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Chanukah Torah Study Chanukah! Hannah Arendt, from Men in Dark Times, 1968. "Dark times," in the broader sense I propose here, are as such not identical with the monstrosities of this century which indeed are of a horrible novelty. Dark times, in contrast, are not only not new, they are no rarity in history, although they were perhaps unknown in American history, which otherwise has its fair share, past and present, of crime and disaster. That even in the darkest of times we have the right to expect some illumination, and that such illumination may well come less from theories and concepts than from the uncertain, flickering, and often weak light that some men and women, in their lives and their works, will kindle under almost all circumstances and shed over the time span that was given them on earth... Eyes so used to darkness as ours will hardly be able to tell whether their light was the light of a candle or that of a blazing sun. ... Rabbi Asher Knight 1 Pirsumei Nisa (Aramaic, ‘Publicize the Miracle’) is the basis for Chanukiyot (Chanukah Menorahs) in windows, front lawns and public space everywhere. But why is it important to publicize the holiday of Chanukah? תבש ״כא ב: ׳י Shabbat 21b:10 10. The Gemara asks: What is י . אמ י נח הכו נתד ו בר נ ן כבה לכבס י ו Hanukkah, and why are lights יוימ נחד ו הכ מת נ י א יא נ ו ן לדא דפמלס kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara הב ו ן אדול עהלת נ תו הב ו ן כשש נ כ נ ס ו answers: The Sages taught in םינויו הל י לכ מטא ו לכ שהמ נ י ם -Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty fifth of Kislev, the days of בש ה י כ ל הרבגכוש כלמ ו ת יבת Hanukkah are eight. One may not שחמ ו נ א י ונוחצ ם דבק ו לוא אצמ ו eulogize on them and one may not לאא ךפ דחא לש מש ן הש י ה ומ חנ ?fast on them. What is the reason חב ו מת ו לש הכ ן לודג לוא יהה וב When the Greeks entered the לאא לדהל י ק וים דחא ענהש וב סנ Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by וקילהוד ממ נ ו מש ו נ ה םימי נשל ה touching them. And when the תרחא עבק ו ם םועואש םימי םיבוט Hasmonean monarchy overcame ללהב והואד ה them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings. Rabbi Asher Knight 2 שמ נ ה הרות , כלה תו גמ הלי חונ הכו Mishneh Torah, Scroll of Esther and ג׳:ג׳ Hanukkah 3:3 (3) Because of this, the Sages of (ג ) מוּ פִּ ְ ֵנ י ֶזה ְִינוִּהקת ִיםָמֲחכ וְֹוֹתאֶשׁבּ that same generation established וַֹהדּר ֶשׁ ִיּ ְהיוּ ַתנְשׁוֹמ ִיםָמיַּה ֵוּלָּהא that these eight days which begin on ָתִלְּחֶשׁתּ ָן כ '' ה ְִֵוְבּלסכ ְיֵימ ִשׂ ְָמהח ְוֵַהלּל the 25th of Kislev [would be] days of joy, and singing-praise, and מוּ ַ לְ ד ִ קי ִ י ן ֶןָבּה ֵוֹרתנַּה ֶֶברָבּﬠ ַﬠל ְֵיִפּחת would light lights on them in the ִיםָתַּהבּ ְָבּלכ ְָלהיַל ְוְַָיללה ְִמַמוֹתשּׁנ evening at the entrances of their יֵוֹלתַהלּ ַוֹאְלרתה ְ לוּ ְ ַ ג וֹלּת ֵסנַּה . ְִָויימם houses every night of the eight ֵאוּלּ ןֵה ִןיְָאִרקנַּה ֲחנֻ ָכּה ְוֵןה ִןיוֲּארס nights, to show and reveal the miracle. And these days are called ְֵֶדְבּפּסה ְוִַתֲﬠינת ֵייִכּמ ַהוּפּ ִרים . Hanukkah (lit. Dedication), and on ְוְַהָדַלקת ֵוֹרתנַּה ֶןָבּה ְָהוִמצ ְִֵיִמרבדּ then it is forbidden to eulogize, and פוֹס רְ ִ םי ְִַיתִכּארק ָהִלְּגַהמּ : .to fast, like the days of Purim (lit Lots). And lighting the lights on them is a commandment from the teachings of the Scribes, like Reading the Megillah (lit. Scroll). Discussion Questions 1: Which of the two miracles of Chanukah do you think is more important: 1. The victory of the Maccabean Revolt of 165 BCE against the Seleucid/ Syrian Greeks led by Antiochus Epiphanes ---OR---- 2. A one-day supply of pure, unsealed oil burning for 8 days? Why does secular culture focus so greatly on the oil aspect rather than the victory? Mishneh Torah, Scroll of Esther and שמ נ ה הרות , כלה תו גמ הלי חונ הכו Rabbi Asher Knight 3 ד׳:ז׳ Hanukkah 4:7 It is a mitzvah to place the (ז ) ֵנר ֲחנֻ ָכּה ְָהוִמצ ִיוֹחַנְּלה ַﬠל ַחֶפּת Chanukah lamp at the outside of יֵבּוֹת ִַמחוּבּץ ֶַחפַבּטּ ָוּמVַהסּ ַחֶתַלפּ ַﬠל one's house within the handbreadth ֹאלְשׂמ ָסְנִכנַּה ִתַיַלבּ ֵיְכּד ִהֶשׁתּ ְי ֶה ָהְמזוּז ,closest to [the edge of] the entrance ִָמיןִמיּ ְֵונר ֲחנֻ ָכּה ְִמֹאמשּׂל . ְִואם ָהיָה ָדּר so that the mezuzah will be