18
There are two explanations provided for the eight day delay in getting new ritually pure oil.
One opinion is that the oil was produced in a region that was a four day journey from Jerusalem. This is the explanation of the Ran on Shabbos 21b. The Meiri identifies the oil producing region as Tekoa.
The other opinion is that the delay was because they were ...
18
Actually, Miketz does not always fall out on Chanukah. It appears that whoever told me that was mistaken. :)
I ran some code (using my JavaScript Hebcal API) and discovered that in the 100 years from 5700-5800, Miketz is not on Chanukah 10 times. In 5703, 5706, 5710, 5730, 5733, 5737, 5757, 5761, 5781, and 5784, Miketz fell out on the 4th of Tevet, just ...
16
It seems to have been referred to this way at least as early as the time of Flavius Josephus.
See his Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 7:
Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he ...
14
Nitei Gavriel Chanuka - page 306 mentions this in the name of Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurin. Rabbi Genut at din.org.il also quotes Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurin and says it is mentioned in Chapter 19:4 in the name of the Avodas Eved M'Lomza. YUTorah.org also gives the Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurin as the source. This leads me to believe that there is no earlier ...
12
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch brings a case when one has a bowl filled with oil and places wicks around the perimeter to make a menorah. (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 139:9)
הַנֵּרוֹת, יִהְיוּ בְּשׁוּרָה אַחַת בְּשָׁוֶה, לֹא אֶחָד גָּבוֹהַּ וְאֶחָד נָמוּךְ. וְיִהְיֶה הֶפְסֵק בֵּין נֵר לְנֵר, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקָרֵב הַלַהַב שֶׁל זֶה לָזֶה וְיִהְיֶה כְּמוֹ מְדוּרָה. ...
11
At the 2014 International Bible Contest for Adults (חידון התנ"ך הבינלאומי למבוגרים תשע"ה) televised finals1, celebrated grammarian2 Dr. Avshalom Kor (אבשלום קור) posed this question among a series of short vignettes about "Ma'oz Tzur" that he presented while the next contestant was getting into place. He answered that the 'ו' preceding "his possessions" is ...
11
In the Artscroll book on Chanukah, Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm writes that while many ancient chroniclers follow the timeline of Megillas Antiochus, "most contemporary Orthodox historians" (including R' Yitzchak Isaac Halevi, author of Doros Harishonim) follow the timeline provided by I and II Maccabees. He also writes that R' Yaakov Kaminetzky concurred with this ...
11
Shulchan Aruch O.C. 672:2
שכח או הדד ולא הדליק [....] ומיהו הני מילי לכתחילה; אבל אם עבר זה הזמן ולא הדליק, מדליק והולך כל הלילה. ואם עבר כל הלילה ולא הדליק, אין לו תשלומין
If one forgot and didn't light, or purposefully didn't light [....] however, this is only lechatchila; if [the end of sunset] has passed and one didn't light, they should light for the ...
11
This question assumes that the Rishonim or Acharonim grappled with this question. Most were not aware of contemporary sources omitting this miracle, such that they would ask the question and answer it.
If you want, instead, a defense of the existence of the oil miracle, here are two.
That "II Maccabees is, as is well known, an abridgement of a five-book ...
11
The halacha is that someone must light with a ner (individual wick) and not a medurah (torch or multiple wicks). Siman תרעא in the Shulchan Aruch explains that the wicks must be separated to show individually even if all the individual wicks lead back to a central source. A camp fire is like the situation in which multiple wicks are lit, but the individual ...
10
I think an answer can be inferred from the Aruch Hashulchan's detailed discussion in 673:9-12. He sources the Tur, who says explicitly that there are two non-mitzva lights in addition to the official Chanuka lights. One is a "helper light" called the shamash and the other is an "extra" one.
The shamash is used to light the other light(s). In practice this ...
10
The Shulchan Aruch in O.C. 677:3 writes:
יש אומרים שאע"ג שמדליקין עליו בתוך ביתו, אם הוא במקום שאין בו ישראל מדליק בברכות
Some say that even though they are lighting for a person at his home, if he is in a place where there are no Jews he should light with the blessings.
The Rema adds
וכן נוהגין
And this is our practice.
This is a person who is ...
10
This immediately follows another statement of R. Kahana's, which also quoted an exegesis of R. Nasan b. Minyome's in the name of R. Tanchum. Quoting another statement from the same people is pretty common in the Bavli.
But there can be a deeper explanation also:
Tora T'mima (ad loc.) shows that the brothers must not have known that the pit had snakes and ...
9
The Darkei Moshe (Rav Moshe Isserles's commentary to the Tur) discusses this issue in OC 672 sk 3. He quotes Rabbi Menachem of Reisberg (Merseburg?) as ruling that one who missed the first night lights only one candle, as it is his first night. However, Rema eventually rules against this and in accordance with Maharil (Responsum 28) that one who missed a ...
9
The Mishna B'rura (672:6, citing Magein Avraham 672:3) writes:
If he put a lot of oil so that the flame will last longer, there is no mitzva in this. But with wax candles, there is a beautification of the mitzva when they are long. Nevertheless, one should not make them inordinately long.
The distinction between oil and wax is based on the Magein ...
9
If half an hour has passed since you lit the candles (assuming you didn't light early) then you no longer need a Shamash. You can even extinguish the candles at that point.
This is explicit in the Shulchan Aruch סימן תרעב - זמן הדלקת נר חנכה
הִלְכָּךְ צָרִיךְ לִתֵּן בָּהּ שֶׁמֶן כְּזֶה הַשִּׁעוּר, וְאִם נָתַן בָּהּ יוֹתֵר יָכוֹל לְכַבּוֹתָהּ לְאַחַר ...
9
A Chanukah Shiur by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, delivered at Moriah Synagogue, circa-1950, transcribed by Rabbi Nisson E. Shulman, explains the meaning of Chanukah and shows that Chanukah itself is basically a "hidden" celebration. We speak of the fight against the Syrian-Greeks, but that was not the main battle. As with many of the trials, tribulations ...
8
It is well know that there is a disagreement whether one should light Channuka candles at sunset or at tzet hakochavim. However, the basis for this disagreement is less known, and this I will try to clarify.
The Gemara (Shabbat 21b) states that one should light candles "mishtishka hachama". This expression appears in other places in shas as well including in ...
8
Much depends on the household of the friends. There are a variety of possible practices and traditions which you might encounter but not everyone has the exact same take on everything.
For example, if they have yet to light their Channukiah (the 9 branched candelabra) you might watch them do that and sing 3 blessings. They might say the blessings in English,...
8
Per Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul in an essay in Ohr Olam one in prison should light and make a Bracha on Chanuka candles.
See the conclusion of the essay here.
See also this, from a talk by R' Menachem Mendel Schneerson in 1978:
It is of particular importance to reach those Jews who are confined to
hospitals and prisons, and to help them to light ...
8
According to Rabbi Shlomo Fisher on ohr.edu, someone flying is exempt from lighting, because the rule is one candle per household ("נר איש וביתו;" Shabbos 21b); and if there's no one at home then there is no obligation to light.
8
The Avnei Nezer 2:500 quotes several opinions that state that one needs to have the candles lit in some sort of kli (vessel) and not just stuck onto a table. (h/t: DoubleAA) R. Shmuel Kamenetsky (Kovetz Hil. Chanukah pg. 29) also writes that one should be careful to use a kli, even if one is using wax candles that can stand by themselves.
However, R. ...
8
The reference is to Michah 5:4. The Talmud (Sukkah 52b) identifies them as King David in the middle, Adam, Seth, and Methuselah on his right, and Abraham, Jacob and Moses on his left.
8
Not precisely as you say, but the Be'er Hagolah (OC 670:3) quotes the Beis Yosef who writes that the reason is in order that it should be a reminder for them that it is forbidden to use the light from the candles.
ֽֽAs far as your bonus question, while it's quite difficult to prove a negative, but I haven't heard of any opinions that say such a thing. Also, ...
8
Most of it wasn't kept in the Beis Hamikdash and the part that was in the Bais Hamikdash was kept in hidden places.
The Rambam in Hilchas Para Aduma Perek Gimmel says
אֵין מַכְנִיסִין כְּלוּם מֵאֶפְרָהּ לְהַנִּיחוֹ בָּעֲזָרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יט ט) "וְהִנִּיחַ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה". וּשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים הָיוּ חוֹלְקִין אֶת כָּל אֶפְרָהּ אֶחָד נִתַּן ...
7
Despite the fact that everyone seems to assume you light from left to right (don't take my word for it; try a simple Google search!) there actually is a difference of opinion.
The following information is taken directly from Halachipedia (with some very minor editing by me for formatting purposes):
Maharik (Responsa 183, cited by Beit Yosef 676:5) ...
7
Although it does not list a source - Luach Davar Be'ito says (29 Kislev 5755):
המדקדקים מכינים כבר עתה את פתילות נרות החנוכה שלמחרת ליל
מוצש׳׳ק, למען ימצאון מוכנות בבואם מחר מביהכ׳׳נ ויהיו זריזים מקדימים.
Those that are careful prepare before Shabbos the Chanuka candles in order to light as soon as possible after Shabbos.
(abridged ...
7
It seems construction of the Second Temple commenced on 25 Kislev as evidenced in Chaggai 2 (particularly verses 10, 15, and 18). See these articles by Rav Yoel Bin-Nun (link, long and very thorough) and Menachem Leibtag (link, more succinct; recommended) for more discussion on the significance of this date and the connection of the prophecies there and in ...
7
This might be basic but it is quoted in almost all halachic texts.
Rambam Hilchos Channuka 3:2 ,Gemara shabbas as well.
וכשגברו ישראל על אויביהם ואבדום בכ"ה בחדש כסליו היה ונכנסו להיכל ולא מצאו שמן טהור במקדש אלא פך אחד ולא היה בו להדליק אלא יום אחד בלבד והדליקו ממנו נרות המערכה שמונה ימים עד שכתשו זיתים והוציאו שמן טהור:
When klal Yisroel gained control ...
7
Etymonline gives it as from Russian латка, "pastry", which may have come eventually from Ancient Greek ἐλαία, "olive" (or maybe it means modern Greek ελαία, "olive". I'm not sure).
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