CHANUKAH

The mitzvah which we have to carry out on Chanukah is lighting the Menorah. This, of course, is to commemorate the Nes that took place with the one crucible of oil discovered that only had enough it in to last one day but miraculously lasted eight days.

Our Chochomim when enacting the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah ordained that this should remain alight from after sunset each day for a minimum of half an hour.

The reason quoted for this timing is because going back to the time of the Second Bais Hamikdosh, they did not have any street lights, or electric lights etc., and, therefore, people used to hurry home to try and reach their own dwellings by night after which it was extremely dark and difficult to carry on any activity. The final people the Gemora mentions, who still were scurrying around up to a half an hour after night, were known as the Tarmodiam. As the original enactment was that the Menorah should be placed at the entrance to each house outside, it, therefore, meant that in order to have the פרסומא ניסא, the proclamation of the miracle, this had to be done at a time when people walking by would observe the unusual illumination and, therefore, would be reminded of the miracle of Chanukah.

However, after many persecutions, especially when the Yidden were disbursed to other lands and Rabbi Yosef Karo brings, in the Shulchan Oruch, that at a time of danger one lights indoors. There is still the reminder of the miracle, פרסומא ניסא, for the family and this remains the custom among many in Klal Yisroel to this day.

As the lighting of the Menorah is a remembrance to what took place in the Bais Hamikdosh where the Menorah had to remain lit all night, why should we not, nowadays at least put in sufficient oil that nowadays the lights should continue burning all night or at least for a few hours.

The amount of oil that had to be placed in the Menorah each night had to be sufficient to allow the Menorah in the Bais Hamikdosh to stay alight for the longest nights in the year which are exactly when Chanukah falls. In Eretz Yisroel this is approximately a 14 hour span from nightfall to daybreak. Perhaps one could explain that the half hour is, therefore, is 1/28th of the time allotted in the Bais Hamikdosh. That is, equivalent to the Hebrew כח, which adds up to 28. The implication being that one should always remember not to think כחי ועוצם ידי, my strength enabled me to achieve things. The strength to overcome, enemies, bad influences etc. has to be always with the help of Hashem.

We also find that in the Haftorah read on Chanukah, this ends with the words לא בכח ולא בחיל, meaning that not with strength nor with arms, בחיל, (in a war) is one helped, כי אם ברוחי, but with the help of My Spirit. Therefore, the original enactment that there is a minimum of half an hour for the lights to continue burning is relevant just as much nowadays.

We live in an age where human beings continue to make new inventions and technology develops by leaps and bounds and in order to counteract the attitude of כחי ועוצם ידי, the original תקנה remains to this day.