B"H
Tuesday, Kislev 13, 5777 / December 13, 2016
The Talmud describes the miracle of Chanukah as follows, "When the Greeks occupied the sanctuary, they defiled all the oil. When the Chashmonaim defeated them, they searched and found only one jarof oil which had the seal of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). It contained enough oil to burn only one day. Yet, a miracle occurred and the oil burned eight days" (Tractate Shabbat 21).
On Chanukah we celebrate and thank G-d for two great miracles: 1) The victory on the battlefield - in which the small army of the Chashmonaim defeated the much larger forces of their Greek-Asyrian enemies. This is expressed in the, "Al Hanisim" prayer which is recited on Chanukah; "You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many in the hands of the few..."
2) The miracle of the oil – when a small amount of oil, enough for one day, sufficed for eight days.
Q.In addition to lighting the Chanukah menorah at home, it is also lit in synagogue. Why?
A. The purpose of lighting the menorah is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah. For this reason we place the menorah near the door or window so that people will see it. To publicizethe miracle of Chanukah, we also light it in synagogue, which is a place of communal prayer.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged the lighting of large public menorahs in shopping centers, parks etc. It is an additional way to fulfill the mitzvah of publicizing the miracle of Chanukah.
Also, a synagogue is called a "small sanctuary" and is an extension of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Lighting it in synagogue commemorates the miracle as it took place in the HolyTemple.
Q. Why is it customary to place the menorah on the south wall of the synagogue?
A. The candelabra (menorah) in the Holy Temple stood on the south side of the sanctuary. Thus, the Chanukah menorah in shul is lit on the south side.
Q. Why is the holiday called "Chanukah?"
A.The name "Chanukah" represents both above mentioned miracles. 1) Chanukah comes from the word "dedication" - referring to the re-dedication of the Holy Temple, with the lighting of the menorah, after being desecrated by the Greek idol worshippers.
2) "Chanu-kah" can also be split into two words; "Chanu" which means "they rested"; "Kah" - represents the number "twenty-five." In this context, the name Chanukah tells us that the Macabees "rested on the 25th" day of the month Kislevafter winning the battles against the much larger Greek-Syrian armies. The first day Chanukah, on the hebrew calendar, is the 25th of Kislev.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY