TALMUD & HANUKKAH LAW
What Jewish book, written around 500 CE, records rabbis debating Jewish laws and traditions?
he Babylonian Talmud
What is the day with the longest night of the year called?
the winter solstice
What Jewish movement focuses on spirituality, mysticism, and inner life?
Hasidism
Rabbi Dev Nolly says it can be harmful when we always describe “light” as good and “dark” as bad. Why?
Because it supports harmful racial ideas.
Rabbi Fern Feldman says darkness is a place where what disappears?
Boundaries.
According to the Talmud, the basic mitzvah of Hanukkah is lighting candles for this group.
a person and their household
In the Talmudic story, why does Adam think the days are getting shorter?
He thinks the world is becoming dark because he sinned.
Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter teaches that a sanctuary exists not only in a building, but where else?
Inside each person.
How does the Talmud describe Torah using the colors black and white?
As black fire on white fire.
Rabbi Jill Hammer teaches that God’s presence at Mount Sinai included darkness along with lightning. True or False?
True.
Which group of rabbis taught that we start Hanukkah with one candle and add one each night?
Beit Hillel
How many days does Adam fast and pray when he fears the darkness?
eight days
According to some teachings, why is light sometimes hidden?
Because it can be hidden inside darkness.
Why do both the black letters and white space matter in Torah?
Because both help create meaning.
What Hebrew word describes the thick, mysterious darkness around God at Sinai?
arafel
Why should the Hanukkah candles be placed where people can see them, like near a door or window?
To share the miracle with others (publicizing the miracle).
What does Adam realize when the days start getting longer again?
That darkness and light are part of the natural order of the world.
What do the Hanukkah candles help us find inside ourselves?
Our hidden inner light.
What positive idea does Rabbi Nolly connect to darkness?
Birth, growth, and possibility.
According to Rabbi Hammer, darkness can represent not just fear but also what?
Creativity, mystery, and wisdom.
What does the disagreement between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai show about how Jewish law is made?
That Jewish law comes from discussion and debate.
What human feeling does this story connect to darkness and winter?
Fear of change, uncertainty, or the unknown.
How are the outer candles of Hanukkah connected to our inner lives?
They help us search for and uncover the light inside ourselves.
What happens when we stop thinking of light and dark as “good vs. bad”?
We make room for deeper understanding and justice.
Cantor Sierra Fox invites us to live in a space that is both light and dark at the same time. What is this called?
A “both-and” or in-between space.