Chanuka This ‘n That
In B'reishit 32, the Torah tells us of the struggle between Yaakov and "a man" (guardian angel of Eisav, the prototype of those who attempt to oppress us). This battle occurred when Yaakov sought (and found) a flask of oil (so says Rashi). Following the battle, the Torah says: "Vayizrach Lo HaShemesh" (and the sun shone for him - it was morning, not to mention deeper meanings). On a "remez" (hint) level, read it as: "And the Shammash (play on words between Sun and the name for the candle that we use to light the Chanuka candles) lit up "LO", spelled Lamed (30) + Vav (6), repre- senting the 36 candles we light during Chanuka. Battle, oil, lighting 36 with a Shammash - echoes of the future!

There is a Tradition that it was on the 25th of Kislev that Kayin killed Hevel. This is a terrifying association in light of the fact that there is a strong element of brother-brother hatred in the weekly portions that surround Chanuka and a strong undercurrent of tenstion between Jew and fellow Jew at the time of the Chanuka story. It is as if the Kayin-Hevel story was meant to be a sobering reminder and warning concerning the relationships among Jews. Our problem is that we often don't heed warnings.

One should learn Torah (preferably with his family) after candle lighting, to fulfill KI NER MITZVA V'TORA OR, comparing (identifying) a candle with a mitzva and Torah with light.

Also, we should learn Torah specifically after candles because the candles "anounce" that we are no longer under Greek opression and their ban on Torah learning

(Chidushei HaRim + PC)
The questions asked here are NOT for you to submit answers to TT (unless they are marked as TTriddles). They are for entertainment and educational purposes only. You might want to challenge your children and guests with some of these exercises.

You have a box of 44 candles, exactly enough for one person for the whole Chanuka. After which night will you have less than half a box remaining?
Had our Sages established a 12-day holiday of Chanuka to correspond to the 12 days of the original Chanukat HaMizbei’ach, how many candles would be needed for Chanuka?

Here’s a tougher one: Back to an 8-day Chanuka, what if Fibonacci had disputed with both Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai and prevailed with his opinion that we light candles each night corresponding to the first eight Fibonacci numbers. What would the Chanukiya look like? How many candles would each of us light over the whole Chanuka? And which nights would we not be properly fulfilling the intent of the Mehadrin Min HaMehad- rin opinion?
(Consider this one a TTriddle too)

Based on the standard rules of Dreidel play, what is the irony of the differ- ence between children playing in America and children playing in Israel?
(Consider this one a TTriddle too)

Why SUCH an emphasis on Pirsumei Nisa?
On Purim, it is preferable to hear the Megila with a multitude of people, because this is considered more of an honor to the King.

On Chanuka, the element of publiciz- ing the miracle is much more than a preference; it is an integral part of the mitzva. many of the halachic details of the mitzva of Ner Chanuka point to Pirsumei Nisa as a very important factor in the proper performance of the mitzva. Do not place the Chanukiya above 20 Amot, because people’s eyes to not roam that high. So what? You lit the candles. What difference does it make if others won’t notice? Place the Chanukiya between 3 and 10 T’fachim from the ground. It’s noticeable at that height range that the candles are lit for a purpose other than lighting up an area. Light in shul even though no one is “yotzei” with that lighting... to publi- cize the mitzva and the miracles.

Where to place the Chanukiya, when to light, and other factors all are very strongly affected by the concept of Pirsumei Nisa.

Why? And why did not our Sages take this same approach in the shaping of Purim observance?

Here’s a thought.
Haman wanted to kill every man, women, and child of the nation of Mordechai. It didn’t matter if you were observant of mitzvot or not. It didn’t matter if you were socially involved with other Jews or not. Each individual Jew was a potential victim of Haman’s plot. Thanks to G-d and Mordechai and Esther, Haman’s plot failed. And we thank G-d with the celebration of Purim and its mitzvot. (Actually, Mishlo’ach Manot does require other people, but certainly not on the level of Chanuka.)

The pre-Chanuka Greek threat was a different matter. If an individual kept to himself and had no “Jewish” interaction with others, he probably could have survived the oppressive decrees. He couldn’t study Torah with others, he couldn’t teach it to his children, but in the privacy of his own mind, he could “learn up a storm”.

And if Jews went into hiding, into their cellars or a cave somewhere, then Torah and mitzvot would be able to continue, albeit in a restricted manner.
During the time of Greek persecutions and oppression, individual Jews could have eaten matza on Pesach, but could not have done so IN PUBLIC.
Some of the Chanuka stories concerning Chana and/or Yehudit and or some anonymous women, was that they brought the issues of the day into public attention, when the men were resigned to hiding in caves and doing the best they could to sneak around in the hopes that Judaism would survive the period of the harsh decrees.

The women said, NO! We must be free to practice Torah and mitzvot in public. Only then can we reasonably expect Judaism not only to survive, but to flourish. The Jews were beginning to take a public stand on the issues. That brought everything to a head and the war began.

That’s where the fuss on Pirsumei Nisa comes from. The Chashmona’im couldn’t whisper and hide any longer. They had to shout out, We are Jews!.And that’s what the light of the Menora accomplishes. One of the miracles is that every courtyard in Jerusalem glowed from the the light of the Menora. May we merit being part of the complete redemption, BIMHEIRA B'YAMEINU, AMEN.

G'matriya Match
“FULL” G’matriya is one type of G’matriya in which each letter has the value of the name of the letter, rather than just the letter. E.g. ALEF (rather than 1) = ALEF (1) + LAMED (74) + FEI (81) = 156. The full G’matriya of NEIS GADOL HAYA PO is 811, as is the (regular) G’matriya of ZOT CHANUKAT HAMIZBEI’ACH.

Here are some pictures to color [share them with your (grand)children] - (In the Hard Copy Edition)