Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is among the most widely
celebrated of Jewish holidays.
It is a time for happy family gatherings around the menorah, for
children s songs and
sizzling potato latkes and games of 'dreidel'. For many of us
it brings back fond memories
of childhood, or serves to renew our sense of Jewish identity.
Yet Chanukah is rarely
appreciated for its full significance. What are its deeper teachings,
its historical orgins,
its relevance for today? Surely Chanukah means more than just
kids' parties or nostalgia
for times gone by. Your Chanukah Guide is designed to provide
the practical details as
well as some insights into the 'inner dimension' of Chanukah observance.
We hope it
serves you well.
Chanukah:
A Little Background Information
YomTov, vol. I # 57
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
Chanukah, which begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev
and lasts eight days, is known mainly for the ritual of lighting
the Menorah, an eight branched candelabra. Before we discuss this
and other rituals and observances associated with Chanukah, a
little historical background about
Chanukah is in order. Chanukah, unlike the other Rabbinically
ordained observances (Purim, the Four Fasts), is not mentioned
explicitly at all in Scripture. Even in the Talmud, there is little
discussion about Chanukah. The Gemora in the tractate of Shabbos
(21b) writes: "What is (the reason for) Chanukah? For our
Rabbis have taught 'On the 25th of Kislev, the days of Chanukah,
which are eight (start), on which eulogies and fasting are not
permitted.' - For when the Greeks entered the sanctuary of the
Temple, they made all of the oil there ritually impure (and therefore
unfit for use in the Temple). When the Hashmonean dynasty gained
the upper hand and defeated them, they searched and found only
one flask of oil on which the seal of the High Priest remained
(which indicated it was not defiled). There was only enough in
this flask to light (the Menorah in the Temple) for one day. A
miracle occurred and they were able to light (the Menorah) with
it for eight days. The next year, they established and made (these
days) a holiday, with Hallel (praises of G-d) and expressions
of thanks (to G-d)."
There are many commentators who elaborate on the Gemora. One of these is the Aruch HaShulchan. His words, which follow, add to the very general description that the Gemora offers. There are more detailed historical works which deal with the background of Chanukah. However, the general description of the Aruch HaShulchan is a good starting place for the discussion of Chanukah which will follow in later issues.
The Aruch HaShulchan (Orech Chayim 670) writes that: At the time of the Second Temple, during the reign of the wicked kings known as Antiochus, decrees were issued on the nation of Israel. These decrees had the effect of anulling the practice of the holy Jewish religion. The Jews were not permitted to study Torah or perform Mitzvos. The money of the Jews was confiscated, and the Jewish daughters were snatched. They went into the Temple where they performed improper acts and defiled the ritually pure. They pained the nation of Israel and pressured them immensely until the point where Hashem, the G-d of their forefathers, had mercy on them and saved them from the evil hands that were persecuting them. Hashem saved them through the hands of the holy and pure Hasmoneans, who were high priests, with Mattisyahu and his sons, who fought with Antiochus. The victory occurred in a way that went against the laws of nature, as the Hashmoneans, with their righteous troops, were very small in number, while Antiochus fell upon them with a great number of people, with many elephants, and with horsemen and chariots. However, Hashem favored His nation of Israel and therefore let the strong fall into the hands of the weak, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, the impure into the hands of the pure. Furthermore, those traitors from the nation of Israel who sided with Antiochus fell into the hands of those who studied Torah. Then, the name of G-d was elevated and sanctified in the world, and the light of Torah with its purity shined, and the name of the nation of Israel reached a level of great stature amongst the nations of the world .
This miracle came to a completion on the 25th day of Kislev. There was, however, another miracle. When the nation of Israel entered the Temple to purify it, all of the people were ritually impure because they came into contact with the dead during the course of the battles. A person who is impure because of contact with the dead can only become pure through a process which takes seven days. It was only after these seven days that people were able to obtain a supply of pure oil. Furthermore, it took 8 days to make the round-trip needed to obtain pure oil. Only one flask of pure oil, which still bore the unbroken seal of the High Priest, was found in the Temple. Hashem performed a miracle, and this flask of oil which should only have lasted for one day was able to be used to light the Menorah in the Temple for eight days, until which time no additional pure oil was available. We therefore have eight days on which we praise and give thanks to Hashem.
YomTov, vol. I # 58
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
In the last post, we discussed the background history of Chanukah. We mentioned that only one flask of pure oil which still bore the unbroken seal of the High Priest was found in the Temple. Hashem performed a miracle, and this flask of oil which should only have lasted for one day was able to be used to light the Menorah in the Temple for eight days, until which time no additional pure oil was available.
Therefore, we celebrate eight days of Chanukah. The Bais Yosef, a commentator on the Tur Shulchan Aruch, asks (in Orech Chayim 670) a question that has been termed by many as "The Bais Yosef's Question" on Chanukah, due to the popularity of the question which emerged becuase of the seeming simplicity of the question, the large number of answers offered to resolve the question and the discussion surrounding these answers. He asks why Chanukah is eight days long. If there was enough oil in the flask that was found to last one day, then the miracle of the oil lasting for was really only a miracle for the latter seven of the eight days. Yet, we know that we celebrate Chanukah for eight days! What is the reason behind the eight day celebration that we have?
The Bais Yosef himself offers three approaches:
Many other answers have been proposed. The P'ri Chodosh writes that we do cot celebrate the first day of Chanukah because of the miracle of the oil. We celebrate the first day in commemoration of the miraculous victory by the Jews in the wars waged against Antiochus and his troops. The Aruch HaShulchan mentions a number of reasons. He writes that the Mitzvah of Bris Milah (circumcision) was forbidden under the reign of Antiochus, and after the military victory, the Jews were once again able to openly perform this commandment. In order to commemorate the fact that we were able to resume performing this commandment which occurs on the eighth day of a baby boy's life, we have eight days of Chanukah.
