Why Not French Fries?

Malka Moshkovits (Grade 10) and Ms. Racheli Peretz (Young Shlicha) 

On Chanukah, we have many customs and mitzvot, some weirder than others. Some of them make sense on a basic level, but when you think about it, they don’t make 100% sense. One of these is the custom of eating sufganiyot. Most people you ask will be able to tell you why we eat them. We eat sufganiyot because they are fried in oil, which helps us commemorate the oil miracle of the Chanukah story. Right? But french fries are fried in oil too. So are many other foods. So why specifically sufganiyot and not french fries?

Sufganiyot have a שיעור (size) that you can say ברכת מעין שלוש. You can only say that ברכה after eating a kezayit mezonot, a fruit from the seven types of Israel, or a quarter cup of wine. In this ברכה, the מזבח is mentioned, “וְעַל הַר צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדָךְ, וְעַל מִזְבָּחָךְ” and during the Chanukah story, the Jews were not able to bring קורבנות. After Hashem performed His miracles, they were able to bring קורבנות again, because they were able to rebuild the מזבח. 

By eating sufganiyot and not another oil-fried food, we are not only commemorating the miracle of the oil but we are also commemorating the miracle that they were able to rebuild the מזבח. As you eat a sufganiya this year, remember this miracle and hope that next year we will be eating these sufganiyot next to a rebuilt מזבח.

The Light of Distinction

Mrs. Rina Deutsch (Judaic Studies Teacher)

These last eight nights have flown by, each adding a little more light to the world than there was the night before. Through it all, it was the Shamash that lit the way. The first candle to be kindled, and the one that shared its own flame with every other wick it touched. The Shamash is set apart from the other eight lights, but it’s not better than them. In fact, it is meant to give of itself to them. It has a special place and a unique role among the other Chanukah lights because it is meant to light them up. 

In fact, even its placement on the Menorah itself sets the Shamash apart. It may not be in line with the other candles; above, below, in front, or behind, anything that makes it perfectly clear that the Shamash isn’t one of the other lights. It is distinct in its positioning and in its purpose. Though they are all holy, and beautiful, there is no other candle on the Menorah that can do what the Shamash can. 

This resonates on both a personal and national level. Each one of us is a Shamash in our own way. We are each unique, lovingly brought into this world by Hashem to fulfill a role, to perform a purpose no one else can. No matter what darkness may engulf us or how brightly and beautifully the other neshamot around us flicker and shine, we must never forget that we have a singular role that can only be played by us. 

Part of that role is to help kindle the lights of those around us, to raise, strengthen, encourage, comfort, and otherwise brighten the lives of the people we come in contact with. The Shamash seems to abide by Hillel’s maxim “Im ein ani li, mi li” – if I don’t fulfil my role as the only utilitarian candle, who else will – “Uk’she ani l’atzmi, mah ani?” – but if I keep my flame only for myself, what purpose do I ultimately serve. This candle is a timely reminder to never forget our power and mission, no matter how dark things may seem or how bright others shine.

On a national level, Isaiah prophesied, “It is too little that you should be My servant… I will also make you a light of nations that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth”. The Jewish people are the Shamash of the world. Our national, utilitarian role is to light the way for others to follow. We may have a special place and a unique responsibility in this world, but as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l so eloquently put it, “The way of Judaism is particular, but the concern of Judaism is universal”. 

Our place and role are not meant to elevate just us, they are meant to elevate the entire world. In the same way that the Shamash is meant to be distinct from the other candles, we must remember that the Jewish people must be distinct from the world around us as well. This isn’t an exercise in elitism but rather an understanding that if we are to play our part, we need to remember what it is. It doesn’t serve us, or anyone else for that matter, to learn everyone else’s lines and forget our own.

It is our distinction, our ability to stand with the rest of the candles of the world but in our own particular position which has ensured that more than 2000 years after the first Chanukah we continue lighting a full menorah, blazing a light out to the world saying we are still here and we will be the Shamash we are meant to be. May this Chanukah be one over which we have come to see the sparks of our personal and national light that much more clearly so we can continue to shine it for the rest of the year.

