ourselves (Lev. 22:21-22). And you, Orthodox child of the New Testament, a Christian soul, and not a Jew, bring to the altar of the Lord not an ox, not a sheep, not a goat, but only a penny candle, and even here you strive for it to be not even a penny, but a penny. Who are you deceiving, like Ananias and Sapphira? Wasn’t your existence with you?”

External fulfillment of this commandment alone cannot save a person. Not only our sacrifice itself must be pure, but our deeds and thoughts: “Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord... when you stretch out your hands, I will close my eyes from you; and when you multiply your prayers, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash yourself, make yourself clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; stop doing evil; learn to do good, seek truth, save the oppressed, defend the orphan, stand up for the widow. Then come and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they will be as white as wool” (Isa. 1:11, 15–18).

The Lord expects from His disciples, from us, Orthodox Christians, not a gift in the form of the best and most precious oil, but our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole soul, all our strength and in the Holy Spirit to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is what is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark 12:32–33).

Only in this way will we be able to achieve the Kingdom of God, the heavenly city, which “needs neither the sun nor the moon to illuminate it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23).

IV.Olive oil

Until now, we have talked about the spiritual meaning and symbolism of the burning lamp and oil, about the historical background of the ritual of lighting lamps. We found out that oil - olive oil - as a symbol of pure sacrifice to God, since ancient times, has been the only canonically established type of oil that can be used to light lamps. Today, finding olive oil in stores is not difficult; but in order not to make a mistake when choosing and purchasing, you need to know the basic characteristics of olive oil accepted in the modern world.

Nowadays, the production of olive oil is a large global industry that produces various types of this oil and uses various production methods. To help you navigate the abundance on offer, we will talk about the types of olive oil, how to distinguish high-quality oil from low-quality oil, and modern methods of its production.

Olive oil (also spruce, wood oil) is a vegetable, fatty, non-drying oil extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the olive tree (olive). The main characteristic of oil quality is acidity. This is the percentage of organic acids remaining in the oil after production and refining. Typically, the higher the acidity, the more intense the odor of the oil; the lower the acidity, the higher the quality of the oil. Depending on the stage of ripening of the olives, the color of the oil changes from golden to dark green: yellow is the color of oil from ripe fruits, green is from unripe fruits. Green oils tend to be bitter; yellow ones - practically without taste.

The olive tree (Olea europaea, olive tree) is an ancient crop native to the Middle East. This is an evergreen subtropical fruit tree 4–12 m high. The leaves are small, dark green above, silver-gray below. Olive is a drought-resistant fruit species that can withstand short-term frosts down to -15 C. It lives 300–400 years or more. Trees are known to be over 1500 years old. Productivity - 20–40 kg of fruits per tree. Archaeologists claim that the cultivation of olive trees began in the Mediterranean about six thousand years ago, hundreds of years earlier than vineyards.

Currently, the largest olive plantations are in Spain (more than 2.2 million hectares), Italy (1.5 million hectares), and Greece (0.5 million hectares). In the territory of the former USSR, olives were grown in Crimea, Transcaucasia, Turkmenistan, and Krasnodar Territory. There are about 500 varieties of olives known in the world, and about 80 in the former USSR. Today, 99% of all olive oil in the world is produced in the Mediterranean regions. Local peasants treat it with deep respect and value it even higher than another Mediterranean gift from heaven - wine. Olive trees are cared for with the same meticulous care as a good vineyard, to ensure that each harvest produces olives of the best quality. Spain ranks first in the world in olive oil production. Unlike other global olive oil exporters, Spain prohibits the production and export of olive oil mixed with other vegetable oils. This is one of the reasons for its high price on the world market.

Olive oil (especially Extra Virgen oil) is the undisputed leader among other vegetable oils in many respects. Firstly, it is rich in vitamins and is very easily digestible: the body digests it almost 100 percent, while sunflower oil is only 80 percent. The reason is the high content of oleic acid, which is necessary for the functioning of our body. Secondly, according to specialists from the Institute of Nutrition, 100 percent olive oil does not release carcinogenic substances even with repeated heat treatment, and most importantly, olive oil heals. Since ancient times, Mediterranean doctors have known about the healing properties of olives. Due to the content of mono- and polyunsaturated acids, with constant use, olive oil helps slow down the wear and tear of the body, prevent cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, hypertension, etc.), stabilize the level of cholesterol in the blood, improve digestion, and strengthen the protective functions of the skin ( treatment of ulcers, burns, other skin diseases) and stimulation of bone tissue growth.

