Chanukah
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Chanukah Gelt
I know that the Dreidel game originated with children pretending to play with their spinning top, so the Greeks wouldn’t know that the adults inside were learning Torah. But, why do we give Chanukah Gelt (money)? What is the significance?…
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The History of Potato Latkes
What is the history behind the custom of eating Potato Latkes [pancakes] on Chanuka? Were potatoes eaten by the Jews of the second Temple era? Answer: Potatoes latkes [pancakes] are not involved in the story of Chanukah, and have only…
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Seven-Armed Menorah
When is the seven-armed Menorah used? Answer: The Menorah that G-d commanded Moses to construct for the Tabernacle had 7 arms. This was used in Temple as well. The menorah that we use to commemorate the Chanukah miracle has 8 arms to commemorate…
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Why wasn’t a Megillah written for Chanukah?
Why did the Sages not write a Megillah to commemorate the miracle of Chanukah, as was the case with the miracle of Purim? Answer: A possible answer to your question is that the books of Tanach (Hebrew Bible) were written…
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Torah Source for Chanukah
When did the celebration of Chanukkah begin? Is it in the Torah? If so, what portion of the Torah is the story located? Answer: The celebration of Chanukah occurred too late chronologically to be included in the canon of the…
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Commercializing Chanukah
Is Hanukkah considered a significant and important Jewish holiday or is it recently commercialized to compete with Christmas? Answer: Your question highlights a very important point. To be short, Hannukah is an extremely important Jewish holiday. The messages inherent in…
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Menorah vs. Chanukiyah
What is the difference between a Menorah and a Chanukiyah ? Answer: Chanukiyah is a new term that is only about 40 years old. It was coined to distinguish between the nine-branched candelabra that is used on Chanukah and the…
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Chanukah Candles
What do the candles of chanukah stand for? Whats do the colors stand for and how many colors are there? Answer: Thank you for your question. The candles of Chanukah represent the building of one’s spirituality over time. If you…
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Was the Chanuka War With the Greeks?
Why do Rabbis always speak about a war between the Jews and the “Greeks”? The historical record shows amicable relations between Jews and Greeks, until the dissolution of that empire. Even assuming historical accuracy of Talmudic accounts we were at…