The Importance of the Miracle of Pach Hashemen

Coby Cohen (Grade 12) 

After the Jews defeated the Greeks, they went searching in the Beit Hamikdash for oil. They looked for a while, however, there was actually no need for this, as we have the halacha of טומאה הותרה בציבור. This means that the כהנים who do the Avodah in the Beit Hamikdash and the ritual objects which are used for these practices must be טהור. However, if most of the כהנים are טמא, or if the Korban itself becomes טמא, or if no oil, wine or flour which is טהור is available, we implement the halacha of טומאה הותרה בציבור, allowing us to disregard problems relating to Tumah and use impure oil. If this is so, why did the Jews need the miracle of Pach Hashemen? Why did they need to find pure oil in order to light the menorah? Why could they have not just used impure oil as the halacha states? 

The menorah in the Beit Hamikdash represents the Torah, which brings light and clarity to the world. When it comes to the foundation of the Torah, we want it to be as pure as possible. We do not take any shortcuts when dealing with the Torah. We must follow the Torah, as this is what we are commanded to do. We can not do it any other way. The Jews had to use pure oil for the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash to teach us that the Torah must be kept fully and to a certain level of purity. This means that we must always follow halachot such as Shabbat and kashrut, as there is no way out of it and no shortcuts in Judaism. 

A similar idea is said in the name of the Kotzker Rebbe, that while Tumah does not affect the Tzibur under normal circumstances, by Chanukah, since this was a new beginning and a rededication of the Beit Hamikdash, it needed to be perfectly pure without any shred of Tumah, even though it would be permitted by Jewish law. The fact that the Jews took the time to search for pure oil, Hashem deemed it appropriate to perform a miracle.

Chanukah Sameach!

The Light of Noach and the Shamash

Avishai Tebeka (Grade 11) 

Generally, Jewish holidays have a source in Tanach. Purim, Sukkot, Pesach, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot. But when looking at Chanukah, there seems to be no explicit source found. Aside from the Book of Maccabees, which is not an official part of the Tanach, are there any references to Chanukah? A second question: What is the purpose behind the shamash? We could just take a match and light the candles, why does it have to be a candle that actually joins the other candles? And why is the shamash placed either higher, lower, or to the side, if anything it should not even be part of the candles? And finally, why do we give it a name at all? 

To answer these questions I want to turn your attention to the Tikunei Zohar. The Tikunei Zohar suggests that we have a reference to Chanukah from the time of Noach, when the raven gives over the olive branch to Noach as an indication for him to leave the ark. The world of Noach was imperfect. Hashem was waiting for someone to come along and elevate the world. In that generation, however, the people were evil and did not rise to the occasion to make the world better. Chanukah teaches us that when we use olive oil (referenced by the olive branch), and we light the Chanukiah, we are really bringing down the light of improvement and perfection, the light of Torah. We add the light into this dark world which then allows a person to see all the good in him which is hidden and concealed. 

The shamash is not a halachic Chanukah candle, it is simply the instrument for us to light the menorah and fulfill an important mitzvah. The shamash resembles a helper, a leader, and an impactor. The fact that we put the fire on it first, means that it now has the potential to light all the other candles, to influence the other candles to have light as well. The shamash teaches us how to make an impact, to enlighten others. Hence the shamash is incredibly important, it helps start the mitzvah and it influences the other candles, even though it is not a mitzvah in of itself. Thus, we include it, but make it separate from all the other candles, to show that the leader is the one that stands out. Once there is a leader, there is always a name that can be attributed, which is why we give it the name shamash, meaning helper. 

This is why Chanukah has an inherited and deep relationship with the shamash. The people in the time of Noach didn’t have someone to look up to, no one to influence them. They just followed their own natural desires. Comes Noach, who was the only righteous person, the shamash, and he put the light unto the dark and evil people, to try and persuade others to do teshuvah, to save the entire world from collapsing. This is what I think Chanukah and the shamash resemble. The idea to bring that light, to be the helper and the leader in order to influence others in this dark exile, to ultimately bring Mashiach in our days.

The Blessing of Everlasting Energy

Rabbi Effie Kleinberg (’05, Past Faculty and Administrator)

Rabbi Effie Kleinberg concludes our 5781 Sparks of Light series by highlighting the connection between the establishment of Chanukah and a trait embodied by his grandfather, Mr. Howard Kleinberg z”l (Chaim ben Tzvi v’Sima), in whose memory the series is dedicated.