Depending on the degree of processing of the fruits and the stages of their extraction, as well as on the quality characteristics of the product, olive oils are classified as follows: virgin oil, pressed with heat treatment and filtration (refined) and pomace oil (second pressing). .

1. Oil Extra Virgen- obtained exclusively mechanically, in which no irreversible changes occur in the composition of the oil (first cold pressed, virgin oil). The process consists only of washing, drying, and spinning in a centrifuge. Cold pressed oil Virgen most appropriate Old Testament oil;

2. Refined oil Refinado- usually obtained by refining Virgen. Refining involves rapid evaporation of oil without access to oxygen and condensation.

3. Pomace oil Pomace- oil obtained from pomace and other by-products of olives (from previous pressings), or from a mixture of oils of unknown origin (corresponds to wood oil in 19th century terminology).

Olive oil should be stored in a dry and, most importantly, dark place, at a temperature of about 20 0C in a tightly closed container. At low temperatures (from +5 C and below) it can form sediment, without compromising quality. Upon subsequent heating to room temperature, this precipitate dissolves without a trace. The authenticity of olive oil can be verified by the formation of sediment upon cooling. Oil produced between November and January may gradually become lighter during long-term (up to a year) storage - this is normal and only indicates that the oil is “living”. For extra virgin oils, the cap color on the bottle is usually green. The color of the cap on a bottle of refined olive oil is most often red, yellow or brown.

The use of extra virgin olive oil as a lamp oil, as established in the Old Testament, is the most correct approach to the sacred rite. And today there is an opportunity not to deviate from the Old Testament instructions. But historically, substitutes and counterfeits of olive oil appeared in church use already in the 19th century, partly due to the poor quality of the product supplied from abroad, partly due to the pursuit of cheapness. Various substitutes and counterfeiters are still common today. Next, we will look at how and why falsification of lamp oil occurred in Russia, as well as what are the possibilities of replacing olive oil with more affordable types of oils without compromising piety and health.

V. Adulteration of lamp oil in Russia in the 19th century

Olive oil has always come to Russia from abroad, since the weather and climatic conditions of our country do not allow it to be produced in industrial quantities. By the middle of the 19th century, more than a million pounds of wood (olive) oil were imported to Russia per year. However, it should be noted that even then this oil was of the lowest grade, had an unpleasant odor, and was absolutely unsuitable for food. Even then, three varieties of olive oil were distinguished: the highest grade - olive (Provencal superior), which was extracted by weak pressing of ripe fruits in the cold (3500 years ago it was called oil); the second grade is ordinary Provençal, obtained by hot pressing, and wooden- from the squeezed residues from the above-mentioned pressing, when heated and distilled with carbon sulphide. In fact, waste from olive oil production was used as a lamp lamp. Often this oil was diluted in the country of origin. Here is a quote from a famous literary work of the mid-19th century, characterizing low-quality wood oil: “The moon is usually made in Hamburg; and it is done very badly... A lame cooper makes it... He put a pitch rope and a part wood oil; and that’s why there’s a terrible stench all over the earth, so you need to plug your nose” (N.V. Gogol. Notes of a Madman). Thus, the decline of piety led to a change in terminology. But, despite the poor quality, the cost of even low-grade wood oil remained quite high. Thanks to the development of industry, it began to be counterfeited on a huge scale. To adulterate wood oil, vegetable oils were used: coconut, rapeseed, castor, as well as hydrocarbon mineral oils (petroleum distillates), kerosene, fish oil and lard. Sometimes a little olive oil was added to this mixture, and sometimes there was no olive oil at all.

In the Moscow region at the end of the 19th century, there were 13 large factories that produced about 840,000 pounds of adulterated wood oil per year. In addition to these factories, there were also numerous handicraft industries located in private apartments. Numerous manuals for preparing “garnished oil” at home have appeared on the market. Moscow manufacturer Davydov, who took out a patent for the production of artificial wood oil, called it “ garnished oil" It consisted of a mixture of petroleum and cheap vegetable oils and was intended to be burned in light bulbs. Gradually, the distinction between garnish and wood oil was erased, and fake “wooden garnish” oil began to penetrate into churches.

