Tell me more ×
Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 3 down vote favorite

Why is the eighth, and last, day of Chanukah called "Zos Chanukah" and what is it significance?

share|improve this question
Can you clarify what you're asking? – Seth J Oct 24 '12 at 20:26
Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/22776 – msh210♦ Dec 13 '12 at 22:08

2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

The eighth day of Chanukah contains the Torah reading including the sum total (Numbers 7:84) of all the tribes' leaders' dedication offerings. So the phrase used is "zos chanukas hamizbeach", this was the dedication/inauguration, and the eighth day of Chanukah is then known as "zos chanukah" or "this is chanukah." It has the longest Torah reading of all 8 days.

In Hassidic thought it has significance because it's the wrap-up of the holiday, as if to say "this represents how our chanukah went this year"; in some schools of Hassidic thought it's also seen as an extra-last-last chance for final judgment from the High Holidays (something like "the verdict is written on Rosh HaShanah and sealed on Yom Kippur ... but the book isn't closed until Hoshanah Rabba, and isn't put back on the shelf until Zos Chanukah" ... however you interpret that).

share|improve this answer
see here: revach.net/article.php?id=3188 for some numerical connections to 4 time periods for Teshuva, the last one ending on the last day of Chanukah - see here as well torah.org/learning/perceptions/5761/netzavim.html – Menachem Jun 22 '12 at 8:51
I once read, and can no longer remember, a Gematria that connected the words "Zos Chanukah" to it being the last day of judgment. – Menachem Jun 22 '12 at 8:53
@Menachem See Dov's answer below. – Double AA♦ Oct 24 '12 at 18:54
@DoubleAA: It was a different gematria with the word "Zos Chanuka" itself. – Menachem Oct 24 '12 at 19:35
up vote 1 down vote

http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=4683&st=&pgnum=120&hilite=) - at the end of Yud the Bnei Yisaschar quotes a gematria linking zos chanukah to judgement.

share|improve this answer
2  
Hi Dov, welcome to Mi Yodeya! Thank you for your answer and I hope you stick around and contribute further to the site. (If you decide to expand on this answer in the future feel free to edit it.) – Double AA♦ Oct 24 '12 at 19:40

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.