Questions tagged [chanuka]
Hanukkah, a holiday commemorating the miracles surrounding the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE
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"Sheasa nisim" after doing the mitzva
Shulchan Aruch, OC 692, says that if someone reads m'gilas Ester without reciting the benedictions before and after it then he fulfills his obligation of reading Ester. It doesn't say what to do about ...
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Heros of the Rabbanan Holidays and Ultimately losing out
Why is it that both Purim and Chanukah the heroes of their stories ended up losing out?
That is, Esther had no Jewish descendants as she married a non-Jew (though her son was Jewish according to ...
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What does the Harachaman to replace Al Hanisim accomplish
If you forget to say Al Hanisim in bentching on Chanuka or Purim, you can add the הרחמן later to make up for it (Rama 682:1). You can also do the same thing in Shemoneh Esrei, provided that you ...
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Different Chanukah Blessing for Converts?
In 139:12, Kitzur writes that when a convert lights Chanukah candles, he should say "She-asah nissim l'Yisrael" instead of "She-asah nissim lavoteinu". What is his basis for this ruling? Isn't a ...
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Sukkos and Chanukah Connection
There are many parallels between Sukkos and Chanuka:
The Gemara in Shabbos 21b gives an explanation for Beis Shammai's
opinion that one should count down candles throughout Chanukah that
it's just ...
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Is studying Greek culture a sin?
In the Hayom Yom of a few days ago, the Lubavitcher Rebbe writes,
The sins of Israel in the time of the Greeks were: Fraternizing with
the Greeks, studying their culture, profaning Shabbat and ...
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Earliest source for "Zos Chanuka"
What is the earliest source/authority to ascribe special significance to the eighth day of Chanuka?
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Does each menorah need its own shamash
I understand that I need a shamosh for my menorah
Do I need 2 shamoshes if 2 people light 2 menorahs next to each other
Sources please
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Preparing the menora [duplicate]
Is there an order in which one must prepare the oil/candles each night of Chanuka?
Last night as I was preparing the menorah one of my guests commented that while we light the newest candle first ...
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benefit from channukah light?
Can one read by electric lights, in a room where their is channuakh lights light, since inevitably his gettting some benift from the channukah lights although his main benift is from the electric.
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תדיר vs. טרחה ציבור on Rosh Chodesh Chanukah - which wins? [duplicate]
Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh & Chanukah, together. Two Sifrei Torah are taken out.
The rule of תדיר specifies that we read from Rosh Chodesh first, since Rosh Chodesh occurs more frequently than ...
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Lighting the first Chanukah candle after the first Brachah
There's an interesting way of lighting Chanukah candles that I've seen some people do. On the first night, the lighting is similar to the 'standard', wherein all three blessings are said before the ...
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Oily foods on Hanukkah (specifically olive oil?)
I have heard that there is a custom to eat oily foods on Chanukah.
What is the source for this?
Is there any source that the oily foods eaten on Hanukah need to be specifically oily from olive oil?
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Practice of avoiding saying "A Freilichin Chanukah"
A Skvere chosid told me today that his minhag and the minhag of other chassidim is not to wish anyone "A Freilichin Chanukah" because they understand it as a copy of the "Merry Christmas" greeting and ...
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Why is לְשַׁבֵּחַ pronounced leshabe'ah and not leshabacha? [duplicate]
This is the last word of the first line of Ma'oz Tzur.
I've always sung leshabe'ah but wouldn't this require a yud between the Bet and Chet?
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Where did the popular Chanuka brachos niggun develop?
What is the source for the popular niggun that is generally sung in America (and maybe elsewhere) for the brachos on lighting the Chanuka lights? How far back does this tune go? Is it an American "...
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Why Tiskabel after Hallel on Rosh Hodesh and not other weekdays of Hanukka?
Why do we say a Tiskabel kaddish after Hallel on Rosh Hodesh and only a half-kaddish after Hallel on the other weekdays of Hanukka? What is the general principle and rationale?
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What time should Chanuka candles be lit in the Southern Hemisphere?
My prayer book says The Chanukah lights should be kindled as soon as possible after nightfall. I live in Melbourne, and due to the summer solstice and daylight saving, nightfall is very late (...
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Maoz Tzur and Chanukah
The piyut Maoz Tzur mentions both Purim and Chanukah. Why then was it chosen to be said on Chanukah and not Purim? I've tried researching the subject and asking scholars but have not received a ...
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Any recommendation for educational Chanukah video?
I am looking for video clips about the Chanukah story that my kids - seven to ten years old - can watch. I thought there would be many, but it's not easy to find any good one. I prefer video in Hebrew,...
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What is the source for playing dreidel on Chanuka? [duplicate]
Is there any truth to the story that the game of dreidel played on Chanuka evolved from a similar game that Jewish children played to hide their learning of Torah from the Greeks? What is the earliest ...
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Do you need to use the same chanukia for all eight nights of Chanukah?
The answers to Do I need a menorah? say that according to some I need to use a chanukia of some sort to hold the lights. Does it need to be the same one for all eight days, or can one use different ...
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Can the Chanukah candles be lit via a timer?
Let's say someone attaches a timer to a fuse / lighter that sends a spark to light the candles. Can lighting be done automatically, or must each candle be lit by human physical action, only?
As @...
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Chanuka party on Christmas
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in Igros Moshe Even Ha'Ezer 2 #13 says (my translation):
One should not plan a simcha on a non-Jewish religious holiday. If it was planned specifically for that day because it ...
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Does each Chanukah candle need to be individually lit?
Let's say someone lit the oil and set it on fire, or lit one candle and a spark or the flame from one candle lit other candles next to it. Is this a permissible lighting or does each candle need to be ...