At the end of the 80s of the 19th century, the situation reached an extreme; it was necessary to take vigorous measures to supply churches with pure lamp oil. By order of the Holy Synod, in 1888, a chemical analysis of 27 samples of oil was carried out and the results were reported in the Church Gazette (Nos. 1, 2 for 1888). The diocesan authorities were asked to independently order lamp oil directly from abroad and to set up special warehouses for it in dioceses at monasteries and diocesan candle factories. But this didn't help much. Economic considerations took precedence over piety: the so-called “market economy”, which also affected the earthly part of the Church.

After the revolution of 1917, the question of lamp oil was temporarily removed, like many other questions concerning the ritual side of worship. During the Soviet period, you had to use what you could get. In a hopeless situation, in violation of all canonical requirements, petroleum oils - transformer oil, perfume oil and a number of others - were forced into church use. And about twenty years ago or a little more, they were replaced by Vaseline oil.

IN present time Once again, the opportunity arose to choose which oil and what quality to use during worship, as well as during cell prayer. Unfortunately, the reality in today's Russia is that it cannot produce its own olive oil in large quantities, and purchasing imported oil is very expensive for many. Therefore, modern Church practice offers some already established solutions on this issue. The basic principle when choosing lamp oil, in our opinion, should be the following: if funds or other reasons do not allow burning olive oil in lamps, then olive oil should be replaced with at least oil clean and high quality, at least in this respect corresponding to the instructions of Holy Scripture. And it is advisable to add a little olive oil to this oil. Of course, in everyday life you can use any oil for lamps: mineral (petroleum-based) and vegetable oil, but when choosing lamp oil for a ritual, you must buy pure and high-quality oil.

Let's consider the possibility of using other oils of plant origin as lamps.

VI. Vegetable lamp oils

Today it is sometimes suggested to use lamp oil as vegetable oils, quite widely represented on the Russian market: sunflower, corn, etc. This is not the worst solution from a canonical point of view. But due to their properties, vegetable oils quickly go out when lit in lamps, clogging the wick and forming carbon deposits on the wick. Why is this happening?

Vegetable oils fatty products are products extracted from oilseeds, which consist mainly (95–97%) of organic compounds, full esters of glycerol and fatty acids. When exposed to air, many fatty oils undergo oxidative polymerization (“dry out”), forming films. Some vegetable oils require mandatory purification to remove impurities that are harmful to human health. Thus, cotton seeds contain the poisonous pigment gossypol, which is removed by refining. Almost all of these crops belong to the category of grains. The oils extracted from them are either drying (linseed, hemp, etc.) or semi-drying (sunflower, corn, rapeseed, etc.).

Under the influence of temperature and atmospheric oxygen, they polymerize and form fine resinous substances. As they pass through the wick, particles of the resulting resins clog it, reducing the oil supply and the size of the flame. Those particles that do rise to the surface of the wick and enter the combustion zone, due to incomplete combustion, form soot, which completely cokes the wick, and the lamp goes out. Thus, these oils, being an excellent food product, are practically unsuitable as lamp oil. The same vegetable oils that do not dry out (castor, almond and some others) are not inferior in cost to olive oil.

At one time, organizations producing lamp oil tried to establish widespread sales of plant-based lamp oil in the church environment. But these undertakings failed, since most manufacturers, for economic reasons, began to sell cheap mixtures based on industrial technical oils. These oils will be discussed below.

VII. Lamp Vaseline oil

Some ruling bishops of the Local Orthodox Churches bless the use of mineral medical vaseline oil as a lamp oil (instead of olive oil), and today it occupies a leading place in use in Russia.

Medical vaseline oil (GOST 3164-78) appears to be a transparent, odorless liquid, quite viscous and thick in consistency. It is approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for external and internal use. Thanks to modern refining technologies, it is a highly purified white oil that does not contain harmful organic compounds: aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfur, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compounds. It does not contain: paraffin, water, acids, alkalis, low-boiling fractions (up to 360C). The combustion of petroleum jelly occurs with a large release of heat, hence the high flame temperature. Therefore, the vaseline oil vapor burns completely (this is evidenced by a non-smoking flame), only carbon dioxide and water vapor are formed - natural components of air. Thanks to this, when Vaseline oil burns, no soot or odor is released; it burns without soot.