to the ַבּ ֲﬠל ָהיִּ ִיוֹחנַּמ ַןוֹלַּבּח ְָהוּמכַהסּ ִלוּשׁרת ְ right and the Chanukah lamp to the left. And if he was living in an attic ִיַםבָּהר . ְֵונר ֲחנֻ ָכּה ִנֶּשׁה וֹיחִ ְָהַלְלﬠמ or second story apartment], he] ִיְםֶרֵמשׂﬠ ָהַאמּ ֹל א ָָﬠהשׂ ְכּלוּם ִיְלפ should place it in the window that is וֹניֵֶשׁא ִָנכּר : closest to the public domain. One who has placed the Chanukah lamp above twenty ells [cubits] has not done anything, because it is not recognizable [too high up]. רוציק לש ח ן רע ו ך לק ״ט:ז׳ Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 139:7 (ז ) ְַתוִמצ ֵנר ֲחנֻ ָכּה , ְיִַלקדְלה ֶַחתַבּפּ It is a mitzvah to light the (7) menorah in the doorway that opens ָוּמVַהסּ ִלוּשׁרת ְ ִיַםבָּהר , ִמשּׁוּם to the street, [public domain], in ִֵפּיסוּרמ ְ ִָנסּא , ְוָכV וּיָה וֹעשׂ ִ י ן ְַןמִבּז order to publicize the miracle; and it ָהְִנַהשׁמּ ְוְַָהָגּמרא . בוּ ַ ְ זּ ַ מ ן ֶהזַּה וָּנֶשׁא was done in this manner in the days ִיָדםר ןיֵבּ ֻוֹמָּהתא , ִיִיְקלַמד ן ִתַבּיַבּ .of the Mishnah and the Talmud Now, since we live among non- וּאֶשׁה ָדר וֹבּ . ְִואם ֶישׁ וֹל ןַחוֹלּ ִלוּשׁרת ְ Jews*, we light the menorah in the ִיַםבָּהר , ְִֵיַילקםד ָשׁם . ְִואם ָלוא , house, and if you have a window ָןִיְקלַמד ֶלֵאצ ַָחתַהפּ . מוּ צִ ְ ָ ו ה יֶשׁ נַּ ֵםיחִ facing the street, you should light it ֶַחפַבּטּ ָוּמVַהסּ ַחֶתַלפּ ְִמֹאמשּׂל , ֵאְהֶשׁתּ there; if not, you should light it near ָהְמזוּז ִָמיןִמי ְֵונר ֲחנֻ ָכּה ְִמֹאמשּׂל the door. It is a mitzvah to place the menorah within a tefach[width of , , ְִוְנמ ָצא וּאֶשה ְָֻמבבּס ְִוְֹבּתצמ . ְויוֵֹתר one's hand across] of the left side of בוֹט ִָיםחַנְּלה ַלֲלַבּח ַָחתַהפּ . the door so that the mezuzah will be on the right5If for whatever reason there is no mezuzah, the Chanukah menorah should be placed on the Rabbi Asher Knight 4 right side of the door. (Shulchan Aruch 671:7) and the Chanukah lights on the left, and in so doing you find yourself surrounded by mitzvos. It is preferable to place the menorah within the open space of the door. *Literally “Among the peoples” referring to wide-spread antisemitism and the potential difficulties that might arise by leaving a Chanukiyah outside the home. Shabbat 21b:8 states that in times of danger, one can place a Chanukah Menorah on the table to fulfill the mitzvah. Discussion Questions 2: After reading these two texts, what are your thoughts about lighting a Chanukiyah/Chanukah Menorah in public space (not necessary public land)? Does this fulfill the mitzvah of Pirsumei Nisa (‘Publicize the Miracle’) as much as lighting a Chanukiyah in one's home? Why or why not? Shabbat 23b:3 תבש ג״כ ב: ׳ג Rava said: It is obvious to me that רמא ברא שפ י אט יל רנ ויבת נור .there is a fixed list of priorities נח הכו רנ ויבת דע י ף שמ ו ם לש ו ם When a person is poor and must ויבת רנ ויבת שודיקו יה םו רנ ויבת choose between purchasing oil to light a Shabbat lamp for his home דע י ף שמ ו ם לש ו ם ויבת עב י ברא רנ or purchasing oil to light a נח הכו שודיקו יה םו המ ו שודיק יה םו Hanukkah lamp, the Shabbat lamp דע י ף דתדי ר וא אמידל רנ נח הכו .for his home takes precedence דע י ף שמ ו ם רפס ו מ י ינאס תבר ;That is due to peace in his home עאדב י א רדה שפט ה רנ נח הכו דע י ף without the light of that lamp, his family would be sitting and eating Rabbi Asher Knight 5 שמ ו ם רפס ו מ י ינאס : their meal in the dark. Similarly, if there is a conflict between acquiring oil to light a lamp for his home and wine for the sanctification [kiddush] of Shabbat day, the lamp for his home takes precedence due to peace in his home. However, Rava raised a dilemma: When the conflict is between oil for a Hanukkah lamp or wine for kiddush of Shabbat day, what is the ruling in that case? Does kiddush of Shabbat day take priority because it is frequent, i.e., it is performed every week, and there is a principle: When there is a conflict between a frequent practice and an infrequent practice, the frequent practice takes precedence? Or, perhaps the Hanukkah lamp takes precedence due to publicity of the miracle? After he raised the dilemma, he then resolved it on his own and he ruled that, in that case, the Hanukkah lamp takes precedence due to publicity of the miracle.
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