Another reason he gives is that the Medrash tells us that the construction of the Mishkan (The Tabernacle, which was the equivalent of the Temple, and built while the Jews were in the desert after leaving Egypt) was completed on the 25th day of Kislev. However, the Mishkan was not "dedicated" until the month of Nissan, the month in which our forefathers were born. Hashem, in order to "make up" the loss of a holiday to the month of Kislev, caused the miracle of Chanukah and the rededication of the Temple occur in Kislev. As the dedication of the Mishkan and the beginning of he service lasted eight days, we too celebrate for eight days. In fact, the name "Chanukah" means "dedication," to allude to this aspect of the celebration. (As an aside, the name Chanukah can also be read as a combination of the two words "Chanu k'h" which means "they rested on the 25th" - an allusion to the "resting" that occurred after the Jews were victorious in their battles.)
YomTov, vol. I # 59
by Rabbi Yitzchok Pacht - guest contributor
There have been many times that oppressive nations sought to destroy the Jewish people, and we were miraculously saved from their designs. Upon two of these occasions, the Rabbis saw fit to establish an annual holiday commemorating the miraculous salvation, providing us with an opportunity to remember Hashem's kindness to us, and thank him for saving us. These holidays are Purim and Chanukah.
The Shulchan Aruch, in describing how Chanukah is observed, notes that although it is permissible, and has even become customary, to have a festive meal in honor of Chanukah, this custom is not part of the observance of Chanukah, as originally ordained by the Rabbis. Instead, Chanukah is observed in a more spiritual way, with expressions of thanks and praise of Hashem. This is in contrast to the holiday of Purim, when a meal, and the exchange of gifts of food are intrinsic to the rabbinically instituted observances of the day.
The Levush (quoted by the Mishna Berurah 670:6), explains this incongruity as follows: Purim commemorates the time that Haman, minister to King Achashverosh, enacted a decree calling for the extermination of the entire Jewish people. Had the Jews agreed to renounce their religious practices, and adopt the customs of the nation amongst which they resided, the murderous Haman would not have been satisfied, and would still have called for annihilation of the Jews. Thus, when Hashem miraculously caused Haman's fall from power, and the subsequent salvation of the Jews, it was a salvation of their physical beings; their spiritual existence was never in danger. The most appropriate way to express our thanks to Hashem for saving our physical beings is by demonstrating our freedom to enjoy the physical gifts he has provided us with.
The oppressive acts of Antiochus and the Syrian-Greeks, were of a different nature. Had the Jews agreed to abandon their own customs and beliefs, and become integrated into the Greek lifestyle, they would have been left alone. Their oppressors sought only to destroy them spiritually. And so, when Hashem granted Mattisyahu and the Hasmoneans victory over the Syrian-Greeks, he was preserving the spirituality of the Jewish nation. Our appreciation for this gift, the opportunity to serve Hashem and recognize him as our G-d, is best acknowledged through spiritual expressions of Hashem's praise.
All of our holiday-related activities on Chanukah should carry this significance with it. We should take the opportunities we are granted to praise Hashem and re-affirm our committment to Him. Indeed, as we see by Purim, even a meal, a normally mundane activity, can take on a new meaning when done with the proper intentions and thoughts. While our observance on Chanukah is mainly of a spiritual nature, we should let this holiday and all oberservances connected with it, whether physical or spiritual, be a point of inspiration to carry us through until we reach the next holiday which celebrates our physical salvation - Purim.
Chanukah:
Performances and Customs
YomTov, Vol. I, # 60
By Guest Contributor: Rabbi Chaim Glazer
The Lighting of the Menorah As mentioned in #57, one of the miracles of Chanukah occurred through the lighting of the Menorah. We therefore light a Menorah to remind us of this great miracle. Our sages have written that "All who are careful with the lighting of the Menorah will merit having sons who will be Torah scholars.
The performance of this Mitzvah on the most basic level involves the head of each household, who is to light one light for the entire household each night. A more preferable form of performance is that everyone in the household should light one light each night of Chanukah. The most preferable form, the Talmud tells us, is that the head of the household should light one light the first night, and on each additional night, one light should be added. The purpose of this is twofold: we add to the holiness of the lights by increasing their number, and by having the lights correspond to the number of days, we increase the publicity and awareness about the miracle of Chanukah.
A question is raised about the performance of this mitzvah. By all other performances, the obligation to perform the commandment is on the individual: Each person needs to take the Four Species on Sukkos, and eat Matzo on Pesach. However, on Chanukah the obligation is on the head of each household, and not on all individuals. Why is there this difference? The answer lies in what the reason is behind why we light the Chanukah Menorah. The main reason why we light the Menorah is so we can publicize the great miracle that occurred on Chanukah. This goal can be accomplished by having only the head of each household lighting the Menorah. Once a Menorah is lit in each household, and all members of the household observe these lights, there is no longer any need for anyone else to light, and therefore there is no obligation for anyone else to do so.
Foods Associated With Chanukah
There is a custom to eat dairy products and cheese on Chanukah. This custom stems from the heroism of Yehudis, of the Chashmonean family. Yehudis, a beautiful women, was taken by the leader of the Greek troops. While she was with the Greek officer, Yehudis fed him a dish cooked with cheese so he would become thirsty. Once he became thirsty, she gave him wine to drink so he would become drowsy. When he fell asleep, she took his sword and beheaded him. She then carried his head back to Jerusalem and displayed it, so that the Greek troops would become demoralized. Her plan worked, and the troops retreated.
There is a custom as well to eat foods cooked in oil. The reason for this custom is because by eating these foods, we are reminded of the miracle that occurred with the oil. Two of the most common foods associated with this custom are "Latkes", potato pancakes and "Sufganiot," which are doughnuts (or flour pancakes), both of which are fried in oil.
The Draidel - The Chanukah Top
On Chanukah, there is a custom to play with a four-sided top. (For the roots of this custom, look in the Special Edition, which you will be getting soon). There is an interesting contrast between the Draidel and the Gragger, the noisemaker used on the holiday of Purim. Both of them operate through spinning a handle. The Gragger, which has the handle on the bottom of the toy, signifies that an outpouring of prayer from below caused an uproar in the heavens above which averted the decree of destruction against the Jews. The Gragger signifies this by being a toy which is spun by us on the bottom, and makes noise up on top. On Chanukah, G-d in heaven saved the Jews out of His mercy, even though the nation of Israel had not properly repented. We therefore have a toy which we spin from the top to show that the victory occurred only because of the One above, not because we below did anything to merit the salvation.
YomTov, vol. I # 61
by Rabbi Baruch Pesach Mendelson - guest contributor
Many questions were posed, and hopefully those questions will be answered here:
One reader wanted to know about the nature of Chanukah. This reader understood that there was a large amount of assimilation at the time of Chanukah. He was under the impression that the Jews who revolted against the Greeks revolted against the assimilated Jews as well, who were then killed as part of the war waged against the Greeks. If that was the case, the reader wondered why we celebrate such a "bloody" holiday.
The answer lies in understanding that the situation was not exactly as this reader thought. The battle was not one between Orthodox and non-Orthodox, although there was a fear of mass assimilation. It was rather a fight against those who sought to insult, disrupt and destroy any and all elements of Judaism completely - the Greeks. This fight was waged on the battlefield. The only incident in which we see a Jew killed by another Jew was one involving Matisyahu. The act involving Matisyahu, while Halachicly justifiable, is still nevertheless difficult to understand, but we can at least put it in perspective by examining the scene surrounding it. The Greeks were attempting to convince Matisyahu to offer a sacrifice to their gods, which he refused to do. One Jew then publicly offered, in front of Matisyahu who was the well accepted elder and leader of the generation, to bring this sacrifice. Such an open rebellion could have swayed the entire Jewish people into following the Greeks and the Jewish religion may have then moved into oblivion. As the leader of the generation, Matisyahu understood his great responsibility and realized the utterly disastrous consequences of passivity. He therefore felt that a very strong statement had to be made. His plan was not to sway people through fear - no one was threatened further. Matisyahu showed that the Jewish people were strong and united and ready to defend the most important thing to them - their religion. In no way can that dramatic scene be equated to any modern day political assassination. When celebrating Chanukah, we should be proud of the fact that we are celebrating the continuity of our religion. Matisyahu accomplished his victory by successfully battling the Greeks on the battlefield, not by oppressing or killing those of his brethren who sided with the Greeks. Indeed, even after Matisyahu and his men were victorious, Hellenistic Jews still remained and were still vocal. Our celebration of Chanukah is a celebration of perseverance against religious persecution by our enemies - those who wished to rid the world of a religion we know as Judaism.
On to some more "technical" questions...(Some of these questions and answers are merely illustrative of general issues that arise and possible solutions. Please ask your local Rabbi for answers to your specific, and possibly fact-dependent, personal questions. -YP)
Are women obligated to light the Chanukah Menorah/Chanukiya? As a general rule, women are exempt from all time-bound positive commandments. Nevertheless, by Chanukah, since women were deeply involved in the miracle (as Yehudis, of the Chashmonean family, fed cheese and wine to a Greek governor and then killed him), they are also required to participate in the celebration. Wives, however, are exempt because we consider a husband and a wife as one, and therefore the wife's obligation is discharged when her husband lights. There are authorities that feel that girls, once their mother is not lighting, should not light as well out of respect for their mother. Rabbi M. Feinstein felt that girls should light for themselves.
If one is not going to be at home when the time for lighting arrives, what should one do? When one works and comes home later than the best possible lighting time but before his family goes to sleep, it is best for him to light upon arriving home, with a blessing.
Where does the custom of distribution of Chanukah "Gelt" (money) come from? This customs probably stems from the same source as the "draidel," the Chanukah top. During the Greek persecution, children were prevented from studying the Torah. While the children were hiding and studying the Torah, they kept a "draidel" (top) and money handy so, in the event they were discovered by the Greeks, it would appear as if they were only playing games.
A reader remembered learning that the war for Israel lasted for some years after the Temple was dedicated. If that was the case, why do we celebrate the military victory on Chanukah? The purpose of the war was to achieve religious independence. This goal had been accomplished when the Temple was recaptured, and therefore we celebrate this victory. The battles that continued after that time were defensive in nature, to prevent any relapse. Therefore, they are not celebrated.
What is a proper greeting to use to a fellow Jew on Chanukah? Two traditional greetings are "Chag Sameyach" and "A freilichin Chanukah."
Why does it seem that Chanukah is not considered as one of the more important or significant holidays? The holidays mentioned in the Torah (Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, Pesach, and Shavu'os) are regarded as more important than those holidays which are Rabbinically prescribed, of which Chanukah is one.
What do the letters on the Dreidel stand for? The letters will very depending on where you are. In the Diaspora, the letters are "nun" "gimel" "heh" "shin" which stands for "Nes gadol haya sham"- "A great miracle happened there." In Israel, the "heh" is replaced with a "peh" which stands for "poh," so that the sentence reads "A great miracle happened here." Some say that the four sides represent the four great powers that subjugated Israel: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.
What makes a Menorah/Chanukiya "kosher? " A Kosher Chanukah Menorah should have eight branches with the candle/oil holders on one level in a straight line. The Shamash, the candle used to light the others, should either be out of line or on a different level than the other eight candles. It is preferable for the Menorah to look nice (and therefore a Menorah made out of a material which soils and looks unpleasant after one use should preferably not be used) and the nicer the better!