When burning, the flame is even and does not go out, and the sufficiently high viscosity contributes to uniform impregnation of the wick. In practical use, Vaseline oil is convenient and economical. It does not have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes and skin, does not exhibit sensitization and allergenic properties.

Studies conducted by special medical units (Research Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Medicinal Substances, Oncology Center) have shown that medical petroleum jelly does not have a negative effect on vital organs, and does not have embryotoxic, mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. It does not accumulate in the human body and is completely eliminated from it.

The shelf life of medical vaseline oil exceeds ten years. You can even store it in non-airtight packaging. Although this oil is made from inorganic compounds (petroleum), it meets the purity requirement quite well.

This is how the now living Archbishop of Ivanovo and Kineshma Ambrosy speaks about the quality of lamp Vaseline oil: “The oil is wonderful, truly lamp oil, and fully corresponds to its purpose. This is what we testify to.”+ Archbishop. Ambrose.

Today, only three factories produce medical vaseline oil in the CIS: Yaroslavl Oil Refinery named after. DI. Mendeleev, the Samara plant "Medkhim" and the Belarusian plant "AKSO". Imported petroleum jelly is much more expensive. Its authenticity can only be accurately verified in a lamp or in a laboratory. Before the invention of electricity, oil lamps, along with candles, were lit not only in front of icons, but also to illuminate churches, many of which were installed on chandeliers. This tradition is preserved in some temples to this day, especially in those where electricity is not used for lighting at all. In this case, the convenience of Vaseline oil can hardly be overestimated. Oil (olive oil) is a sign of God's mercy towards people: it softens wounds, has a healing effect, and flavors food. Vaseline oil is also used in medical practice to treat and help with various diseases. We deliberately dwelled in such detail on Vaseline oil, because today it is the most popular lamp oil in Russia.

VIII. Substitutes and counterfeits of lamp oil in modern Russia

Purity- one of the main requirements set by the Holy Scriptures for lamp oil. But a high-quality and pure product is usually not cheap. Therefore, some manufacturers, in order to reduce costs, make cheap counterfeits of both olive and vaseline oils, and also “invent” new mixtures - as long as they burn and make a profit. In the USA, Greece, Italy and Turkey, the export of mixtures of olive oil with other vegetable oils is allowed, subject to the mandatory indication of the word MIXT on the label. All mixtures (mixes), naturally, are cheaper than 100% olive oil. Most often, the mixture contains cheap soybeans or rapeseed. Some manufacturers honestly admit this: they write the true composition on the label, albeit in small print. Others are completely silent about it. Mixed oil is easily recognized by its brownish tint, a small sediment at the bottom of the bottle or other container in which the oil is contained, and the absence of a “specific” odor. Counterfeit “wooden” lamp oil sometimes appears on sale. At best, it is made on the basis of low-grade technical olive oil with the addition of cheaper oil - vegetable or mineral based.

Medical vaseline oil is also falsified today. White technical oils are often passed off as medical oils, and sometimes they are diluted with industrial oils and softening oils for the rubber industry.

Today in church shops you can see fairly cheap lamp oils, which are a yellow, sometimes transparent liquid of low viscosity, which has an unpleasant odor (if flavorings are not added). Mostly they are cheap industrial oils or mixtures of similar cheap oils. If vaseline medical oil is an expensive product, the production of which requires a lot of time and expense, then flavored industrial oils are not much different from ordinary kerosene and should cost 2-3 times less. A reasonable person would not use such cheap mixtures based on industrial technical oils, if he knows what they are. Often the names of such oils sound quite tempting - “Plant-based lamp oil”, “Flavored”, “Wood”, there are even names of holy places. Sometimes the label indicates that the oil is made with a “petroleum jelly base.”

The All-Russian Research Institute for Oil Refining analyzed two samples of such “traditional” lamp oils based on vegetable and petroleum jelly. The official conclusion states that none of these samples meets GOST standards in terms of basic physical and chemical indicators. There was no Vaseline or vegetable base in these oils. The presence in the samples of a significant amount of organic impurities and a large amount of sulfur (which should not be present normally), altered fractional composition and low kinematic viscosity indicate that the basis of these oils is cheap petroleum oil such as industrial I-20A. And to suppress unpleasant odors, persistent aromatic compounds of synthetic origin are added to them.

