B"H
Tuesday, Kislev 12, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / December 6, 2022
The first Chanukah candle will be kindled Sunday night, December 18. Each night of Chanukah we add an additional candle. Sunday night, Sunday night, December 25, we will light a total of eight candles.
In addition to the Chanukah candles, we also light an additional candle each night, called “The Shamesh.” We light the Shamesh first and with it we kindle the rest of the lights. The Shamesh is lit on the menorah a bit higher than the regular Chanukah candles.
The total number of candles we light during Chanukah (excluding the Shamesh) is 36. Two times Chai.
Q. Why is that candle called “Shamesh”? Why do we need the Shamesh?
A. The definition of “Shamesh” is one who “serves.” Because this candle serves to kindle the Chanukah lights it is called Shamesh. The reason we leave the Shamesh lit after we kindle the Chanukah lights is because we are prohibited from having any benefit from the Chanukah lights. Thus, we leave this candle lit, so if we forget and have any use from the light, it would be considered as if we had it from the Shamesh.
Q. Why is the holiday called Chanukah?
A. "Chanukah" means "dedication". On the 25th of Kislev, the Chashmonaim re-dedicated the Holy Temple after it was desecrated by the Greek pagan worshippers.
Another reason: "Chanukah" can also be split into two words; "Chanu" which means "they rested"; "Kah" numerically represents the number "twenty-five". In this context "Chanukah" describes the miracle on the battlefield in which the small Jewish army of the Maccabees were victorious in their battles and they rested on the 25th day of the month Kislev - the day when Chanukah begins.
Q. On Chanukah we play Dreidel, or Sevivon, in Hebrew. What is the origin of the Dreidel?
A. The Greek-Syrians and their Hellenistic sympathizers prohibited Jews from performing many mitzvot, including teaching Torah to Jewish children. Any child caught studying Torah was severely punished. However, the teachers and students devised a way around this ban. They would gather to study and when the one on the lookout would spot a Greek soldier he would warn them. The children would hide their books and begin playing with the Dreidel.
Q. What is the significance of the four Hebrew letters on the Driedel; Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin?
A. The four letters on the Dreidel stand for: "Nes, Gadol, Haya, Sham" - "A great miracle happened there". In Israel, the letter "Shin" is substituted with the letter "Pay". It stands for the Hebrew word "Poh", "Here" ("A great miracle happened here"), for the miracle took place in Israel.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY