Learning by Example
Leora Tenenbaum, Grade 12
The source for adding one candle every day of Chanukah comes from the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat 21b where it says:
“מצות נר חנוכה נר איש וביתו… והמהדרין מן המהדרין… בית הלל אומרים מוסיף והולך”
This means that according to Halacha, every household technically only needs to light one candle on each night of Chanukah. The Gemara continues to say that those who follow the most stringent opinion follow Beit Hillel, who says that you add a new candle every night.
In an article published by Chabad.org, Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky raises an interesting question about the practice of adding a candle each night. Why with this specific mitzvah does everyone follow the המהדרין מן המהדרין approach when in many other mitzvot it is common practice to follow less strict opinions?
He answers by referencing the Gemara elsewhere where it says that the jug of oil used for the Chanukah miracle had the seal of the Kohen Gadol. This is strange because it was the responsibility of the Kohanim to make the oil in the Beit Hamikdash, not the Kohen Gadol. So, it leads us to wonder, why did this small jug of oil have the seal of the Kohen Gadol?
Rabbi Bogomilsky quotes the חידושי הרי”ם, who explains that this jug of oil indeed belonged to the Kohen Gadol who used it during his Korban – the Chavitei Kohen Gadol. As commanded in Sefer Vayikra (6:15), the Kohen Gadol was required to bring this offering of flour and oil daily. The oil used for this korban did not have to be high quality, pure olive oil as was used in lighting the Menorah. However, the Kohen Gadol in the time of Chanukah was a very holy and dedicated servant of Hashem and always chose to be mehader b’mitzvot (scrupulous in mitzvot). Therefore, he used pure olive oil for his daily korban even though this was not mandatory.
When the Chashmonaim returned to the Beit Hamikdash and finally found the single jug of oil that was not defiled by the wicked Greeks they were shocked to see that the oil inside was pure olive oil even though it had the seal of the Kohen Gadol on it. The Kohen Gadol’s passion for being mehader b’mitzvot allowed for the oil to be used in lighting the Menorah for the famous miracle of Chanukah! If he chose to perform the bare minimum of his mitzvah, the single jug of oil would have contained a lesser quality oil unfit for the Menorah, and the miracle could not have occurred.
Just as this Kohen Gadol was mehader b’mitzvot and this allowed for the miraculous lighting of the Menorah during Chanukah, we choose to walk in his footsteps by being מהדרין מן המהדרין in the lighting of the Chanukiah in our homes. This is why we follow Beit Hillel’s opinion and add a new candle every night.
I think that we can learn an incredible lesson from the Kohen Gadol that can ignite our spiritual flames on Chanukah and beyond. The Kohen Gadol felt incredibly passionate and dedicated when performing mitzvot, and so should we. We should always give it our all when performing mitzvot and self-reflect on ways that we can make our connection to Hashem stronger than it was the day before. We should be like the Kohen Gadol who chose the purest and finest of the oils for his daily offerings and serve Hashem in the best and most pure way every day of our lives. We have no idea how great the impact could be.
Chanukah: Seize the Moment
Mrs. Sarit Anstandig, Judaic Studies Teacher
One of the most celebrated questions on Chanukah is made famous by Rav Yosef Karo in his Beit Yosef commentary: why do we celebrate eight nights of Chanukah if the miracle was only for seven days? After all, the Jews had enough oil for one night, so the first night was not a miracle!
There have been countless answers offered to this famous question. The Beit Yosef himself offers three of his own answers. His first answer is that the kohanim divided the oil intended for one night into eight parts. One each day of Chanukah, one-eighth of the necessary amount of oil for one night miraculously lasted for the entire night. The Beit Yosef offers two additional answers. One possibility is that the jug of oil miraculously remained full even after filling the Menorah. Another possibility is that the oil poured into the Menorah miraculously remained there in the morning even though it had been burning for the entire night.
Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter offers a different approach. He suggests that the miracle of the oil was really only for seven days. However, the holiday of Chanukah is also celebrating the kohen that lit the Menorah. This kohen saw that he only had enough oil for one night. How hesitant he must have been to use it up! While he may have enough oil for tonight, he will have none for the nights afterwards! Yet, he decided to light the Menorah with his little bit of oil anyway. The miracle was the fact that this kohen decided to take this action even though he thought that he would eventually be left with no more oil.
