How Do You Shpiel Chanukah?

(10) The mishna further states: One may not decree a fast on the community on New Moons, on Hanukkah, or on Purim. And if they decreed and began a set of fasts, and only afterward realized that one of the fasts would occur on one of these days, they do not interrupt the sequence. This is the statement of Rabban Gamliel. Rabbi Meir said: Although Rabban Gamliel said that they do not interrupt the sequence, he concedes that on these days, which are days with special observances, they do not complete the fast. And similarly, when the Ninth of Av occurs on Shabbat eve, the fast is not completed and one eats before the start of Shabbat, so as not to enter Shabbat while fasting.

(1) Now Judas had heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them; And that they were men of great valour.

(2) It was told him also of their wars and noble acts which they had done among the Galatians, and how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute;

(3) And what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there;

(4) And that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place, though it were very far from them;

(5) and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, till they had discomfited them, and given them a great overthrow, so that the rest did give them tribute every year:

(6) Beside this, how they had discomfited in battle Philip, and Perseus, king of the Citims, with others that lifted up themselves against them, and had overcome them:

(7) How also Antiochus the great king of Asia, that came against them in battle, having an hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was discomfited by them;

(8) And how they took him alive, and covenanted that he and such as reigned after him should pay a great tribute, and give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,

(9) And the country of India, and Media and Lydia and of the goodliest countries, which they took of him, and gave to king Eumenes:

(10) Moreover how the Grecians had determined to come and destroy them;

(11) And that they, having knowledge thereof sent against them a certain captain, and fighting with them slew many of them, and carried away captives their wives and their children, and spoiled them,

(12) and took possession of their lands, and pulled down their strong holds, and brought them to be their servants unto this day:

(13) It was told him besides, how they destroyed and brought under their dominion all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them;

(14) But with their friends and such as relied upon them they kept amity: and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and nigh,

(15) insomuch as all that heard of their name were afraid of them:

(16) Also that, whom they would help to a kingdom, those reign; and whom again they would, they displace: finally, that they were greatly exalted:

(17) Yet for all this none of them wore a crown or was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby:

(18) Moreover how they had made for themselves a senate house, wherein three hundred and twenty men sat in council daily, consulting alway for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

(19) And that they committed their government to one man every year, who ruled over all their country, and that all were obedient to that one, and that there was neither envy nor emulation among them.

(20) In consideration of these things, Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them,

(21) And to intreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude.

(8) And from the Lord it was this, to purge the House on the same day that the nations defiled it, and it was the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev.

(9) And they celebrated the Festival to the Lord for eight days, like the festival of Sukkot, and they remembered the previous days when they celebrated of the festival of Sukkot in the mountains and in the caves, and they went out in the desolation/wildnerness, like wild beasts.

(10) And they took the willows of the brook and the branches of palm trees, they and sang a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, who gave them courage and salvation to purify the temple of his holiness.

(11) And they sent a voice in all the cities of Judah to celebrate this festival every year.

(2) I shall now, therefore, make an end here of my Antiquities; after the conclusion of which events, I began to write that account of the war; and these Antiquities contain what hath been delivered down to us from the original creation of man, until the twelfth year of the reign of Nero, as to what hath befallen the Jews, as well in Egypt as in Syria and in Palestine, and what we have suffered from the Assyrians and Babylonians, and what afflictions the Persians and Macedonians, and after them the Romans, have brought upon us; for I think I may say that I have composed this history with sufficient accuracy in all things. I have attempted to enumerate those high priests that we have had during the interval of two thousand years; I have also carried down the succession of our kings, and related their actions, and political administration, without [considerable] errors, as also the power of our monarchs; and all according to what is written in our sacred books; for this it was that I promised to do in the beginning of this history. And I am so bold as to say, now I have so completely perfected the work I proposed to myself to do, that no other person, whether he were a Jew or foreigner, had he ever so great an inclination to it, could so accurately deliver these accounts to the Greeks as is done in these books. For those of my own nation freely acknowledge that I far exceed them in the learning belonging to Jews; I have also taken a great deal of pains to obtain the learning of the Greeks, and understand the elements of the Greek language, although I have so long accustomed myself to speak our own tongue, that I cannot pronounce Greek with sufficient exactness; for our nation does not encourage those that learn the languages of many nations, and so adorn their discourses with the smoothness of their periods; because they look upon this sort of accomplishment as common, not only to all sorts of free-men, but to as many of the servants as please to learn them. But they give him the testimony of being a wise man who is fully acquainted with our laws, and is able to interpret their meaning; on which account, as there have been many who have done their endeavors with great patience to obtain this learning, there have yet hardly been so many as two or three that have succeeded therein, who were immediately well rewarded for their pains.

(7) On the twenty fifth of the month is Channuka, eight days on which one does not eulogize (8) because when the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled all the oil there. When the hand of the Hasmoneans was made strong and they defeat the Greeks, they checked (in the Temple) and only found one jar of oil sealed with the mark of the High Priest which remained undefiled. Though there was only enough in it to light for one day, a miracle occurred through it and they lit the Temple lamps from it for eight days. The following year they decreed these to be eight days of celebration....³

(60) And candles on the days of Chanukah, until they are completed.

(1) How many lamps should one light on Chanukah? It is a commandment that one light be kindled in each and every house whether it be a household with many people or a house with a single person. One who enhances the commandment should light lamps according to the number of people of the house — a lamp for each and every person, whether they are men or women. One who enhances [it] further than this and performs the commandment in the choicest manner lights a lamp for each person on the first night and continues to add one lamp on each and every night.

