Story of Chanukah
Who did not let the Jews do mitzvot?
The Yevanim (Greeks)
How many candles do we light each night of Chanukah?
Start with 1 candle the 1st night, and add a candle each night until there are 8 candles for the 8th night
What date does Chanukah start?
כ׳׳ה כִּסְלֵו
There's a minhag to eat these 2 oily foods on Chanukah
Latkes and Sufganiot
How many days is Chanukah?
8 days!
What are the two miracles of Chanukah?
1. The Maccabim won the war against the Yevanim
2. There was only enough oil to last for 1 day, but it lasted for 8 days
The candles of a chanukiah do not have to be in a straight line. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE- they MUST be in a straight line to be kosher!
What time of day do we light the chanukiah? What about on Friday before Shabbos?
After צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים- after 3 stars are in the sky - when it's dark. On Friday we light before Shabbos starts, so it is still light out.
What are the letters on a dreidel and what do they stand for?
נ- נס
ג- גדול
ה- היה
ש- שם
{פ- פה}
What is the helper candle of the chanukiah called in Hebrew?
שַׁמָשׁ
Who was the Greek King?
Antiochus
What are 2 different things we can use to light the chanukiah?
1. Shemen Zayit (Olive Oil)
2. Wax Candles
For how long must the chanukiah be lit?
For at least 30 min after צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים
There's a minhag to eat which on Chanukah:
Dairy or Meat?
BONUS: Why?
Dairy
BONUS: Because a woman named Yehudit fed a Greek general cheese in order to make him thirsty. Then he drank wine and fell asleep. She was then able to save Jews from getting hurt.
What's one song we sing right after lighting the Chanukiah?
Haneirot Hallelu and Maoz Tzur
Who was the leader of the Maccabim?
Yehudah HaMaccabee
In what direction do we set candles up, and in what direction do we light them?
Set up: Right to left
Light them: Left to right
Where should we light the chanukiah? Why?
By a window or door in order for people outside to be able to see the chanukiah and remember the miracle of the oil-- Pirsumei Nisa!
Why did the Chashmonaim (Jews) spin the dreidel during the Chanukah story?
They had to hide the Torah they were learning from the Yevanim-- so they pretended they were playing dreidel and not learning.
What 2 special tefillot do we say on Chanukah?
Hallel and Al Hanisim
What happened on כ׳׳ה כִּסְלֵו ?
The Beit Hamikdash finished being cleaned and was rededicated. A small jug of oil was found for the menorah.
Who's opinion do we follow in regards to how many candles we light each night of Chanukah-- Hillel or Shammai?
BONUS: Why?
Hillel -- we add a candle each night -- מעלין בקדש ואין מורידין ––we should increase/go up in holiness and not go down -- the light should get bigger and bigger each night, not smaller
Before Shabbos, which candles do we light first -- Chanukah candles or Shabbos Candles? Why?
Chanukah candles come first because you're not allowed to light a fire after Shabbos starts (which starts after you light Shabbos candles)
Why is there a minhag to eat latkes and sufganiot on Chanukah?
Because these foods are made with oil, and we want to remember the miracle that the oil lasted for 8 days.
What special bracha do we say on the first night of Chanukah when lighting the chanukiah?
Shehecheyanu