It turns out that these oils burn faster than Vaseline or olive oil, but this creates soot, greasy stains on the ceiling, an unpleasant odor and allergic reactions.

In addition, the producers of such oil have not received the blessing of a single bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church to use it in lamps. Church tradition does not know aromatization lamp oil, although aromas and incense are present in other parts of the service as an obligatory element (for example, incense).

Impure, cheap oils when anointed cause allergies in many people, and eating it as food is out of the question. When burning, the smell of kerosene “breaks through” all perfume additives, this often causes people who stay near a burning lamp for a long time to feel unwell, have headaches and even poisoning, and the room is gradually filled with a suffocating stench. Bad oil causes significant damage to churches, smoking icons and frescoes, and it burns faster than good oil, so the savings here are imaginary. As a rule, such oil is slightly viscous and flammable, which can lead to a fire: lamps filled with it often spontaneously burst into flames. Recently, some oil refineries have begun producing new types of lamp oil.

The Novokuybyshevsk experimental organic synthesis plant "Volgasintez" produces the so-called "refined low-viscosity lamp oil." For some reason, some sellers call it “paraffin”. This substance is an ethylene heptomer consisting of C 14 H 28 hydrocarbons with different arrangements of the double bond along the length of the chain (tetradecenes). In fact, this chemical compound does not belong to the class of oils, but is highly purified kerosene. This is confirmed by the unacceptably low flash point in a closed crucible - 90 0 C.

Therefore, such “oil” cannot be lit in an ordinary open lamp, as this can lead to ignition of its vapors and a fire. So, in the church of St. VMC. Catherine in St. Petersburg, vapors of this “oil” flared up in the seven-branched candlestick in the altar during the service.

We emphasize that “refined low-viscosity lamp oil” produced by Volgasintez OJSC can be used due to fire hazard only in closed “Greek” lamps such as a kerosene lamp with a wick and an adjustable wheel. The oil company LUKoil is soon going to start producing lamp oil, obtained through the process of hydroisomerization of paraffin hydrocarbons. According to preliminary data, this oil will be similar in characteristics to vaseline oil.

Despite the penetration of artificial and synthetic substances into church use, the undoubted priority remains with traditional and natural substances. The significant, profound differences between traditional, natural substances used by the Church and their technical substitutes were well described by the Russian philosopher A.F. Losev: “You cannot, for example, be so insensitive as not to see the difference between stearin and wax, between kerosene and wood oil, between cologne and incense. There is something practical, useful in stearin, and also something dirty and greasy , something impudent and self-important. Wax is something touching and warm; in it is meekness and love, kindness and purity; in it is the beginning of mental prayer, invariably striving for silence and warmth of the heart. Kerosene is also impudent and ungrateful; it measures love in pounds and warmth on calories; it is spiritually unclean and stinks of stench; it is a machine and a lubricant. Just as tobacco is an incense for Satan, so kerosene is a sauce for the demon. Cologne in general exists only for hairdressers and clerks, and, perhaps, only for fashionable protodeacons. Thus, praying with a stearine candle in your hands, pouring kerosene into the lamp and perfumed yourself with cologne, can only be apostasy from the right faith. This is heresy in the true sense ... "

Choosing lamp oil

Since olive oil is an expensive product and requires the use of special floats (see about them below), some pious Christians have found a solution to this problem: they use a mixture of olive and vaseline oils in lamps or simply add a little olive oil to the vaseline oil (they mix well between themselves). It is better not to buy such a mixture, but to make it yourself - this way you will know exactly what is burning in your lamp.

Note: If, when using such a mixture, the olive oil (vegetable) content is more than 20%, then it is better to use a floating (Greek) float; if the olive oil content is less than 20%, then an ordinary metal one will do. If you buy an unfamiliar oil, pay attention to the appearance of the packaging. If it is untidy and poorly made, then there is a high probability that the quality of the oil itself will be the same. Lamp Vaseline oil should be colorless and odorless (see Chapter VI). The types of olive oil are described in detail in Chapter III.

You should especially study the label. It must indicate: the exact name of the oil, GOST or TU, oil composition, storage conditions, volume (displacement), date of manufacture, number of the hygienic certificate of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, information about the manufacturer - name and address. Large manufacturers of lamp oil have their own retail outlets. In these places you can buy oil of the expected quality at a low price. You can find out about such places of sale by calling the manufacturer at the phone number indicated on the label. It is useful to compare the quality and cost of lamp oil from different manufacturers during major Orthodox fairs and exhibitions.