(2) How is this? See that [if] the people of the household were ten: On the first night, one lights ten lamps; on the second night, twenty; on the third night, thirty; until it comes out that he lights eighty lamps on the eighth night.

(3) The widespread custom in all of our cities in Spain is that all of the people of the household light one lamp on the first night. And they continue to add one lamp on each night, until it comes out that one lights eight lamps on the eighth night — whether the people of the household were many or whether it was [only] one man.

(4) A lamp with two openings can count for two people. [If] one filled a bowl with oil and spread wicks around it: If he covered it with a vessel (to fix each wick in its distinct place), each and every wick is considered a [separate] lamp. [But if] he did not cover it with a vessel, it becomes like a bonfire, and it is not even considered one lamp.

(5) We may not light Chanukah lamps before the sun sets, but rather [must light] with its setting. We do not delay [from it] or precede [it. If] one forgot, or acted wantonly, and did not light with the setting of the sun, he can light until pedestrians have left the marketplace. And how much is that time? Like a half hour or more. [If] this time passes, he may not light. And he needs to put enough oil in the lamp so that it will continue to be lit until the pedestrians have left the marketplace. [If] he lit it and it became extinguished, he is not required to light it another time. [If] it stayed lit after the pedestrians have left the marketplace — if he wanted to extinguish it or take it away, he may do [so].

(6) All oils and all wicks are fit for the Chanukah lamp — even if the oils are not drawn well by the wicks or the fire does not sit well on those wicks. And even on Shabbat night that is during Chanukah, it is permissible to light with oils and wicks with which it is forbidden to light on Shabbat. For it is forbidden to use [the light of] the Chanukah lamp — whether on Shabbat or on [a weekday]. And it is forbidden even to check coins or to count them with its light.

(7) It is a commandment to place the Chanukah lamp at the entrance of one's house from the outside within the handbreadth adjacent to [the edge of] the entrance, so that the mezuzah will be to the right and the Chanukah lamp to the left. And if he was living in an attic, he places it in the window that is adjacent to the public domain. One who has placed the Chanukah lamp above twenty ells has not done anything, because it is not recognizable.

(8) In times of danger, one places the Chanukah light within his house inside. And even if he places it on his table, it is enough for it. But there needs to be another lamp inside the house to use for its light. And if there was a bonfire there, he does not need another lamp. But if he was an important man the way of whom is not to use a bonfire [for light], he needs another lamp.

(9) [In a case of] a Chanukah lamp that was lit by a deaf-mute, a mentally incapacitated person, a minor or an idolater: He has not done anything until one who is obligated in lighting has lit it. [If] one lit it inside, took it lit outside and placed it at the entrance of his house — he has not done anything until he lights it in its place. One who held the lamp in his hand and stands has not done anything; for the viewer will say he is standing for his needs. [In a case of] a lantern that was lit the whole entire day: At the conclusion of Shabbat, he should extinguish it, recite the blessing and light it. For the lighting is the commandment, and not the placement. And it is permissible to light a Chanukah lamp from [another] Chanukah lamp.

(1) On the 25th of Kislev (start) the eight days of Hanukkah, and they are prohibited for eulogizing and fasting, but are permitted for doing work. The women have made it a custom not to do work while the candles are burning. And there is [an opinion] that says that we may not be lenient for them.

(2) The many meals which we add on [these days] are voluntary meals, since [the Sages] did not establish them as [days of] feasting and joy. Rem"a: But some say that there is somewhat of a mitzvah in adding meals, because during those days was the Dedication of the Altar (Abraham Kara of Prague). It is the custom to recite hymns and songs of praise during the feasts added on them, and then they are mitzvah meals (Book of Customs). Some say that cheese should be eaten during Hanukkah, because a miracle was done though milk which Yehudit fed the enemy. (Kol Bo and Nissim of Gerona).

(3) R’ Elazar of Worms says in his work ‘the Rokeach’ that the thirty-six candles we light on Hannukah parallel the thirty-six hours for which the original light of the six days of creation shone, before it was hidden away. If this is so, then it appears that each Hannukah candle draws from the or haganuz, the hidden light of creation, and gives light in great darkness, as our Sages hinted with their description of the or haganuz as a light which shined from one end of the world to the other (Chagigah 12a). There is no hiddenness or obscurity (he’elem) before this light. We call the world (olam) which obscures (ma’alim) and hides this light ‘the natural,’ but the original light of creation shone through all these layers of concealment and it was hidden away for the righteous; on this it is written “A light shines for the upright in the darkness…” (Psalms 112:4) It is also written “The people that walked in darkness have seen a brilliant light…” (Isaiah 9:1) The generation which lived in the days of the wicked Greeks walked in darkness, as the Sages taught “darkness refers to Greece which darkened the eyes of Israel…” (Bereshit Raba 2:4), nevertheless they served God with a spirit of self-sacrifice even in the midst of this darkness. That is why they merited that the hidden light shine for them, and some of its illumination remains, radiating from year to year even in these lowly times. Every servant of God must rejoice during these days when a touch of the hidden light illuminates Divine service. The primary intent of the wicked ones was to make us forget God’s laws and Torah, and the Hannukah lights bring us to remembrance.

Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe, Who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days in this season.⁴