Chanukah Q&A

Chanukah is not specifically mentioned, since the story happened after the Torah was written. Nevertheless, G‑d, who is above the limitations of time, included in the Torah allusions to Chanukah.

What does the holiday of Chanukah celebrate? How is it spelled, Chanukah or Hanukkah? What does the word Chanukah mean? What is the ninth candle for? Is Chanukah a major Jewish holiday? Answers to these questions and more . . .

There are not very many requirements for a kosher menorah, and most – but not all – of the menorahs on the market are just fine. That said, there are some factors to consider when purchasing a menorah...

The Jews and Greeks could have learned so much from each other! Instead, the extremists of both sides hit the battlefield

I have a menorah, it is gold-plated, it cost about $50. To buy anything better, anything more expensive, would have seemed self-indulgent; who would benefit but my own family and the shopkeeper?

I am having a very hard time, as the holidays approach, with teaching my children the beauty of Chanukah and not having them see it as a Jewish x‑mas. I know it has become somewhat of a tradition to give children gifts during Chanukah, but is this really a Jewish custom?

The dreidel, known in Hebrew as a sevivon, dates back to the time of the Greek-Syrian rule over the Holy Land—which set off the Maccabean revolt that culminated in the Chanukah miracle.

Why should a Jew need to incorporate symbols and rituals from the outside to add beauty to his home and traditions? There is so much depth and meaning in the rich heritage of Judaism...

I understand your concerns about having burning candles in your house. As much as I wish I could tell you otherwise, electric lights just don't do it...

...As for eating latkes and playing dreidel, it's less clear when these traditions began. But both these customs are certainly many centuries old...

My wife thinks that giving gifts during Hanukkah is just an imitation of Christmas conventions. Should our family stop giving gifts on Hanukkah?

Since the miraculous victory came about through the heroic actions of Judith, the women of the ages felt a special affinity to the Chanukah lights...

Was the miracle seven days or eight days? A question with many answers!

Since its discovery, potato has been blamed for everything from lust to leprosy. The oily potato mystery.

On Chanukah we give the children gelt. Why?

The greatly outnumbered Maccabees' resolve to battle the Greeks wasn't logical or natural. They drew on reservoirs of faith and courage that are not part of normative human nature...

When you use something physical, it gets “used up” and diminished. With spiritual things, the very opposite is the case

In order to disguise their activity the Children of Israel had to resort to learning Torah in outlying areas and forests. Even this plan was not foolproof, for the enemy had many pat

My daughter attends a private school where there are many Jewish children. She so much wants to light a menorah. We already have an Xmas tree, is okay to light a menorah next to it?

In preparation for Chanukah, my friend and I decided to study the tractate of the Mishnah that discusses the holiday. We were surprised to learn, however, that there is no such tractate. Why is that?

My friend told me that Chanukah is a minor holiday, unlike Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and so we shouldn't make such a big deal out of it. He said that the only reason it became so big was because of the season...

The blessing that we recite before lighting the Chanukah candles reads, "Blessed are You, G‑d...who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Chanukah lamp." I don't get it. When did G‑d command us to light the menorah? Isn't Chanukah a man-made holiday?

I have an office staff member who celebrates Hannukah. Everyone in the office is giving gifts but her. Why doesn’t she celebrate Christmas?

I’ve been reading through the prayer “v’al hanisim” – “about the miracles” which we recite daily during Hanukkah. Why is there no mention of the miracle of the oil which burned for eight days? Isn’t that the main Hanukkah miracle?