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לֹא תֹסִפוּ עַל הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת מִצְוֹת יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם

 

Translated:

 

Do not add to the word which I command you, nor diminish from it, to observe the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של חנוכה.‏

 

Translation:

 

"Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מקרא מגלה.‏

 

Translation:

 

"Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to read the Megillah.

לֹא תֹסִפוּ עַל הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת מִצְוֹת יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם

Translated:

Do not add to the word which I command you, nor diminish from it, to observe the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של חנוכה.‏

Translation:

"Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מקרא מגלה.‏

Translation:

"Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to read the Megillah.

It says in Devarim 4;2:

Now I understand that the rabbis have the ability to make halachot that are either guards on another halacha (e.g. the concept of muktza) or interpretations of a halacha in torah (e.g. Not using electricity on shabbat, being that their was obviously no such thing as electricity when the torah was given). However Chanukah and Purrim are not guards on mitzvot, nor are they interpretations of what a mitzva means. They are entirely new mitzvot! So why don't Purim and Chanukah fall into the category of לֹא תֹסִפוּ?

There is a Gemara in brachot (27b) that says (and I'm paraphrasing) that a person who quotes his rabbi on something that he never said is causing the Shechinah to depart from the Jewish people.

The same is true for purim:

Around this time, I usually get the answer: "It says in the torah that you have to listen to the rabbis, therefor, since the torah says listen to the rabbis, and the rabbis say light candles on Chanukah, than the torah is saying light candles on Chanukah".

Now I go back to the Gemara that I quoted earlier. If it considered such a horrible thing to misquote your rabbi, thank Kal Vachomer wouldn't it be even worse to misquote G-d himself???

It says in Devarim 4:2:

Now I understand that the rabbis have the ability to make halachot that are either guards on another halacha (e.g. the concept of muktza) or interpretations of a halacha in torah (e.g. not using electricity on shabbat, being that there was obviously no such thing as electricity when the torah was given). However Chanukah and Purim are not guards on mitzvot, nor are they interpretations of what a mitzva means. They are entirely new mitzvot! So why don't Purim and Chanukah fall into the category of לֹא תֹסִפוּ?

There is a Gemara in Brachot (27b) that says (and I'm paraphrasing) that a person who quotes his rabbi on something that he never said is causing the Shechinah to depart from the Jewish people.

The same is true for Purim:

Around this time, I usually get the answer: "It says in the torah that you have to listen to the rabbis, therefor, since the torah says listen to the rabbis, and the rabbis say light candles on Chanukah, then the torah is saying light candles on Chanukah".

Now I go back to the Gemara that I quoted earlier. If it considered such a horrible thing to misquote your rabbi, than Kal Vachomer wouldn't it be even worse to misquote G-d himself???