Chanukah Candles, Holy Temple Candles

The Third Player in the Contest Between Good and Evil

Competition and the Lonely Road to Heaven

Can Maccabees and Hellinists Get Along?

For Chanuka: Rav Kook on: Adopting the Positive Without the Negative of Greek/Western Culture Chanuka is a good opportunity to study Rav Kook's detailed advise regarding how exactly to adopt the good from the Western and modern world without the problematic and negative aspects. The class gleans many sources on this central topic of Rav Kook's various books and summarizes the Who, What, Where and How of this basic issue for religious-Zionist and Modern-Orthodox Jews.

The 2,200-Years War

The Jewish war against Greek culture continued with its battle against Christianity, which is a blend of Jewish and Greek-Roman ideas, and continues today as well. The leading culture today is Western culture, built on the foundations of Christian culture. And so the points of difference that exist today between Torah and Western culture are also based on the points of struggle between Greek and Jewish philosophy.

What Is the Procedure for the Torah & Haftora Reading This Shabbat?

…Who Help Themselves

What is Chanuka really all about? Does it revolve around the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 days instead of just 1?

Women Doing Work on Chanuka

Is the minhag of some women to curtail work on Chanuka binding? When exactly does it apply, and what type of work is included?

Who are the Hellenists of Today?

The holiday of Hanuka commemorates both military and spiritual victories, of a national nature, during the Second Temple period. On the one hand, the one-day supply of oil in the Holy Temple miraculously lasted for eight days. On the other hand, the greatly outnumbered Jews also won incredible military victories over their Greek enemies, thus preserving the State of Judea for over 200 years. The war was fought also against the Hellenists [Greek sympathizers, mostly Jews], who sought to secularize the Jewish Nation. Do the Hellenists of then have a parallel today?

Who Lights the Chanukiya - When, Where & How?

Chanuka Lite - Take a Bite!

What did the Maccabim do when they found that 1 jar of unblemished oil? Did they put all the oil in the Menora at one time, so at least 1 day would be a "pure" & complete Mitzva? Or did they divide up the jar & place 1/8 of the oil in the Menora each night, so as to at least do some of the Mitzva?

A Religious or National Holiday?

Is Hannuka a religious holiday, on which the Nation of Israel commemorates its religious victory over Greek paganism? Or is it a national holiday, celebrating our military defeat of Greek expansionism in the Land of Israel?

Thoughts For Hanukka's Final Hours

Translated by Hillel Fendel

One must always remember three questions; they must always guide his path and light his way, so that he will always take the straight path and not allow the trickery of his negative inclinations to confuse him. He must always be connected to and focused on the true objective.

16. Fields and Vehicles

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

The poskim disagree about whether the obligation to light Ĥanuka candles is limited to the home. Some argue that the Sages ordained that only one who has a home must light candles. Others maintain that even one who does not have a home must light candles wherever he is.

15. Hospital Patients

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

A patient in a hospital is still obligated to light Ĥanuka candles. However, if he is married, he fulfills his obligation through his spouse’s lighting at home.

14. Hotels

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

People staying in a hotel must light Ĥanuka candles. It is best to light in one’s hotel room. If the hotel management does not permit guests to light candles in their rooms, then since there is no alternative one should light in the dining room.

13. Yeshiva Students, Soldiers, and College Students

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

A yeshiva student who sleeps in his dormitory room and eats in a cafeteria must light in his room. An uncertainty arises regarding Sephardic students.

12. Unmarried People who Live Alone

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

If an unmarried person has his own home, regardless of whether it is owned or rented, he must light candles there. If he is visiting friends at candle-lighting time but will return home to sleep, he cannot fulfill his obligation at his hosts’ home. Rather, he must return home to light.

11. A Married Person Who Is Away from Home

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

If a married man goes alone on Ĥanuka to visit friends or family while his wife remains at home, his wife must light the candles, and this exempts him from lighting.

10. Guests on Shabbat Hanuka

Chapter 13: When and Where to Light Hanuka Candles

When a family goes away for Shabbat, the hosts’ home is considered their home on that Shabbat. Thus, the guests should buy a share in the host’s candles for a pruta, which allows them to fulfill their obligation through the host’s lighting.