At home distinguish real petroleum jelly from surrogates possible by freezing temperature. Place the butter in the freezer. Real medical oil thickens greatly at a temperature of plus 5C and freezes almost completely at a temperature of minus 16–18C. Oil on an “industrial” basis freezes much later - at minus 25–27 C.

Choosing a lamp

There are three types of lamps: hanging, standing, and mounted on special brackets at the bottom in front of the icon. The cups for lamps themselves can be either transparent (glass) or opaque (ceramics, metal). Glass lamps (glasses) usually come in red, green, blue, clear and light yellow. Blue glasses are used during fasting. Most standing lamps come without metal holders, just glass or ceramic.

Float selection

There are two types of floats: floating (in oil) and lying on the edges of the lamp (metal).

A floating float consists of three parts: a piece of cork (balsa wood), a metal plate (above the cork) and a wick impregnated with a special composition. . For lighting pure olive oil (or any other vegetable oil, as well as mixtures with a high content of it), only floating floats brought to us from Greece are suitable. In Greece, natural olive oil is widely used. And in order for the wick to pull it well, the distance between the flame and the surface of the oil must be minimal, since the very properties of natural oil do not allow it to rise high. That is why the Greek wick, sticking out of a hole in a thin tin plate, simply floats on the surface of the oil, held on to it by pieces of cork. Thus, the light of the lamp and the oil are separated from each other only by the thinnest tin plate. This device floating on the surface of the oil is called a float. This name came to us in Russia, although our modern “floats” do not float at all, but hang motionless on the edges of a lamp glass.

The main disadvantage of Greek floats is the fire hazard, since the fire is too close to the surface. To prevent fires, a little ordinary water is first poured into lamps with such floats, then oil is carefully poured into them. Water is heavier than oil and occupies the bottom of the lamp. When the oil burns out completely, the wick does not ignite, but is extinguished by water.

Choosing a wick for a recumbent float

Typically, the wick is made (or purchased) from cotton threads 10–15 cm long. The wick should move (move) fairly freely inside the hole in the float. The thicker the oil, the smaller the diameter of the wick.

When to light and extinguish a lamp

Many pious Orthodox people light lamps the entire time they are at home, some only during evening and morning prayers, and some do not extinguish the lamps at all, even when leaving home: they believe that the Lord will not allow a fire to occur from a lamp dedicated to Him or His saints. Decide for yourself what to do, in accordance with your zeal and faith.

Prayer recited when lighting a lamp

Light, O Lord, the extinguished lamp of my soul with the light of virtue and enlighten me, Your creation, Creator and Benefactor. For You are the immaterial Light of the world, accept this material offering: light and fire, and reward me with inner light to the mind and fire to the heart. Amen.

Literature

1. The Bible, or the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in the Synodal translation.
2. Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1992.
3. A guide to the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874.
4. Beloborodov V.V. Basic processes in the production of vegetable oils. M., 1966.
5. Vartov N.I. Homemade production of lamp oil. M., 1917.
6. Zhigarevich I. A. Olive culture. M., 1955.
7. The life of our venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, abbot of Pechersk.
8. The life of Elder Seraphim, Sarov monastery, hieromonk, desert dweller and recluse. Murom, 1893.
9. Losev A.F. Dialectics of myth // A.F. Losev. From early works. M. 1990.
10. Instruction for Orthodox Christians about the church candle. M., Trifonov Pechenga convent, 2002.
11. Nikitinsky Ya. Falsification of wood oil. St. Petersburg, 1888.
12. Ryumin V.V. Handicraft production of vegetable oil. St. Petersburg, 1910.
13. Sergeeva O.A. Oil: physics and metaphysics of the word (Based on the material of church and poetic texts).
14. Sosnin I.S. Homemade artisanal production of lamp oil. M., 1902.
15. Sidorov A. Preparation of lamp (burning) lighting and machine oil. St. Petersburg, 1912.
16. Uspensky N.D. Orthodox Vespers. BT. 1960, no. 1.
17. “Church Gazette” No. 1, 2 for 1888
18. Slovnic Iazyka staroslovenskeno (Lexicon Linguae Paleoslovenicae) // Praha, Academia, 1973.

Why do we light lamps in front of the shrine?

