Daily Zohar # 4820 – Vayikra – Oil in offerings

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Vayikra
Continued from previous DZ
#198
Therefore, one who sees wine in a dream can be suitable for one person and signify judgment (Din) for another. If he is a Torah scholar, it is written: “וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ” “And wine gladdens the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15), and it is also written:  “טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן” “For your love is better than wine” (Song of Songs 1:2). And this is the wine that is preserved, that brings joy to all. But if he is not a Torah scholar, it is said about him: “תְּנוּ שֵׁכָר לְאוֹבֵד וְיַיִן לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ” “Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those bitter of soul” (Proverbs 31:6), because there is another wine, which is judgment. (As explained in Pekudei, #480.) Therefore, it is appropriate to offer these elements in a korban (sacrifice) in order to remove judgment and awaken mercy—to banish the wine of the Sitra Achra (Other Side), which is judgment, and to draw in the wine of holiness, which is mercy. And so it is with all things—we must always strive to remove judgment and awaken mercy.
#199
And oil shall never be lacking from the offering, except for the Meal-Offering of Jealousy (מִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת, Minchat Kena’ot), as it is written: “לֹא יִצֹק עָלָיו שֶׁמֶן” “He shall not pour oil upon it…” (Numbers 5:15). Because in this case, mercy is not needed, since it is entirely judgment (Din). As it is written: “וְצָבְתָה בִּטְנָהּ וְנָפְלָה יְרֵכָהּ” “Her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall” (Numbers 5:27), and it is written: “Hashem shall give…” (ibid.)—a reference to Divine judgment. And upon this, it is said: “וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אִם עַל תּוֹדָה יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ” “And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, if he offers it for thanksgiving…” (Leviticus 7:11). 
Notes:
Oil is always present in offerings to draw Divine mercy, except in the Meal-Offering of Jealousy, which is entirely Din (judgment). No compassion is awakened in that offering because its purpose is to uncover truth through strict justice. This contrast highlights the unique spiritual severity of the Sotah ritual (unfaithful wife) versus the general tone of the offerings in the Temple, which aim for peace and blessing.
The Sotah procedure is described in Parashat Naso (Numbers 5:11–31).
From a Kabbalistic and moral perspective, the Sotah ritual reveals the Torah’s deep concern with shalom bayit (peace in the home). Rather than allowing suspicion to fester, the Torah provides a divine mechanism to restore trust or expose betrayal, thereby restoring clarity and peace to the relationship. Remarkably, the name of Hashem is erased during the ritual—a rare allowance in halacha—emphasizing that Hashem values peace in a marriage so highly that His holy name can be dissolved for its sake.
While the actual ritual ceased with the destruction of the Temple, its message remains powerful: truth, transparency, and divine justice are central to sacred relationships. The Sotah episode reminds us that human relationships are not merely private matters but carry spiritual consequences and must be handled with both seriousness and sanctity.

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