Why is there no Megillat Chanukah (in Navi) or a Mesechet Chanukah (in Talmud)? There is a Megillas Chashmonaim which tells about the story of Chanukah. However, the miracle of Chanukah occurred after the close of the era when books were still added to the Navi. There is discussion of Chanukah in the Talmud. However, it is so small that it would get lost. (It was for this same concern that T'rai Asar, the book in Navi which really consists of 12 small books, was grouped together.) Therefore, the discussion of Chanukah was placed in the tractate of Shabbos, in the chapter concerning the Shabbos "candles."
Does Chanukah end the night that we light eight candles? As with other "day" dependent observances, we say that night proceeds day. Therefore, on the last night on Chanukah, we light eight candles, and then the next day until sunset, we continue to celebrate Chanukah by saying Hallel in the morning services and saying the special "Al HaNissim" prayer in Grace after Meals and in the Shemoneh Esrai prayer.
How was the Menorah lit in the Temple? The Menorah in the Temple had seven branches (lights). All lights were lit each time the Menorah was lit.
"Mehadrin"
An Understanding of the Concept
YomTov, vol. I # 62
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
In # 60, we mentioned that there are three levels on which the Mitzva of lighting the Chanukah candles can be fulfilled. After the basic level, which is one person lighting one light each night, there are two greater levels - the next one is referred to as "Mehadrin" and the greatest level as "Mehadrin min HaMehadrin." I would like to thank Rabbi Eli Shulman (shulman@yu1.yu.edu) for preparing the discussion that follows on the concept of "Mehadrin," and for making it available to the YomTov subscribers.
Mehadrin:
1.The Gemara in Shabbos, 21b, contains the following passage: "Our Rabbis taught [in a Baraisa]: The [basic] mitzvah of Chanuka is [that one should light] one candle for each household; those who [wish to] embellish (mehadrin) [the mitzvah light] one candle for each person; and those who [wish to] especially embellish (mehadrin min hamehadrin) [the mitzvah do as follows:] Beis Shammai say that the first day [i.e. night] he lights eight [candles], and from there on he decreases [the number of candles by one each night], but Beis Hillel say that the first day (i.e. night) he lights one [candle], and from there on he increases [the number of candles by one each night]."
2.A homeless person is not obligated to light Chanuka candles. Someone who does not own his own home, but lodges at the home of another person, is obligated; he can, however, discharge his obligation by becoming a partner in his landlord's candles by paying him some token amount for a share in them. The same applies to a traveller who is away from his own home. The Gemara (ibid, 23a) records the following teaching: "Rav Zeira said: Originally, [before I was married], when I was a lodger [during the time that I studied] at the Academy I would participate with a perutah [a small coin] with my landlord. After I married I said: Now I am certainly not required to do so, since [my wife] lights for me at home.
3.From Rav Zeira's teaching it emerges that someone who is away from home and whose wife lights on his behalf at home has fulfilled his obligation. Now, as we have already seen, those who wish to embellish the mitzvah (mehadrin) are enjoined to have a separate candle for each and every member of the household. The question arises: If someone is away from home and his wife lights for him at home, but he wishes to fulfil the embellishment of the mitzvah of mehadrin, should he light a candle for himself at his place of lodging?
[We assume, for simplicity's sake, that the traveller is only interested in fulfilling mehadrin, but not mehadrin min hamehadrin; thus, at most, he would light a single candle for himself. Obviously, if he wished to fulfil mehadrin min hamehadrin too he would also have to light additional candles for each of the nights of Chanuka that have gone by.] This question is raised by Resp. Terumas HaDeshen (101, cited by Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 677), who quotes an anonymous "great man" to the effect that the traveller need not light a candle for himself; indeed, if he does so the candle that he lights does not have the status of a Chanuka candle at all (and he would not be allowed to recite the blessing on it). This authority, writes Terumas HaDeshen, reasoned that mehadrin must be governed by the guidelines set forth in the Gemara; since this form of mehadrin finds no precedent in the Gemara it is not considered a valid expression of mehadrin.
Terumas HaDeshen himself disagrees with this ruling and holds that the husband ought to light his own candle in order to fulfil mehadrin. Beis Yosef sides with the anonymous "great man"; Rema (ibid:3) holds with Terumas HaDeshen.
4.The view of this anonymous authority and of Beis Yosef seems difficult. Were the husband at home presumably he and his wife, if they wish to fulfil mehadrin, would each light their own candle. Why shouldn't they do the same when the husband is away from home? On the contrary, the fact that the husband is away should all the more mandate that he light for himself; in any event, there certainly doesn't seem to be any less reason for him to light.
Furthermore, the rationale offered by this authority, that this type of mehadrin finds no precedent in the Gemara, is difficult as well. Surely the Gemara need not enumerate every possible situation in which the members of the household may find themselves; it should suffice that the Gemara says that every member of the household lights.
5.Pri Megadim (Mishbetzos Zahav, ibid, 1) suggests that this authority exempted the husband from mehadrin not because he is away from home but because a husband and a wife are deemed a single entity (ishto ke'gufo) and are not reckoned as separate members of the household. According to this interpretation, the husband and wife would share a single candle even when they are both at home.
Although this is, indeed, the view of Mahrshal (Resp. 85), it does not seem to be a satisfactory explanation of the view of Terumas HaDeshen's "great man". This authority argued from the fact that this form of mehadrin is not mentioned in the Gemara; but a husband and wife are simply an instance of two members of the household and should not need a special mention in the Gemara.
6.From the language of the Gemara ("one candle for each person") it is not clear whether mehadrin means that each member of the household should light a candle himself or, rather, that whoever is lighting (usually the head of the household) light as many candles as there are people in the house. For example: If there are five people in the household, does mehadrin require that each person light one candle or that the head of the household light five candles?
