The Maharshal’s would buy a silver menorah every year and he would wait to use it until the second night of Chanukah. The explanation of the Pri Megadim plus the miracle that happened to the Maharshal. Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

The Gemara makes no mention of the military victory over the Syrian Greeks, it only mentions that they found one flask of oil and it lasted eight days. Al HaNisim only discusses the military victory and omits the miracle of the oil. What is the reason for the dichotomy? Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

Why do we commemorate the re-inauguration of the Second Beit HaMikdash and the dedication of the Mishkan but not the original dedication of the Beit HaMikdash in the time of Shlomo? The connection between the small flasks for which Yaakov went back and the miracle of the oil Why is the miracle referred to as […]

Pnei Yehoshua: Hashem only performs miracles when necessary. If so, why was there a need for the miracle of the oil – if there was only impure oil they could have used it, it’s a שעת הדחק! In describing bringing the Tamid, the pasuk in Pinchas says: את הכבש אחד תעשה בבקר; earlier in Tetzaveh, […]

After Shacharit, we say Tehillim 30. The header is מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד. What does the header (the inauguration of the Bet HaMikdash) have to do with the rest of the chapter which deals with David HaMelech recovering from illness and overcoming his enemies? Shiur provided courtesy of Torah Anytime

The Bat Ayin (the Avritcher Rebbe) writes that the purpose of Chanukah is to fix the תוהו (the nothingness before creation) with light, similar to the אור of the first day of creation that countered the תוהו (the light that is hidden for tzaddikim for עולם הבא). In the Torah, Avraham represents the idea of […]

In a society where candles were used for light (before electricity), how did one ensure that the candles used for Ner Chanukah are recognizable as being for a mitzvah  – especially given the fact that pirsumei nisa is a critical element of the mitzvah? If a person lives alone would they not be required to […]

Why does the Gemara use the term “עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק” – specifically the leg to describe the time for lighting the menorah? What is the connection to the Regalim? Delivered at a lunch mesiba at Cho-Sen Island courtesy of the Kutner Brothers

Chanukah was instituted for Hallel and Hoda’ah. Hoda’ah refers to Al HaNisim. Why does the Gemara focus on the miracle of the oil whereas Al HaNisim omits it completely? How do these two miracles work together to accomplish one goal? Why was the miracle of the oil a big deal – there were ten miracles […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein            We are all familiar with the story of Chanukah, of how the Syrian Greeks tried to eradicate the Jewish connection to Hashem by desecrating the Beit Hamikdosh and enacting laws to sever that connection, including even prohibiting speaking Hashem’s name. The miracle unfolds when Hashem helped […]