Chanukah
CHANUKAH
Can you figure out what each picture has to do with the parsha?
Rabbi Dani Staum
KEY to CHANUKAH Pix
Rock – In the beloved song we sing after lighting Chanukah candles we refer to Hashem as “מעוז צור ישועתי – Mighty Rock of my salvation”
Roses – In the paragraph of Maoz Tzur about Chanukah we refer to the faithful Jews as Shoshanim – Roses (ומנותר קנקנים נעשה נס לשושנים). It’s worthy to note that we are also referred to as roses on Purim (שושנת יעקב צהלה ושמחה).
Underground beverages – According to Tosafos (Shabbos 21b) the pure jug of oil the Chashmonaim found was definitely pure because they discovered it digging underground.
Teves – Chanukah begins in Kislev but continues into the following month of Teves, dragging the light and hope of the holiday into the darkest month of the year.
Pan Fry – Our beloved custom is to eat latkes and doughnuts fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil. (The Maccabeats original hit – Candlelight – was their first Chanukah song…)
Egged Bus with words חנוכה שמח in front – Unlike in America where Chanukah gets mixed into “the holiday season”, in Eretz Yisroel Chanukah is the national holiday of this time of year.
8 versus 7 – The “world-famous” question of the Bais Yosef is why Chanukah is celebrated for 8 days. If they had enough oil for one day, the miracle only lasted 7 days and so the holiday should only be for 7 days? Over 1,000 answers have been offered for the question.
Seleucid Empire/Ptolemic Empire – The enemy of Chanukah was actually the Syrians who at the time were controlled by the Seleucid Dynasty. Because the Seleucids were under the influence and spread the culture that had originated in Greece, they are referred to as the Syrian-Greeks.
Two children learning Torah – The celebration of Chanukah is a celebration of our unyielding connection and sacrifice to Torah study and Torah living.
Alexander the Great – The one who originally spread Greek culture throughout civilization was Alexander who spread their teachings to every country he conquered.
8 Day Gratitude Challenge – The holiday of Chanukah was enacted as days of hallel and hoda’ah – praise and gratitude.
Temple Mount in our hands – The Chashmonaim reconquered the Bais Hamikdash from the enemy Greeks and the Hellenists.
Look but don’t touch – We state that the Chanukah candles are holy; they are there for us to look at but not have personal benefit from them.
Not by might, nor by power… – In the haftorah of Shabbos Chanukah we read the timeless words of the prophet Zechariah – “Not by armies (might), not by power, but only with My spirit says Hashem.” Those words contain the profound message of Chanukah.