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Now that chanukah is aproaching and the supermarkets are displaying all their chanuka parapharnelia, I’ve seen they have pre-made oils (which have been around for many years already) which details; a disposable cup, which is full of oil and a wick, and all you have to do is take off the cover and its ready to light. Now this item I feel is a complete bizayon, what happened to hidur mitzvah? What is wrong to get you fingers a little dirty for kedushas mitzvah? Why can’t we roll out our own cotton wicks? Some elbow grease for hidur mitzvah won’t hurt! Especially by ner chanukah which we son’t do the basic mitvah by lighting one candle each night for the whole household, rather we do mehadrin min hamihadrin and we add every night an additional candle, and not just that, every member of the household lights as well. So why do we need this pre-made chanukah light? Why can’t we be meehader the mitzvah properly? We find that abayey and ruva would prepare for shabbos themselves, they would be thee one to prepare the meat and fish. Kal Vuchomr us! There is no reason why we have to be mevazeh the mitzvah with such products.
Oh i thought this thread was gonna be about fiddling while the candles burn.
I hear what you are saying real-brisker, and I, too, purposely DON’T buy this product, and actually ENJOY getting dirty putting my neiros together myself. Same concept as building your own sukkah. instead of hiring others to put it up for you. There is such value and importance in sweating and doing it yourself when it’s for a mitzvah!
I am one of those clumsy, 2 left feet, un-geshikteh people out there but when my children see Tatty putting up a sukkah and doing mitzvos MYSELF, even though it is hard (and sometimes embarrassing) they are priceless lessons my children will learn. Not to mention Hashem’s nachas He reaps from us working hard to do the best we can to fulfill His mitzvos.
All that said, these pre-done neiros ARE convenient when, say, you are going on a Chanuka trip, are in a rush, or for elderly people, etc. The product is not the bizayon, it’s WHO is using it and WHY.
I am one of those clumsy, 2 left feet, un-geshikteh people out there but when my children see Tatty putting up a sukkah and doing mitzvos MYSELF, even though it is hard (and sometimes embarrassing) they are priceless lessons my children will learn.
The trick is to do it first thing in the morning (while you’re still sober).
All kidding aside, +1 for that post! I agree that the chinuch of it is priceless!
It is much better for the people who would use candles instead because setting up the oil is to much of a bother. For this reason alone it is worth it, there are people who are doing the mitzvah mehudar even though they aren’t getting dirty.
The Goq – you and me both!
You know who they are made for? The “geshikte” mother/wife who has to do it along with all the usual evening craziness in the house. They are also much neater. I really don’t have time to roll wicks (I DO know how.) That said, they are expensive. There are less expensive, easy alternatives. I switched to the metal stand which I stick the pre-made wick into then add the oil (you can’t beat the price of costco olive oil!). A lot cheaper though a bit messier.
lol The Goq
personally, i think it depends on the individual. some people might not have a good parnassa and hidur mitzvah is spending more money on the menorah (the pre-made oil and wicks). it is expensive and this might be the way they choose to do hidur mitzvah. in my opinion, these look really nice with all the different colors! however, if someone has the money and it’s no big deal if they spend it on this, then perhaps getting a little dirty from the oil is the way they would do hidur mitzvah. you make your choice and someone else will make his/her own!
A FREILECHIN CHANNUKA!!!
real-brisker: do you make your own tzitzs? If your answer is yes then why not ask on that also and if the answer is no how is this different(lighting is the main mitzvah)?
Thank AHM and BTG I’m glad someone got the joke.
I think it is a bigger hiddur to use the pre-made ones where there is less of a mess and they actually stay lit until the oil burns out. When people set up their own oil and wicks some will often not work well and will go out quickly. The fact that it burns nicely and is clean is a hiddur even if it is less “yegia” to set it up, isn’t it the lighting itself that is the mitzvah?
And in terms of yegia, technically there is more yegia in making a parnasa to afford the ready made ones though you might not notice it b’shaas maaseh while you are working (or swiping your father-in-law’s credit card)
making tzitzs is not hard at all it is just time consuming.
Sam stop stringing us along.
Goq: you got it.
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