B"H

Tuesday, Kislev 26, 5776 / December 8, 2015 – HAKHEL YEAR

HAPPY CHANUKAH. Today is the secondday of Chanukah, which is represented by the twocandles we lit last night (Monday).

In the Talmud there are various opinions as how to perform the mitzvah of the Chanukah candles.

According to the opinion of the rabbis of the House of Shamai, one should light all eight candles the first night of Chanukah, seven on the second night, six on the third night, etc. Thus, lighting one candle less each night, until the last night when we light only one candle.

But we don’t hold by this opinion. We go by the ruling of the House of Hillel who say that the first night we light one candle, the second night two candles, the third night three, etc. Thus, addinga candle each night, until the final night of Chanukah, when we light all eight candles.

The reasoning of the House of Hillel is that when it comes to performing a mitzvah we addand do not subtract. If we would start with eight and then go down to one candle, we would be going from more to less and with mitzvot we do the opposite; from less to more.

Hillel’s ruling was accepted as law and we perform the mitzvah of Chanukah lights by addingan additional candle each night. This way we go up each day with the performance of this mitzvah.

This concept and lesson to go higher and higher in performing mitzvot, is first visible on the second night Chanukah, when we kindle twocandles, thus adding an additional candle from the previous night.  It will become even more prominent as we go through the eight days of Chanukah and add an additional candle each night.

This lesson applies to all good deeds. We must always aspire to do more and more than before. We shouldn’t be satisfied with our past accomplishments, but strive to go higher and higher.

Q.   What is the  significance of the four Hebrew letters on the Dreidel; Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin?

A.  The four letters on the Dreidel stand for: "Nes, Gadol, Haya, Sham" - "A great miracle happened there." These four letters were usually written for the dreidels in the Diaspora. 

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 & HAPPY CHANUKAH

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In loving memory of Sonja Liverant Zaritzky Marcu– Sonia bat Yosef, of blessed memory.

A true Neshama and blessed soul. May her Neshama-soul rest in peace in Gan Eden.  

B"H

Thursday, Kislev 21, 5776 / December 3, 2015 – HAKHEL YEAR

The Torah portion this Shabbat is Parshat Vayeishev. It tells the story of how Joseph, who was 17, was sold by his brothers to a caravan of Ishmaelites, who eventually sold him to an Egyptian. From Joseph’s coming to Egypt until the Jewish Exodus from Egypt was a period of 232 years.

There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah. In addition there are seven rabbinic mitzvot, for a total of 620 mitzvot. The mitzvah of Chanukah, which begins Sunday night, is one of the seven rabbinical mitzvot.  

In addition to the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah lights at home, they are also lit in the synagogue.

Q.  If everyone lights at home, why are the candles also lit in the synagogue?

A. There are a few reasons: 1) For travelers who are away from home and have nowhere to light their Chanukah lights. They perform the mitzvah by listening to the blessings of the menorah in synagogue. However, one who can light at home does not fulfill the mitzvah with the synagogue candles.  

2)  The Chanukah candles commemorate the miracle of the lights which took place in the HolyTemple. Today, after the destruction of the Holy Temple, the synagogue represents the Temple. In fact a synagogue is called a “miniature Temple.” In commemoration of the menorah lights in the Temple, we light the Chanukah candles in the synagogue.

3)  Not everyone lives in a place where they have the ability to light the candles. This was especially true when Jews were persecuted and were afraid to light at home because of their gentile neighbors. Thus, the rabbis instituted the custom to light the Chanukah menorah in the synagogue.

Q. At home the menorah is placed near a door or window. But the menorah in the synagogue is placed on the south side.  Why?

A.  At home we place the menorah near a window in order to publicize the miracle of Chanukah to the outside. In the synagogue we place it on the south side to remember the menorah in the Temple, which stood in the sanctuary on the south side.

Q.   Why are we prohibited from having any personal use from the Chanukah lights?

A.  The Chanukah candles represent the candles of the menorah which were lit each day in the Holy Temple.  All objects of the Holy Temple were holy and one was not permitted to have any personal use from them. So too, we are prohibited to have any use from the Chanukah candles which represent the candles in the Temple

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHABBAT  SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 3:53 / Shabbat ends: 5:01

B"H

Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 / December 1, 2015 – HAKHEL YEAR

Chanukah, the holiday of lights, begins Sunday night, December 6th. In the Hebrew calendar, Chanukah is celebrated every year on the same day, on the 25^th day of Kislev. It varies from year to year only on the secular calendar.

Chanukah has been celebrated by Jews for over 2,150 years.  

Q.Why is the holiday called, Chanukah?

A."Chanukah" means "dedication." On the 25th of Kislev, the Chashmonaim re-dedicatedthe Holy Temple after it was desecrated by the Syrian/Greek pagan worshippers.

Another reason for the name is that Chanukah is a combination of two words; "Chanu” (they rested) and “kah" (twenty five, as the numerical value of these letters represent 25).

According to the above the name Chanukahis an expression of the miracle that the small Jewish army was victoriousagainst the great and mighty Syrian/Greek armies and that they restedfrom battle on the twenty fifth dayof the month.

The following is a quote from the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 21b): “When the Chashmonaim were victorious over the Syrians and retook the Temple, they repaired the Temple. They found only one flask of oil bearing the seal of the High Priest. It contained oil for only one day, but a miracle happened and the oil burned for eight days. The next year an eight day festival was declared by the rabbis, to celebrate with songs of praise and thanksgivings for all times.”  

In Scriptures we read that the soul is compared to a candle; "The candle of G-d is the soul of man."  Mitzvot and Torah are also compared to a candle and light. 

The sages established to celebrate Chanukah with the kindling of lights. The lights celebrate not only the miracle of the oil in the Holy Temple, but also the victory of the war which was waged against the Jewish soul (candle). It also commemorates the victory of Torah (light) and mitzvot (candle).

The Chanukah lights, which represent the Torah and mitzvot, are lit near a window at nightfall, in order to bring this spiritual light to the outside world and thus illuminate the darkness of the outside world.

Today is the 19th of Kislev. In the year 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalmen, founder and first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, was liberated from prison. He was imprisoned by the Czarist government for spreading the teachings of the Kaballah and Chassidus. Rabbi Schneur Zalmen's life was in grave danger.  After 53 days of imprisonment, he was released on the 19th of Kislev. 

Like the Chanukah candles which illuminate the darkness, so too, Rabbi Schneur Zalmen's teachings have illuminated Jewish souls through the darkness of this exile, for over 200 years.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY