B"H
Thursday, Kislev 25, 5785 / December 26, 2024
HAPPY CHANUKAH! Today (Thursday) is the first day of Chanukah.
We light an additional candle every night for eight days, until we light the complete eight lights of the menorah. It’s lights commemorate the miracle of the lights of the menorah in the Holy Temple, in which a small amount of oil, enough to last only one day, lasted for eight days.
Chanukah is a very special holiday in that it is a mitzvah to publicize this mitzvah. We don’t find other mitzvot that have to be performed in such a public way. However, the mitzvah of lighting the menorah on Chanukah is performed by the door or window, in a way that others should see it and realize the miracle.
For this reason, the menorah is lit at night, not in the daytime so that the lights of the menorah are observed and noticed and illuminate the darkness of the outside.
Q. How is the kindling of the lights in the Chanukah menorah different than the lights in the Temple?
A. The menorah in the Temple had seven lights. The Chanukah menorah has eight lights.
Also, the Holy Temple lights were kindled in the afternoon and the Chanukah lights are kindled at night.
Another difference is that the menorah in the Temple was lit inside the sanctuary. The Chanukah lights have to be lit near a window or door, in order to announce the miracle of Chanukah to the world outside.
Q. Why, in addition to the Chanukah candles do we also light an extra candle each night, called the Shamash?
A. We are prohibited from having any personal use from the Chanukah lights. The extra candle, the Shamash, serves to light the Chanukah candles and then we leave it in the menorah. In case we forget and benefit from the light of the menorah, it will be from the "Shamash."
Q. The total number of Chanukah candles that are lit during the eight days of Chanukah are 36 (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8=36). Is there any significance to this number in association with light?
A. The Midrash says that at the time of creation G-d created a very special light. However, when Adam and Eve sinned, G-d decided to take away the light. G-d waited until after Shabbat and then hid the light until the coming of Moshiach. Adam and Eve, who were created on Friday, enjoyed this special light until after Shabbat - a period of 36 hours. Thus, we see a connection between the Chanukah lights (36) and the coming of Moshiach.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY & HAPPY CHANUKAH
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
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Dedicated in loving memory of Sonja Rosi bat Yosef – May her Neshama be elevated in Gan Eden