Rambam's position on this question is quite clear: "One who seeks to embellish the mitzvah lights as many candles as there people in the house" (Hil. Chanuka 4:1). This could not be more explicit; according to Rambam, one person lights all the candles of mehadrin.
However, Rema (Orach Chaim 671:2) writes that every member of the household should light on his/her own. The commentators discuss why Rema differs with Rambam on this point. (See Beis HaLevi, Kuntres Chanuka, 23a; Chidushei HaGriz, Hil. Chanuka; Aruch HaShulchan, ad loc.)
7.Rambam's view seems somewhat difficult. If mehadrin means that every person lights his own candle, then one can easily understand why this is deemed an embellishment of the mitzvah; the very fact that the mitzvah is not delegated to one person but is performed by each and every person on his/her own is an embellishment of the fulfilment of the mitzvah. But if the head of the household lights all the candles anyway, as Rambam holds, then what embellishment is there in having the same number of candles as there are people in the house; why is this something desirable?
The obvious answer would seem to be that the element of embellishment here lies in the multitude of candles; there is a greater "pirsumei nisa" (publication of the miracle) in having many candles than in having only one. But then why stop at the number of people in the house? Why not simply light as many candles as one can afford? What reason is there to peg the number of candles at the number of people in the house?
8.Apparently Rambam holds that while it is desirable to have many candles, it is necessary that all the candles have standing as Chanuka candles; otherwise the additional candles are mere decoration and have no halachic significance. In order to have standing as a Chanuka candle, a candle must serve to discharge a halachic obligation. The maximum number of candles that can be said to do this is the number of people in the household.
The logic of this limit is as follows: Each member of the household is by himself sufficient to obligate the house in one chanuka candle. Thus, if there are five persons living in the house, there are five obligations, each one for one chanuka candle. Of course, all these five obligations can be discharged with a single candle; indeed, that is the basic mitzvah: "One candle for each household". Still, the fact remains that the house carries five obligations. Therefore, up to five candles can have standing as chanuka candles; each candle then discharges one obligation. Any candles beyond that number are halachicly meaningless.
The logic of Rambam's position is thus apparent. Mehadrin consists of having as many candles as possible. But the maximum possible number of candles is the number of people in the household, since that is the maximum number of candles that have can have standing as chanuka candles.
(The careful reader may object that the Gemara allows for more candles than there are people in the house, in the fulfilment of mehadrin min hamehadrin, in which one adds a candle for each night that has gone by. How do these additional candles have standing as Chanuka candles? The answer is that these candles publicize the fact that the miracle grew greater each night; thus, each additional candle serves as a "pirsumei nisa" (a publication of the miracle) in its own right. Since "pirsumei nisa" is the very essence of the obligation to light Chanuka candles these additional candles automatically have the status of Chanuka candles.)
9.We are now in a position to understand the view of the "great man" of the Terumas HaDeshen. From our analysis of Rambam's view it emerges that the idea of mehadrin is not that each person should light on his own but, rather, that there should be as many candles as possible; a blaze of light, rather than a single gleam. Therefore, reasons this authority, mehadrin is only fulfilled when all of the candles are lit in a single home, forming one pageant. But if a traveller's wife lights for him at home and he lights again for himself at his place of lodging, each candle stands alone; this, in his view, is not mehadrin at all.
10.There remains one problem to be addressed. Granted that, according to the this view, the traveller cannot fulfil mehadrin by lighting a candle in his place of lodging; as we explained, since his candle and his wife's candle are in different houses they cannot form the single pageant that is mehadrin. But let the traveller fulfil mehadrin by having his wife light two candles: one for herself and one for him? After all, Rambam states clearly that all the candles of mehadrin are lit by one person; although this is usually the master of the house, there is no reason that it could not just as well be the mistress of the house or, for that matter, any member of the household.
Furthermore, from the fact that Terumas HaDeshen takes issue with this anonymous authority and rules that the traveller is obligated to light a candle of his own in order to fulfil mehadrin, it seems that he too accepts the premise that it is the traveller who must light the candle of mehadrin for himself; his wife cannot light an extra candle for him.
We must conclude that, in fact, both the Terumas HaDeshen and his "great man" do not follow Rambam; in their view, each of the candles of mehadrin should be lit by the member of the household whom it represents, not by the head of the household. Thus, this responsa of the Terumas HaDeshen is a source for Rema who, as we have seen, also differs with Rambam on this point and rules that, in order to fulfil mehadrin, each member of the household should light his own candle.
This does not contradict our premise that the Terumas HaDeshen's "great man" agrees with Rambam that the idea of mehadrin is to have as many candles as possible. This authority, however, holds that since, in the final analysis, each candle represents the obligation of a different member of the household, as we explained earlier, it is that person's obligation that is being discharged with that candle and he should light it himself, rather than delegate the lighting to the head of the household, under the general principle that a mitzvah should not be delegated, where possible (see Kidushin, 41a). Rambam apparently holds that the entire household's obligation is discharged collectively with all of the candles.
11.Rema (671:7) rules that, for reasons unrelated to our discussion, it is preferable that each member of the household light in a different place in the house. In the light of the above, this ruling is consistent with the fact that Rema himself (677:3) holds with Terumas HaDeshen that a lodger should light a candle on his own in order to fulfil mehadrin; in this view, mehadrin can be fulfilled with candles that are distant from each other, or even in different houses. But, as we have seen, in the view of Beis Yosef and of Terumas HaDeshen's anonymous great man, all of the candles of mehadrin need to form a single spectacle and cannot be lit in separate houses; it seems logical that, in this view, the candles of mehadrin should lit together.
Chanukah and Olive Oil:
Lessons in Devotion
YomTov, vol. II # 22
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
One of the main rituals associated with
Chanukah, which begins at sunset on December 3 1999, is
the lighting of the Menorah. The Menorah,
an eight branched candelabra, is lit to commemorate the
great miracle which occurred at the time
of the Maccabees: a flask of oil which could only last for
one day miraculously lasted for eight days.
(See vol. I: 57-62 for further information.) The Aruch
HaShulchan (Orech Chayim 673:1) writes that
it is preferable to use olive oil when lighting the
Menorah because it is easily drawn into
the wick, its light burns clearly, and the miracle of
Chanukah happened with olive oil.
There is another aspect to olive oil
that makes it an appropriate choice for use on Chanukah. The
Medrash Rabba (Vayikra 31:10), when discussing
the use of olive oil for the Menorah in the
Mishkan (Tabernacle), mentions a parable.
"Rav Avin said 'It is comparable to a king whose legions
rebelled against him. However, one of his
legions remained faithful and did not rebel. The king said
that this legion that did not rebel, from
them I will take for my rulers and governors.' So did Hashem
say - This olive brought light to the world
in the time of Noach, as we see 'the dove came...and it had
an olive branch in its mouth."
The Rada"l explains when exactly
the olive did not "rebel" against G-d, thus earning
it a special
place in history. In the time of Noach,
the entire world was corrupt. The Talmud Yerushalmi
explains that not only did mankind engage
in immoral, base, and corrupt behavior; the animal and
plant world did as well. One specie of animal
tried to breed with a different one, and one type of
plant attempted to "graft" itself
to other forms of vegetation. The only plant that withstood the
corruption that permeated the entire world
at that time was the olive tree. It remained pure. It
withstood the pressures to engage in the
perverse behavior that was in vogue at the time. The olive
remained faithful to the world order as
G-d created it, and for that reason, it is considered the "legion
that did not rebel." Because it remained
faithful to G-d, the olive was chosen to be the sign of rebirth
and renewal after the flood. It was chosen
to be the source for light in the holiest place in the world.
It was chosen to be the source of light
for generations to come.
Chanukah is a holiday on which we celebrate
our freedom from religious oppression. The
Syrian-Greeks' oppression of the Jews was
not physical. They did not want to annihilate the Jews.
They did, however, want to annihilate Judaism.
They applied what ever pressure they could to
"convince" the Jews to abandon
the ways of their fathers. Many Jews indeed succumbed to this
pressure. Hellenism made inroads in to the
Jewish communities. At times, the pressure to give in to
popular culture was overwhelming. Ultimately,
the Jews withstood this pressure and fought with all
their might against it. The Jews were victorious.
Today, all that we know of the Syrian-Greeks is
from history books, while Judaism lives
on. When we look at the olive oil burning bright on
Chanukah, we should be reminded that the
olive is a symbol of the fortitude our forefathers had.
The olive withstood the pressure to deviate
from the word of G-d. Our forefathers at the time of
Chanukah withstood the pressure to deviate
from the word of G-d. We should allow the light of the
olive oil to inspire us to stand steadfast
against the pressure, what ever it may be, to deviate from the
word of G-d.
hanukah - The Triumph of Quality Over Quantity
YomTov, vol. II # 23
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
There is a famous question posed by the
Bais Yosef regarding how many days of Chanukah we
celebrate: If the oil the Maccabess found
was sufficient to last one day in the Menorah, and the oil
miraculously lasted eight days, the miracle,
then, only occurred on seven days. Why then is
Chanukah celebrated for eight days? (See
vol. I # 58 for further discussion of this question and
answers given.)
One answer to this question is put forth
by the Ta"z (Orech Chayim 670:1). On the first day the
Menorah was lit, there was enough oil put
in each branch of the Menorah to last one day. However,
not all of the oil was consumed on that
first day. The oil did last for the next eight days. Therefore,
being that all the oil was not consumed
on the first day as it should have, a miracle occurred on the
first day as well. Hence, we appropriately
celebrate Chanukah for eight days.
In the "Klei Chemdah" (VaYakhel
p.157), we find an interesting question regarding this answer
of
the Ta"z. It appears that the miracle
the Ta"z is describing is one of replenishment: the oil,
as it
burned, miraculously replenished itself.
Therefore, there was enough oil to last the entire eight days.
There is a problem with this oil. The Torah
explicitly describes what type of oil is to be used in the
Menorah: pure olive oil, pressed, for lighting....
This is the only oil that can be used in the Menorah
and the only type of oil upon which a blessing
is allowed. However, this is not the oil that was in the
Menorah. The oil in the Menorah was "miracle
oil." It looked like olive oil. It burnt like olive oil.
It
"came" from olive oil. However,
practically speaking, it was not olive oil. That being the case,
a
question is readily apparent: How could
the Menorah be lit for the last seven days with oil that was
not permitted for this purpose?
The answer, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik says,
is that the oil in the Menorah did not replenish itself each
day. The miracle was that the quality of
the oil improved to an unnatural degree of efficiency. The
oil's quality was so greatly improved that
only a fraction of the amount usually needed to last a day
was actually consumed on the first day.
This explanation answers the problems posed. First, a
miracle did occur on all eight days. Because
the quality of the oil was miraculously improved, the oil
burnt more efficiently on the first day
as well. Second, the oil that was used was not "miracle"
oil. It
was the same pure olive oil that had been
found and used on the first day. The reason why the oil
lasted for eight days instead of one is
because the oil burnt more efficiently, not because the oil
miraculously replenished itself.
The fact that the miracle occurred in
a qualitative fashion fits in with the theme of Chanukah. The
prayer "Al HaNissim" which is
recited on Chanukah reads "You handed over the mighty to
the
weak, the large in number to the small,
the impure to the pure, the evil to the righteous, the wanton
into the hands of those involve themselves
in your Torah." The author of this prayer highlights the
qualities of the nation of Israel and the
Syrian Greeks, who battled each other. The Syrian Greeks
were larger in number. They were stronger.
