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HOLIDAY READING



                                                                               Rabbi Efrem Goldberg











                        Chanukah





               and Chinuch








                  The Holiday of Jewish Education






             hanukah is so named because    Chinuch is the initiation of a person   and in both, we bring greater light
             it commemorates the  ה ָּ כֻנ ֲ ח,   or object into the trade or art for   into the world.
      Cthe rededication of the Beit         which it is destined, as in the educa-
       HaMikdash, and particularly of the   tion of a youth, the dedication of the   Each Child Is a Flame
       ַ ח ֵּ בְז ִ מ, the altar centerpiece of the   altar, or inauguration of a house.  Rav  Samson  Raphael  Hirsch  points
       Temple which the Greeks had defiled                                       out that the basic mitzvah of Chanu-
       (Maharsha to Shabbat 21b). All dedi-  The term chinuch is appropriate when   kah is as the Gemara dictates,  ׁשי ִ א רֵנ
       cations are called  ה ָּ כֻנ ֲ ח,  such as  ת ַּ כֻנ ֲ ח   referring to an innate talent that a   ֹותי ֵ בּו, the head of the household lights
       ַ ח ֵּ בְז ִּ מ ַ ה or  ן ָּ כ ְ ׁש ִּ מ ַ ה ת ַּ כֻנ ֲ ח, or in contempo-  person has for a certain art, or when   one candle and fulfills the mitzvah for
       rary times when we buy a new home    describing the preparation of a house   his wife and children. However, says
       and  invite  people  for  a  תִי ַּ ב ַ ה ת ַּ כֻנ ֲ ח,  a   or object for use.  the Gemara, one does the mitzvah in
       dedication ceremony.                 It is a special word with specific defi-  a  mehadrin, enhanced fashion, if  רֵנ
       Rav  Samson  Raphael  Hirsch  explains   nition, and it is used to describe the   ד ָ ח ֶ א ְ ו ד ָ ח ֶ א ל ָ כ ְ ל, each person of the house
       the etymology of the name  ה ָּ כֻנ ֲ ח as   realization of latent potential inher-  lights their own.
       deriving from the same root as the   ent in a person or object. If we fail to   Rav Hirsch suggests that yes, we can
             ְ
       word  ךֹונ ֲ ח, to educate. Indeed, Rav   actualize that potential, it will remain   live life  ֹותי ֵ בּו  ׁשי ִ א רֵנ, if we light the fire
       Hirsch says, it used to be customary   concealed forever.                 in our own hearts, inspire ourselves
       to spend time on Chanukah discuss-   Our mission is to be  mechanech, to   and make sure we are warm. But the
       ing, strategizing and recommitting to   educate the person so that he will   proper thing to do, the way to accom-
       the importance of chinuch.           become an accomplished craftsman;    plish things in a mehadrin fashion, is

       We know Jewish education is import-  to prepare the house so that each    to make sure each person in the home
                                                                                 is a burning flame, to inspire children
       ant, but what connection does it have   room fulfills its intended purpose;   to burn brightly and illuminate the
       to Chanukah that they should share a   or to prepare the instrument so that   darkness as well.
       name?                                it performs the function for which it
                                            was designed.”                       Chinuch Never Ends
       What Is Chinuch?                     According  to  the  Piaseczno, Jewish   The Gemara continues:  ן ִ מ  ןי ִ ר ְ ּ ד ַ ה ְ מ

       The Piaseczno Rebbe, Rav Kalony-     education  and Chanukah  share the   ןי ִ ר ְ ּ ד ַ ה ְּ מ ַ ה is to light additional candles
       mus Kalman Shapira, defines chinuch   exact  same  essence.  Both  are  about   each night. In  chinuch, like in Cha-
       in the introduction to his incredi-  dedication, bringing potential into   nukah, you can’t light one candle
       ble  Chovas HaTalmidim. Based on a   reality, helping a person or a building   and think you are done. You can’t
       Rashi in Bereishit 14:14, he writes,   fulfill the purpose for which it exists,   teach one lesson, share one value,



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