Chanukah Thoughts

As Beis Yosef asks what was a neis the first day since the pitcher was enough for the first day. He answers that they divided the oil for eight days so it was not enough for the first day. The Pnei Yeshuah in Shabbos explains that this is the reason for the Beis Shamai for lighting backwards from eight to one because the neis was recognized in the pitcher where the oil was seen to diminish from eight eights to one eight. The Beis Hillel holds that they used the whole oil the first day so the neis increased day by day. The Ksav Sofer explains that this is the argument if we have to relight it if it goes out. Those who hold that we must relight it also believe that they divided the oil. An eight part can burn a little so the neis was that it burned long so if we don’t relight it, we are not commemorating the neis. The Taz says that some oil was left over the first day and this is the meaning ומנותר קנקנים נעשה נס לשושנים, because the brocho cannot fall on nothing, as we find by Eliyahu that the oil only materialized as long there were pitchers.

There is an argument between Tosfas in Maseches Shabbos where he says that we don’t light for each individual because you won’t know how many days and individuals we have, so every day they all light one and the Rambam in begining of the 4th perek Hilchas Chanukah says that baal habayis lights ccording the days and people. The RMA SA O’CH 671 says that everyone lights according to the number of the current day. So why does the Rambam pasken that the baal habayis lights for everyone? The Bais Halevi explains that uf there is no main mitzva there is no hidur mitzva. He brings a proof from the halacha of the skins that are on the orlah. When it interferes with the milah you must return to cut it on shabbos, but it does not interfere with the milah then the milah is done already and this would be a hidur mitzva and ypu are not allowed to return for it. Similarly the lighting by each individual is a hiddur mitzva and therefore the one who does the main mitzva must light it. The RMA might hold that this is not a hidur in the candle lighting itself so this is how the chazal instituted the mitzva in the first place so everyone can light by themselves.

The Raavad says in 17th perek in Hilchas Shabbos that a לחי lechi does not need a shiur because it is for recognition, haker which even if we say כתוותי מכתת שעוריה a haker still exist. Similarly if we say this by נר חנוכה will depend if we pasken כבתה זקוק לה if it goes out, we have to relight it then the shiur is to burn. If it burns without it so be it. It is stll good. Whereas now that we pasken כבתה אין זקוק לה than why do we need a shiur because it is required as it was in Mikdash and we would say the above and the shiur would be missing. See the Kol Aryeh 34.

The Behag paskens that Purim and Chanukah are min Hatorah. The Chasam Sofer explains that it is based on a kal vechomer, from servitude to freedom we say shirah than surely from life to death. The Rokeach gives us an implication for Purim and Chanukah from Parshas Emor. After the Yomim Tovim the parshiyos of face bread and the menorah are mentioned. The first is refering to Purim where Memuchan was alluding to the malochim not sacrificing face bread and the Menorah to Chanukah.

The Chasam Sofer explains that the Menorah which is placed above 20 amos is פסולה because the eyes are unable to see. The expression pesula applies to min Hatorah mitzvos which is understood with the above Behag. The Ksav Sofer says that placing it above is a problem because he is completely relying on help from the heavens when the Chashmanoim did not do that but fought to help themselves. Ruvein suggested to throw Yosef in the pit even though there were scorpions there but he did whatever he could to save him. They are in Hashem’s control but people have free choice so are dangerous to do bad.

Some say that lighting with an electric menorah is a similar problem lacking the shiur.

Rabbi Chaim says that the neis was in quality איכות and not in quantity כמות . The same oil was able to burn longer for eight days until new oil was made and not that there was a miracle with additional oil because then that would be miracle oil and not olive oil.

CS, They say that for your reason, better than necessary, we go after mehadrin which we usually don’t do.

