From The Rabbi’s Study…Shabbat, December 27, 28, 2024/26, 27 Kislev 5785
Hanukkah starts with the FIRST Night on Wednesday, December 25/ 25 Kislev
On the first night of Hanukkah one places the candle in the Hanukkiah on the left side, and lights the Shamash (helper candle) to kindle the first candle.
When adding the next candles one places them left to right (like reading Hebrew), however one kindles the Newest candle first (right to left) using the Shamash candle to light the candles.
On Friday night/ Shabbat- First Light the Hanukkiah candles and open your gifts, and then light Yahrzeit candles (if it applies to you), then the Sabbath candles for Shabbat.
On Saturday night the Jewish people have to Separate the sanctity of the Shabbat from the secular days. The Havdalah/ Separation ceremony is recited, and then the Hanukkiah may be kindled.
This year due to our Jewish calendar having a leap year, which added a month ( an extra Adar) Hanukkah ALWAYS falls on the 25th of Kislev, and now it falls on the Gregorian/Christian secular calendar on December 25th, which is their Christmas!
Hanukkah is the Commemoration of the Hasmonean Jews (Maccabees) fighting against the Greek Empire for Religious Freedom and not following Hellenistic pagan ways. The Hanukkah word means Dedication. The Jewish people had to clean and rededicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Midrash (story based on the Torah) is that a small crude oil was found hidden in a wall within the holy Temple. The oil was from the olives Noah made into oil. That oil lasted eight days!
Becoming a new nation the Jewish people minted coins, which may be seen in museums with a face of Judah the Maccabee and ancient Hebrew letters. Today, we have chocolate coins as a symbolic memory of the coins. While under the pain of death our teachers continued to teach Judaic studies, and used a spinning top as if playing a gambling game! The top today is called a dreidel. The letters are Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin (Pay for Israelis), which stand for A Great Miracle that happened there! In Israel the Pay represents the miracle that happened Here!
Hanukkah and Christmas are Never the same type of celebrations.
Christmas: Briefly…Christ means messiah, which the Jewish do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah! However, the Christians believe he was and this day was his birth.
Throughout the three millennia the Jewish people had challenges and survived and the Sabbath and Torah kept Judaism alive. Yes, the Jews adapt some of their neighbors traditions, such as we dress up for Purim (mardi gras for Christians), and Hanukkiah we give gifts or gelt (not the chocolate ones). Either ways of Minhags (Customs) enhance our celebrations, which brought and still brings LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS!
“Look how a single candle can both defy and define darkness.” Anne Frank
May this Hanukkah bring all us happiness, health, and peace.
May this Hanukkah make our candles shine so bright that our hostages will be returned to their loved ones and Shalom will return to Israel and Jerusalem.
May this Hanukkah remind all of us the freedoms we have here and around the world were brought by our ancestors being brave, creative, intelligent, and giving and supporting their communities!
May We strived to bring their lights into our hearts by continuing their righteous actions, and by all of us continuing to practice and celebrate being Jewish people we will bring LIGHT BACK TO THE WORLD!
Shabbat Shalom v’ Hag Urim (Happy Festival of Lights!), v’ AM Ysrael Chai,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