This beautiful tradition is a continuation of the Old Testament rite of lighting lamps. The Prophet Moses received the commandment to burn pure consecrated oil before the Lord. The first Christians, descended from Jews, filled this pious rite with new meaning. The fire of the lamp symbolizes the spiritual presence of Christ, who called himself the Light of the world. Later, the lighting of lamps became an integral part of the worship of the Christian Church. The quiet light of the lamps in the temple awakens reverence and tenderness in the hearts of believers. The fire of the lamp, lit both in the temple and at home in front of the icon, is a symbol of our prayer, hope and sacrifice to God.

What is oil? What kind of oil should you pour into the lamp?

Elei – edible olive oil. It is obtained from the best olives by pressing. This is ExtraVirgen oil (first cold pressed). It is the most canonical for use as lamp oil. But today we have two serious disadvantages: poor combustion without a special wick and high price. While the first problem can somehow be solved, few people can afford to deal with the second. Therefore, in Russia today, as before, the issue of replacing olive oil with other types of lamp oil that are affordable and worthy of their purpose is relevant. Over the past 100 years of its difficult history, the Russian Church has gained experience in using various oils as lamps. Vegetable oils produced in Russia (sunflower, corn, rapeseed, cottonseed, flaxseed, hemp, etc.) turned out to be unsuitable for burning in lamps. Attempts in pre-revolutionary Russia to use mineral (petroleum) oils were unsuccessful due to their low quality. Currently, believers have a wide choice - church shops are overflowing with lamp oils of various types and contents: thick and liquid, transparent and colored, scented and odorless, from plant and mineral raw materials.

Choice of oil.

First of all, you need to decide which lamp you will use - open or closed (resembling a miniature kerosene stove), because... they use oils with different properties. Since basically everyone uses classic open lamps, we will talk about them. Based on the above (as well as the types of oils listed below), we would limit the choice to just two types of lamp oil - edible olive oil and medical vaseline (mineral). Which oil, according to your diligence and capabilities, you will use in them, you choose: expensive olive oil (the most canonical), or affordable, pure and high-quality (but less canonical) - Vaseline, which appeared in everyday use several decades ago and stands out for its purity and combustion quality compared to other low-quality petroleum-based lamp oils. We would not recommend you other non-medicinal oils. It should be noted that the use of pure medical vaseline oil as a lamp is approved by the church hierarchy and is widely practiced in most parishes and monasteries. And, of course, our savvy Orthodox people found a good solution - add a little olive oil to the lamp with Vaseline oil, thereby bringing it closer to the canons.

Note!

If your lamp contains pure olive oil, or it is present in the mixture of oils in an amount of more than 20%, then for a long and even burning, you need to use a special floating float (they are mainly supplied from Greece). The disadvantage of such a float is a fire hazard. But there is a simple solution - pour a little water at the bottom of the lamp (directly into the oil) - when the oil above the water completely burns out, it will extinguish the wick.

Be careful when choosing oil for burning in the lamp! The substance being burned must be clean so as not to cause harm to health or damage to the paintings and icons in the temple.

Types of lamp oil in modern Russia.

1. Mineral oils from petroleum

1.1. Vaseline medical oil of medium viscosity (quite thick and dense)

GOST 3164-78 and its analogues (according to European and American terminology - pharmacopoeial white/paraffin oil)

The best lamp oil in terms of its performance properties (clean, long and even burning), primarily because of its ideal purity, is purified to sterility; medical preparations and injections are made from it.

1.2. Vaseline medical oils of low viscosity and density (liquid)

Oils that are good in their performance properties, inferior to thick oils only in their high oil consumption, are less economical when burning.

1.3. Cosmetic mineral oils(different viscosity and density)

They differ from vaseline medical oils in the depth of purification; in addition to lamps, they are used in creams and external ointments. They can emit a slight odor when burning and, faster than petroleum jelly, they contaminate the wick and form carbon deposits on it (you have to remove it more often, otherwise they go out).