They were warriors. They should have won the war.
They were of a larger quantity than the
Jews. However, they lost the war to the Jews. The Jews were
pure. They were righteous. They were students
of the Torah. They were of a greater quality than
their opponents. The victory of the Jews
represents a victory of quality over quantity. The miracle of
the oil involved quality overcoming the
natural bounds of quantity. Chanukah is a holiday which is
based on the superiority of quality over
quantity. It is this lesson which should be taken to heart on
Chanukah. We should remember that when it
comes to our performance of Mitzvos, of the precepts
of the Torah, of good deeds, numbers are
not all that counts. The quality of our performance is of
extreme importance, and Chanukah attests
to the importance of quality. Chanukah should serve as
an inspiration to all of us, so that we
can all improve the quality of our deeds and the quality of our
lives.
(from Sefer Hegyonai Halacha)
Chanukah - A Postscript
YomTov , vol. II, # 24
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
One year, on a Friday afternoon during
Chanukah, Rav Shmuel from Slonim decided that he was
going to be at his teacher's house for the
lighting of the Menorah. Being that it was a Friday
afternoon and the Menorah had to be lit
before the onset of Shabbos, Rav Shmuel made all the
preparations for his own Menorah at home
before he left. That way, he figured, he would have just
enough time to rush home from his teacher's
house and light the Menorah before Shabbos.
Rav Shmuel, however, was not the only
one rushing that Friday afternoon. Rav Shmuel, known for
his hospitality, had invited many guests
to spend that Shabbos with him. One of these guests was
running late, and arrived at Rav Shmuel's
house with only minutes to spare before Shabbos. He
dropped his bags, and looked around, hoping
to find a place where he could light his Menorah. Not
only did he find a place to light, but he
found a Menorah that was all set to be lit: wicks and oil were
already in the cups, and the Menorah was
in a place where it could be seen! He assumed that Rav
Shmuel must have realized he was running
late, and prepared the Menorah for him. Quickly, he
made the blessings, lit the Menorah, and
rushed up to his room.
A few seconds later, Rav Shmuel arrived
back at home. Upon entering the room where he had
placed his Menorah, he was faced with a
surprise: his Menorah was already lit! He had no time to
prepare another Menorah before Shabbos,
and he was unable to light the Chanukah Menorah. One
might expect that Rav Shmuel was a bit upset,
to say the least. He had missed an opportunity to
perform this Mitzvah for which he had taken
extra efforts to be sure it would happen. However, Rav
Shmuel's response was just the opposite.
He said "When we make the blessing on lighting the
Menorah, we bless G-d, who has commanded
us to light the Chanukah lights. This is not the only
thing G-d has commanded us! He commanded
us to control our anger and be happy as well!" Rav
Shmuel then went to the synagogue as happy
as can be, entering the Shabbos day with the proper
frame of mind.
Holidays present us all with special
opportunities. There is increased social interaction, and
therefore more opportunity to improve our
interpersonal relationships. There are extra mitzvos and
observances, and therefore more opportunities
to improve our relationship with G-d. What we must
not forget, however, is that the special
opportunities the holiday presents are in no way a substitute
for how we are supposed to act normally.
We light the Menorah, but it should not be at the expense
of someone else's feelings. The holidays
are a time when we can take our everyday lives and imbue
them with a new level of spirituality that
will carry us higher and higher. If we can light the Menorah
and act kindly to others at the same time,
can't we just act kindly to others year round? If we can be
inspired by the devotion of the Macabees
on Chanukah, can't we carry this inspiration with us once
the holiday ends?
May the lights of Chanukah burn brightly within us all throughout the entire year!
Chag Sameyach!
YomTov, Vol. III, # 24
The Light of the Menorah, The Light of Devotion
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
Chanukah celebrates two miracles: The
victory of the Jews over their Syrian-Greek persecutors and
the ability of one small flask of oil to
remain lit in the Menorah in the Temple for eight days. (See
I:57, 58 for further background information.)
On the Shabbos during Chanukah, we usually read
the Torah portion of Miketz. In Miketz,
Yosef (Joseph) rises to power in Egypt after correctly
interpreting the dreams of two of King Pharaoh's
servants. In one of the dreams, Pharaoh's chief
butler saw a vine. The Torah (Bereshis 41:10)
relates the butler's description: "And in the vine were
three branches; and it was as though it
budded, and its blossoms shot forth; and its clusters brought
forth ripe grapes." The Ben Ish Chai
writes that this vision carries with it a message which
specifically relates to Chanukah.
Our Sages have often compared the Jewish
people, the Ben Ish Chai writes, to grape vines. One
reason for this is that the people, as vines,
are weak and delicate. However, just as the weak vines
produce sumptuous fruit, so too does the
Jewish nation bear fruit - in their performance of Mitzvos
(commandments) and study of the Torah. The
three vine branches described in the butler's dream
represent the three ingredients necessary
to properly carry out G-d's dictates contained in the Torah.
One must have his thought, his speech, and
his actions dedicated to the service of G-d. If any one of
these three elements is lacking, so too
will a person's devotion to G-d.
The threefold significance of the vine
holds true for another item as well. Our Sages compare the
performance of Mitzvos to a lamp ( "ner").
Why a lamp? In order for a lamp to function properly, it
needs three components: the lamp itself,
fuel, and a wick. Similarly, as we said, to perform a Mitzvah
properly, one's thoughts, speech, and actions
all have to be directed toward this goal. Our lighting of
the Menorah on Chanukah serves to remind
us of this lesson. When we light the Menorah, we recall
the miracle that happened in the Temple:
only one small flask of pure oil was found, and it
miraculously sufficed to keep the Menorah
lit for eight days. Why did a miracle occur through the
Menorah? G-d was sending the people of the
time a message. G-d was telling them that they
merited the miracle because their service
of G-d was complete. They dedicated every fiber of their
being to the proper service of G-d. The
Menorah, a lamp, signified this total dedication.
