Page 48 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA
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HOLIDAY READING



                                                                                     Dr. Deena Zimmerman







                            The Messages of the


                               Name of Chanukah










             he name of the holiday can be   from the rest of the work. The last   Candles are a wonderful metaphor
             understood in a number of ways.   two letters – כ and ה – are the date in   for education. In lighting one candle
      TThe  ט ָ ׁש ְּ פ, the straightforward   Kislev on which the holiday falls. The   from another, the fire takes hold of
       explanation, is that it comes from the   remaining letters spell ּונ ָ ח, they rested.   the second candle, but is not dimin-
       idea of the inauguration. The Torah   Thus the name can also be read “they   ished in the first. So too in education.
                                                              th
       describes the offerings brought by the   rested on the 25 ”(Machzor Vitry   When a teacher passes on knowledge
       nesi’im at the onset of the use of the altar   Seder Chanukah 259). This version   to his or her student, the student
       in the Mishkan as  ַ ח ֵּ בְז ִּ מ ַ ה ת ַּ כֻנ ֲ ח (Bamidbar   of the name  thus reflects the more   gains understanding and the teacher’s
       Chapter 7). This literal connection is   worldly reason for the celebration of   knowledge is not diminished.
       most likely the reason the offerings of   Chanukah, the miracle of winning
       the nesi’im are the Torah reading for   the battle against the Syrian-Greeks   Prayers of thanks should also be an
       each day of Chanukah.                 and the ability to rest at the end of   important part of education. This can
                                             this battle. This reason for Chanukah   be more challenging as there is a nat-
       ה ָּ כּונ ֲ ח, in the sense of the dedication   is most closely associated with the   ural tendency to offer thanks if one is
       of a new structure, is also used in   second commandment of Chanukah,      dealt the ‘ideal’ student. It is harder to
       context of the beginning of the use of   the reciting of prayers of thanks such   feel thanks for students who are more
       the Temple built by Shlomo; multiple   as  Hallel  and  additions  of  portions   challenging. But that too is a message
       sacrifices were brought for the inau-  of thanks in the  Amidah and  Birkat   of  Chanukah.  The  victory  over  the
       guration of the House of G-d by the   HaMazon.                             Greeks was not perfect. The battle
       king and all of Israel (Kings 2, 8:63).                                    raged for years after the Temple ded-
       A  ה ָּ כּונ ֲ ח was also performed upon   However,  there  is  yet  another  word   ication and the Hasmonean Dynasty
       the dedication of the Second Temple   reflected in the name of Chanukah,   lasted only 100 years. Yet every year
                                                    ְ
       (Ezra 6:17) and completion of rebuild-  that of  ךּוּנ ִ ח, education. This is fitting   we say Hallel for the victory we were
       ing the walls of Jerusalem at the time   too, as Chanukah celebrates the vic-  given at that time. So too, we should
       of return from Babylon (Nechemia      tory of the Jews in regaining the cen-  be thankful for all of our students and
       12:27). This meaning of the name is   tral part of Jewish education, the study   help each of them shine their unique
       most connected to the spiritual reason   of Torah. In the words of the Rambam,   light on the world.
       for Chanukah, the rededication of the   Hilchot Megillah VeChanukah Chapter
       Menorah and Temple after it had been   3: “At the time of the Second Temple,
       defiled by the Syrian-Greek oppres-   when the Greeks ruled, they decreed
       sors. This reason for Chanukah is     edicts to remove Jews from their reli-
       most closely associated with one of   gion and to prevent their involvement
       the commandments of Chanukah, the     with Torah and commandments.”
       lighting of candles.                  Therefore,  the reason  for  the  worldly
                                             battle in the first place was to reclaim   Dr. Deena Zimmerman is a pediatrician
       The second stream of interpretation of   the spiritual world  G-d had given us   and  Director  of  yoatzot.org,  a  website  for
       the name separates the last two letters   through the Torah.               women’s health and halacha.


                                       To defend a country, you need an army. But to defend humanity, you need education.
                                                                                                RABBI SACKS
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