1.4. Other poorly refined mineral oils

This group includes all other petroleum lamp oils (except for liquid paraffin oils for closed lamps). Regardless of their density and viscosity, these are the worst oils in this category and are not fit for purpose. Although outwardly they often look transparent (or almost transparent with a yellow tint), they may not have a pungent odor and do not always resemble their “brothers” from the difficult Soviet past (spindle, netoktol and other oils that are brown in color and have a pungent odor, which, for lack of the best ones were also burned in lamps) - they are the same poorly refined petroleum oils. When burning, they emit a strong odor and sometimes soot, and often burn unevenly and very quickly. There is no need to talk about carbon deposits on the wick and stains on the ceiling. Such oil, being transparent when purchased, after standing in a bright place, after a month or two will turn yellow or light brown.

Here we would include colored and flavored mineral oils, regardless of their degree of purity before coloring, since the Church does not have a tradition of aromatizing and coloring lamp oil (incense is used for this), and poor quality oil flavored with these chemical additives cannot be distinguished from good one.

2. Vegetable/organic oils (in descending order of quality):

2.1. Spruce/olive edible oil gradeExtraVirgin(first cold press)

It is the most iconic for use as lamp oil, but is expensive and requires the use of special floating wicks.

2.2. Refined olive oil and olive oils obtained from pomace

These oils, although purified using physical and chemical processes, are high-quality, fairly healthy edible oils. They are quite canonical, but still quite expensive and also require the use of special floating Greek wicks.

2.3. Other vegetable/organic edible oils

This includes all other (non-olive) oils derived from grains, nuts, herbs and plants. We would classify all of these oils as the third step from the bottom on the “pedestal of canonicity”, since they are the closest to edible olive oil.

They differ from each other in the quality of combustion, but they all burn somewhat worse than olive oil (olive oil is classified as a non-drying oil) and dry out quite quickly (become sticky and rancid). Not expensive, but also require the use of special floating Greek wicks.

2.4. All vegetable oils that have been subjected to strong physical and chemical processes to reduce costs or improve their properties necessary for ease of use in lamps.

Lampante oil (lamp or lamp oil) is an olive oil obtained chemically from olive production waste, not intended for human consumption. It is used for industrial purposes and as lamp oil. In pre-revolutionary Rus' it was called “wood oil” and was imported mainly from Greece.

Other vegetable oils that have been subjected to physical-chemical processes (most often using strong acids) to remove unsaturated fatty acids and improve their combustion. But the unfortunate producers of such lamp oils are “throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” because They position it as ancient and traditional, although it is obvious that in the old days no one could make such complex changes in the structure of matter. And the point here is not the difference between modern and ancient production, but the fact that the substances used in such production are toxic (for example, sulfuric acid). As a result, the resulting oil often becomes not only unsuitable for food, but also dangerous when anointed. Although they are trying with all their might to “improve” it - by flavoring and coloring it. Such suppliers of pseudo-traditional lamp oil produce it in small artisanal factories and cannot purify it to sterility (or rather, they can, but it will cost the same as edible olive oil). To make sure of this, ask the sellers of such oil to drink it and look at their reaction (for example, nothing bad will happen to anyone from a sip of real Vaseline oil). It costs the same as medical Vaseline, but still requires special floats. So, regarding the canonicity of such oil, draw your own conclusions, taking into account that one of the requirements for lamp oil is its purity.

3. Liquid paraffin (petroleum) oils for closed lamps. Various oil mixtures.

These oils are used mainly in closed lamps and are not suitable for ordinary lamps, since they have low viscosity and density (as a result, high consumption) and a low flash point - in open lamps such oil can spontaneously ignite and cause a fire. This oil is often sold colored. Most often, these oils are poorly purified and not sterile, burn quickly and emit an odor. Sometimes there are good quality liquid mineral oils on sale that can be burned in both open and closed lamps, but they are very expensive. Therefore, the use of this oil in traditional lamps makes no sense.

Here we would also include mixtures of vegetable and mineral oils that are not often found today, most often cheap (under certain conditions they mix well) or “Garnoe oil” (in pre-revolutionary terminology) - these are all kinds of mixtures of paraffin (petroleum) oils with various grades and types of vegetable oils with chemical additives, flavorings, etc. They can be sold on the shelves of church shops, with beautiful, sometimes pretentious, antique names on the label. As you probably already guessed, these oils, like all lamp oils made from vegetable oils, subjected to strong chemical processes, are the result of the desire to make money on tradition, wishful thinking. After all, “garnished oil” appeared as a replacement (and at the beginning, as a direct counterfeit), “wood oil,” although contaminated, but expensive, olive oil. We would classify these oils as the worst category of lamp oils.