Rabbi Schacter offers us to consider this lesson. Oftentimes, we may find ourselves remaining passive because we rationalize that our efforts are not worth it. Why even try if we will end up hitting a wall later on anyways? The kohen who decided to light the Menorah in spite of this demonstrated that there are times when we must take action, even if it feels like our efforts may be futile. While we all have times where we assume the worst, we may be pleasantly surprised to experience a more positive outcome.
As we light our Chanukah candles, may we not only think about the miracle of the oil, but also the actions we can take in order to make space for unforeseen opportunities. May we not be held back by our assumptions and fears but allow ourselves to enter new situations with faith and hope for a better future.
As we light our Chanukah candles, may we not only think about the miracle of the oil, but also the actions we can take in order to make space for unforeseen opportunities. May we not be held back by our assumptions and fears, but allow ourselves to enter new situations with faith and hope for a better future.
The People We Support
Yedidya Helfenbaum, Grade 11
In the story of Chanukah we see a duality of two opposing groups. We see the Maccabim fighting for what they believe, and those whose weaker beliefs were influenced and changed by the Greeks. The latter had lots of supporters, followers, and power. They were supported by the Greeks occupying Israel, and the other Jews who were influenced by Hellenism. The Maccabees with bravery and courage, fought for political and religious freedom. It all began with Matityahu sparking a revolution with the call: “whoever is for Hashem join me!” What is he asking? Are you willing to put everything on the line for this cause, or are you going to give in and support the Greeks.
Matityahu was the most impactful person in the Chanukah revolution but without his followers he would have been powerless, just a man talking, unable to take any action. As the people of Israel watched the struggle for independence unfold they had to choose who they would support: their own people, led by Matityahu or the Greeks. This is an essential message of Chanukah: who are we going to support? When Matityahu asks who is with him he is not just talking to the Jews of his time, but to the Jewish people forever.
So this Chanukah we should ask ourselves: who and what are we investing your time and effort into, is it for good or bad? Everyone has the power to change the world, and when someone does not use their power for the better the world is lacking. And when we invest for the good we all make the world a more bright and beautiful place.
Our Inner Light
Rabbi Yosef Kurtz, Judaic and General Studies
The Sfas Emes asks a question about the bracha that we say on Chanukah שעשה נסים לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה. This roughly translates to mean that we are thanking Hashem for doing miracles for our fathers in those days at this time. Why “at this time”? Would it not make more sense to thank Hashem for the miracles that were done in those days? At face value one might think that “this time” is referring to this time of year, as in we are thanking Hashem for performing the miracle of Chanukah on the 25th day of Kislev many years ago, but nonetheless this is still a strange way to word a bracha.
The Sfas Emes gives a beautiful explanation of the bracha that also gives us tremendous insight into the holiday of Chanukah. The answer begins with delving a little bit into the meaning of the original Menorah that the Moshe was instructed to build as part of the Mishkan when Bnei Yisrael were in the desert. Before Hashem commanded Moshe to build the Mishkan, He said to him “ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם, make for Me a temple and I will dwell within it”. All of the items that were placed in the Mishkan were man-made except for the Menorah. The Menorah was so complex in nature as it had to be constructed out of one solid block of gold that Betzalel and Moshe needed a miracle in order to build it. The Menorah was made by Hashem and quite literally represented the G-dly flame – the spark of Torah. When the Greeks defiled the Beis Hamikdash, we lost the ability to experience this spark. Hashem performed a miracle so that as soon as the Jewish people retook control of Yerushalayim, there would not be a day where the Jewish People did not experience this light.
Today, alas, we do not have the ability to go to the Beis Hamikdash. We can’t just walk up to Har Habayis and see the kedusha of Hashem. So, why is Chanukah even worth celebrating if this spark is now lost? The Sfas Emes points out a beautiful idea that every Jew can open a space in their heart for Hashem to dwell within. Once the Beis Hamikdash got destroyed, our hearts became our own personal Mishkan. The pasuk of ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם is still relevant today but it is up to us to open our hearts and let Hashem inside. The holiday of Chanukah, therefore, celebrates the presence of the שכינה within each and every one of us.
When we look at the menorah and reflect on the miracle of many years ago, we must also think of the miracle that takes place daily when Hashem graces us with His presence. The light of Torah is very much alive and well. Even though we are unable to travel to the Beis Hamikdash to see the light of Hashem, we have the opportunity to experience this light every day when we learn Torah and perform Mitzvos.
May we all be zoche to a Chanukah filled with the beautiful light of the שכינה and be as inspired as the Jewish People were back in the days of the very first Chanukah, בימים ההם.