In chutz laaretz outside of Eretz Yisroel we keep two days Yom Tov because when they designated Rosh Chodash by witnesses who claimed they saw the moon, there were places that were too far that the messengers informing this fact should arrive would make two days Rosh Chodash thereby making Yomim Tovim also two days for safeka deyoma. When it came to burrial of the dead, the first day, only non-jews could do it wheeas the second dau of Yom Tov, our chachomim were more lenient were Jews were able to perform the burrial. הזהרו במנהג אבותיכם דזמנו דגזרו המלכות גזירה ואתי לקלקולי the chachomim were afraid even though we currently use calculations, that a wicked king will arise again who will not allow us to calculate Rosh Chodash and we can end up eating chametz on Pesach. The keeping of our customs is one our most important tenant of Judaism for that the heavenly court will destroy a bad decree. Chanukah might have required to be celebrated an extra day for sefaka deyome.

Avi K, first the Behag paskens as above that Chanukak is min HaTorah, second safek does not apply when something is instituted from the outset. It only applies when it comes after it was established.

Avi K, The etzem Chanukah according to the Chasam Sofer is d’Oraita but the way you commemorate is rabbinic. You are required some kind of commemoration when you were saved from servitude and certainly from death including spiritual. It is based on a Magen Avrahan in the begining of Hilchas Purim. If the chachomim considered it a safek, from the outset they can institute two days and it does not apply ספיקא דרבנן לקולא because of לא תסור. There is no safek in the begining of a establishment of a new takonoh.

Avi K, I think it is the Pri Chadash’s kashye about safeka deyame. You said that it has nothing to do with witnesses anymore so anything newly instituted can follow the rule in order the old should not be desecrated.

Avi K, what you are saying is correct. The Meiri ? by Purim quoted by the Chasam Sofer says that whoever has no megila should read halel. Saying halel to be blasphemes, if he follows the chazal I don’t think would apply as the Rashba in Rosh Hashana 15 says that their no baal tosif on the takonoh of the chachomim.
Besides they say that this blasphemy is on the stanza כי לעולם חסדו not halel because says the Ksav Sofer he is only praising Hashem on miracles and not on everyday occurences as Leah said wonderouly ‘הפעם אודה את ה
In halel we say ‘מה אשיב לה which apply for every day.

The 25th word in Parashas Breishis יהי ‘אור’ ויהי אור , if we pray for light, we get light. This is an implication of finding hidden secrets in the Torah with the power of the hidden light.

The women don’t do any work when the candles are burning. Explains the Chasan Sofer that the greeks wanted to eliminate also the Yomim Tovim, eight min hatorah where women light candles, so they rest at chanukah candles burning and the men light to remember the neis of the oil.

The above mentioned Kol Aryeh that the neis came through the name of Hashem which is above nature, we understand the eight days, one extra day for hodaah for this, which indicates above nature and at the completion of al hanisim, leshimecha hagadol, Your great name.

In this week’s parasha Miketz we find an implication for Chanukah. Yosef said וטבח טבח והכן the last two words טב חנוכה tav Chanukah, why here and why tav and not tov? The midrash says אתה שמרת השבת עד שלא נתנה, חייך שבן בנך עתיד להקריב בשבת, you kept shabbos before it was given, I swear that your grandson will do the sacrifice on shabbos, so the shevet of Ephraim will sacrifice on shabbos at the dedication of the mishkan. The Chasam Sofer answers the kashye above of טומאה הותרה בצבור the impurity was pemitted in a tzibur, so why was the neis required in the first place. The mishkan was completed on the 25th of kislev but was posponed to Rosh Chodesh Nissan when the avos were born because it would not have come out that Yosef’s shevet sacrificed on shabbos, so Chanukah came about to be repayed for the day. Now if we apply this rule of permiting tuma, what did we gain as tuma, impurity is on the level of shabbos which we did not want to violate with the sacrifice.
As mentioned above the Rabbinic prohibition of tuma became enforced with the neis of Chanukah and that is the implication of the word tav, good in aramaic rather than tov, loshan hakodesh.