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Shehechiyanu when lighting in shul
The bracha Shehechiyanu is supposed to be said only once during Chanukah, namely upon the first lighting (which is usually the 1st night unless someone was unable to light on the 1st night.)
The ...
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Where does Rashi say that less than a kezayis of oil does not become impure?
Wikiyeshiva has an article in Hebrew on the question of the Beis Yosef as to why Chanukah is 8 rather than 7 days (after all they had oil for one day).
The article quotes an answer on the approach ...
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Playing dreidel according the Baal Shem Tov
I saw a video some years back from Lazer Beams (Rabbi Lazer Brody) on how to play dreidel Baal Shem Tov style. I don't remember exactly how to play, and I can't find the video again. One thing in ...
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Why does Chabad use a diagonal branched menorah?
I have seen numerous different shapes for a menorah. The simplest ones have candles in a straight line. Many have curved branches. The only general requirement that I recall reading in Kitzur Shulchan ...
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Can a Chanukah menorah share a single oil source?
All the Chanukah menorot that I have seen each have separate oil cups / holders. Would it be permissible to have a "trough" with separate cups coming out of it and each one having a separate wick, so ...
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Chashmona - The 25th stop
I have noticed in BaMidbor 33:29 that the 25th stop that the Bnei Yisroel made in the Midbor according to Sidra Mas'ei was called Chashmonah. Chanukah starts on the 25th Kislev and (besides other ...
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Is "pirsumei nissa" (publicizing the Chanukah miracle) its own mitzvah?
Is "pirsumei nissa" incidental (a "byproduct") caused by the lighting of the Chanukah candles or is it a separate mitzvah?
I ask this, because, the mitzvah of lighting candles is only in one's home. ...
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Can you translate a birchat hamitzvah before doing the action?
Can you translate a birchat hamitzvah before doing the action? I.e. for Channukah candles, can you say each bracha followed (or preceded) by its translation, and then light? What about for reading ...
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Place the Menorah above 10 tefachim?
The Shulchan Aruch 671:6 writes that one should initially place the menorah under 10 tefachim and above 3, but writes that if he lit above 10 tefachim he fulfills his obligation. The source comes from ...
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Kiddush written on the sukkah
I've seen canvas sukkot that have kiddush printed on the walls. Can you use the text to say kiddush?
Generally we can't benefit from the sukkah walls. For decorations, you can make a stipulation ...
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Is a non-Jew permitted to light the Chanukah Candles
Are there any halachic rules concerning the lighting of the Chanukah Candles by a non-Jew/gentile.
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differences of phrasing in Al hanisim: Chanuka vs. Purim
We add paragraphs to the liturgy of Chanuka and Purim, recounting the respective miracles that those holidays commemorate. We start the paragraphs as follows. Chanuka's starts:
In the days of ...
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Using someone else's Menorah
I used my brother's menorah on Chanuka , did I perform the mitzvah correctly or does the menorah have to be mine?
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Why can't we light Channukah Candles in the Day
We are commanded to light Channukah candles at night, to usher in each day of the holiday, and, if my memory serves me, we may light as long as there are people outside who can see the candles (ad ...
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Why do we celebrate Chanukah?
The more I read about Chanukah, the less I understand why we celebrate the holiday. The victory, as I understand it, was costly and very short-lived. Yes, the Temple was restored, but only to be ...
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Why is "Pirsumei Nissa" (publicizing the miracle of Chanukah) so important?
There are 3 halachot that I have located that are related to the reason of Pirsumei Nissa - publicizing the miracle of Chanukah (Undoubtedly, there must be others:
Chanukah candles must be lit in a ...
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Shabbos Chanuka - Rosh Chodesh - Torah reading mistake
Orach Chaim 684:3 says that on Shabbos Chanuka that is also Rosh Chodesh we take out three Sifrei Torah. In the first one we give six Aliyos in the Parsha of the week. In the second one we read about ...
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eternal flames and channukah
I have once heard that there was a miraculous eternally burning flame present in the Temple. I have never found the source for this midrash or its hebrew name (I thought the Ner Tamid referred to ...
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Source for lighting candles in a circle being OK b'dieved
I recently played a Chanukah quiz game with friends. One of the questions was "is it permissible to light candles in a circle". The correct answer was "yes, b'dieved". I have always heard that the ...
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חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי or חַשְׁמוֹנַאי which is correct?
Artscroll English Siddur has in the על הנסים the word as חַשְׁמוֹנַאי. The Artscroll all Hebrew Siddur has the word as חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי. Which is correct? Is there a difference in meaning if it is ...
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Any significance of Hakhel to Chanuka?
On an advertisement for the Lubavitch National Menorah lighting at the White House this year, I saw a little banner that said "Hakhel Year! Special Gathering!" or something of that sort (I don't have ...
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Cutting Chanukah Candles
I know someone who teaches a weekly Kiruv and Hebrew class and wants to light a menorah before the class, to show them how. However, this class only lasts about and hour long, so is it permissable to ...
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What should one do if the shamash burns away before the other candles?
One important reason to keep a shamash candle burning in a hanukkiah is because Hanukkah candles are not supposed to be used except for fufilling the mitzvah. The shamash candle allows one to use its ...
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Latkes with applesauce
If one eats a latke with applesauce should he make a bracha on the applesauce (is the applesauce considered tafel to the latke ? )
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For those accustomed to leaving a shamash lit, must the shamash be lit "l'shem mitzvah"?
There is a custom brought by the Rema to leave an additional candle lit during the lighting of the Menorah at Hanukkah. Does this candle need to be lit for the sake of the mitzvah, or can one use a ...
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