Before lighting the Menorah, we ready
the Menorah itself. We prepare the candles or the oil. We
prepare the wicks. We procure a flame. If
we don't have a candle or oil, we cannot light. If we do not
have some receptacle to hold the candle
or oil, we cannot light. If we do not have a flame, we cannot
light. Right before we light the Menorah,
we should step back and think: Why am I lighting this
Menorah? One should think about the mitzvah
he is about to perform. One's thoughts, speech (the
blessing), and actions (the actual lighting)
should all be focused on what is about to occur. If we
make a blessing without thinking about what
we are doing, our performance of the Mitzvah is
incomplete. The lesson of the Menorah is
a lesson in how we are to devote ourselves to the
performance of Mitzvos. The least we can
do, and a good start in applying this lesson to every
aspect of our lives, is to light the Menorah
with the same total devotion that it signifies.
YomTov, Vol. III, # 25
Chanukah, Chutzpah, and Coming Close to G-d
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
In the song Maoz Tzur that we traditionally
sing after the Chanukah candles are lit, we find the
following stanza: "Greeks gathered
against me then in the days of the Hashmoneans, they breached
the walls of my towers and defiled all the
oils." Where do we find a breaching of a wall that is of
significance?
Rav Gedalia Schorr explains that we see
in a Mishna (Midos 2:3) that in the Temple, there was a
wall in the courtyard called the Soreg.
The Mishna writes that the Greek kings breached the Soreg
in 13 places, and when the Jews rebuilt
it, the Sages decreed that the nation should bow across from
these 13 locations. Rav YomTov Heller, in
his explanation of the Mishna, explains the function of
the Soreg and why this was a specific target
of the Greeks. The Soreg delineated the area into which
non-Jews were permitted entry into the Temple.
Non-Jews were allowed to come to the Temple to
pray to G-d and to bring sacrifices, but
they could not continue past the Soreg. Only those of the
Jewish nation were permitted further, as
they carried with them a different level of spirituality,
"Kedusha." The Greeks were not
against the existence of the Holy Temple. However, they were
against any distinction made between them
or any other nation and the Jewish people. They
therefore breached the barrier placed in
the Temple specifically for that purpose.
Why were 13 prostrations established
by the Sages? Rav Schorr explains that they represent G-d's
13 Attributes of Mercy mentioned in the
Torah (Shmos 34:6-7 ) The Talmud tells us that each one
of us should try and emulate G-d. Just as
G-d is compassionate and gracious (two of the 13
attributes) so too must we be compassionate
and gracious. Each individual has the capacity to cling
to G-d, to emulate His ways to the extent
that we are like one with Him. Bowing is a sign of
submission. The Sages established the prostrations
to show that we submit ourselves to G-d, that we
try to be like Him, that we try to emulate
His 13 attributes. It was this submission that the Greeks
tried to uproot. By breaching the wall,
they tried to eradicate this special relationship and put all
on
equal footing. The Sages therefore established
that for each breach, each demonstration by the
Greeks that there was no submission to G-d,
the Jewish people should bow and display that our
special relationship with G-d does indeed
exist.
Rav Schorr continues to state that the
Greeks epitomized the trait of boldness (azus). Those who are
bold, he writes, are not willing to submit
to anyone or anything. They will not express thanks nor
gratitude, nor feel indebtedness to anyone.
It is this character trait that the Greeks tried to instill in
the Jews. By breaching the wall, they tried
to assure that the Jews would not feel any special
connection with G-d. The submission that
the Jews exemplified was diametrically opposed to the
boldness of the Greeks. The Greeks tried
to break up the relationship between the Jews and G-d.
They did not succeed.
However, it is interesting that the very
trait which led to the Hashmonean's victory against the
Greeks was that of boldness. The Mishna
(Avos 5:23) writes: One should be as bold as a leopard . .
. in order to carry out the will of your
Father in Heaven." The Chidushei HaRim explains that in
truth, the leopard has no special degree
of strength. Rather, its boldness allows it to enter situations
that others of the same strength might cower
away from. So, too, must we act in our service of G-d.
We may think that we do not have the strength
to stand up to others, to our evil inclination. The
Mishna tells us that we must allow the boldness
within us to come out and meet the challenges
which we think are beyond us head on. If
we take the initiative in our service of G-d, G-d will be
there to supply the strength we need to
succeed.
The Hashmoneans saw the boldness of the
Greeks. It was demonstrated to them vividly when the
Greeks breached the Soreg in the Temple.
The Hashmoneans knew that they were clearly not strong
enough to wage a victorious battle against
the Greeks. What they had to do was fight fire with fire.
They gathered together their boldness, and
motivated themselves to believe that they did not have to
be subjugated to the Greeks. They did not
have to answer to the Greeks. They had to fight so that
they could continue the service of G-d and
maintain their close relationship with Him. They did
fight, and because they mustered the courage
to do so, G-d helped them and they were victorious.
Chanukah is a time when we can reflect
on the relationship we have with G-d. Some time has passed
since the High Holidays. Have we stuck to
our resolutions for the new year? Have we become better
people? Have we fallen back into the same
rut we were in before Rosh HaShana? If we find that we
have not come closer to G-d and that our
emulation of G-d leaves much to be desired, we need not
become despondent. Even if we feel that
the goals which have set for ourselves our beyond our
reach, the memory of the Hashmonean's victory
is there. If we channel our boldness properly, if we
attempt to overcome unsurmountable hurdles,
G-d will be there to supply the strength we need.
"Chutzpah," can be very Jewish,
and can be very Greek. On Chanukah, we should make sure that we
remember the fortitude of the Hasmoneans,
and strengthen our relationship with G-d the same way
they did.