L'sheim Mitzvat Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem

"Whoever is for Hashem, come to me!" "MATITYAHU KOHEN GADOL CHASHMONA'I UVANAV [4] by Dr. Meir Tamari

While all our festivals have maintained their characters relatively uninfluenced by surrounding cultures and religions, it is ironical that Chanuka, which symbolizes the resistance to assimilation, should in our own day be marred by foreign ideologies.  “The days of Chanuka were established for Hallel, thanksgiving and the lighting of the Chanuka lights. Though they are permissible, seudot and feasts are not obligatory as they are on Purim. This, because on Purim their bodies and lives were threatened with extinction so that rejoicing should with bodily and material things [mishlo’ach manot, seudot and simcha]. However, on Chanuka it was their souls and spirits that were endangered so the rejoicing is only with the soul. There may be some feasting since the body also had some salvation” (Orech HaShulchan, Orech Chayim 670). It would seem therefore that giving presents, partying and calling Chanuka the season of peace and goodwill, are echoes of somebody else’s holiday season.
In the early years of Israel, our children were taught to sing of the miracles that were wrought by the Maccabim; we had to correct them that miracles are from G-d. Saying that the Menora is not a religious symbol but only a cultural one in order justify public displays in the face of separation of church and state, would surely surprise the Kohanim who battled and then purified the Mikdash so that the Menora could again become part of the Temple service. The twin study of halacha and aggada to discover the implementation of the mitzvot ma’asiyot that reflect the machshava of Chanuka, will perhaps preserve its integrity.
On Erev Shabbat Chanuka, what comes first: Chanuka lights or those of Shabbat? The answer lies in reasons both of halacha and aggada. There is an obvious legal reason for the halachic ruling that first we light the Chanukiya before the Shabbat candles, since once it is Shabbat further lighting is forbidden. For the same reason, on Motza’ei Shabbat, we first make Havdala and then light the Chanukiya. Behind legalism and ritual there always lies spiritual education and religiosity: “Shabbat candles are lit for shalom bayit. A man’s body is the bayit, house, of his soul. The whole week long there is a conflict between the physical and material needs and aspirations of his body and the moral and spiritual demands of his soul, so there is no shalom bayit. However, Shabbat brings peace between them and so we light candles in honor of this Shalom Bayit. The extent and depth of this peace depends on the worship, Torah study and righteous deeds that one does during the week; our Shabbat is in accordance with our preparations. By virtue of that weekday preparation we are able to light the Chanuka candles with all their meaning and significance, even before Shabbat. However, we need the Shalom Bayit achieved during Shabbat between body and soul, to enable us to light them on Motza’ei Shabbat. Therefore we first say Havdala with the preparatory strength gained during Shabbat and then we can light the Chanukiya” (Avnei Nezer of Sochowchow).
“Beit Shamai say, ‘on the first day light 8 and thereafter gradually reduce the number’: Beit Hillel say, ‘first day light one and thereafter progressively increase their number’. Beit Shamai’s reason is that they should correspond to the descending order of the 70 sacrifices of Sukkot [offered on behalf of the nations of the world] while Beit Hillel reasons that we increase matters of sanctity but do not reduce’” (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). The connection between the sacrifices and Chanuka has been explained in various ways, but that related to the wisdom and knowledge of the gentiles seems to be the most relevant. While Chazal acknowledged that such wisdom is useful and beneficial, they recognized that, without the guidance of Divine Wisdom, it inevitably led to arrogance and brutishness. The sacrifices came to counteract these negative aspects of gentile knowledge; each day less effort was required and so too the lights were lit in descending order.
“SUR MEIRA VAASEI TOV - Turn from evil and do good - Shamai taught that leaving evil has to come before doing good; each time less effort is needed and so too each night the lights are reduced. Hillel agreed in principle but argued that it is not possible for humans to leave evil abruptly, so they should first do good and gradually the evil would be displaced. So too, the lights should be lit in ascending order. The Halacha is according to Hillel, but in the future when the darkness will be banished, halacha is like Shamai” (Shem MiShmuel).

• Other L'sheim Mitzvat Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem
• "V'EILU SHMOT" - WHAT'S IN A NAME? [2]. by Dr. Meir Tamari
• "V'EILU SHMOT" - WHAT'S IN A NAME? [1]. by Dr. Meir Tamari
• The Challenge of Money: Financing Social Costs - Taxation [4] by Dr. Meir Tamari