Ask The Rabbi
27 December 1997 
Issue #173 (Parashat Miketz)
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          Dedicated in memory of Brian Lutch, Benyamin ben Berel, 
                         by his son, Joseph Lutch.
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This Issue Contains:
1. Current Candles              5. Greece My Palm
2. Six or Eight?                6. Chanukia
3. What if the Greeks had Won?  7.  Yiddle Riddle
4. Apocrypha Now
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Ruth Rosenthal <RuthrSF@aol.com> wrote:

>Dear Rabbi,
>Can one use an electric chanukiah?

* * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Ruth Rosenthal,

	A Chanukah menorah must contain enough fuel at the time of lighting 
to burn for at least half an hour after nightfall.  Based on this, Rabbi Tzvi 
Pesach Frank, zatzal, head of the Rabbinical court in Jerusalem, ruled that 
one may not use an electric menorah.  Electricity is not stored for future 
use; rather, it is consumed as it is generated.  Thus the required amount 
of "fuel" is not in existence at the time of lighting.  (According to this, 
a battery-operated menorah should be OK, because the fuel actually is there 
at the time of lighting.)

	Another reason not to use an electric menorah is that the menorah we 
use commemorates the Menorah in the Temple and the miracle that occurred 
there.  Our menorah, therefore, should resemble the one in the Temple.  For 
that reason, many people use olive oil for fuel.  Recently, someone 
marketed candles made of congealed olive oil for use as Chanukah and Friday 
night candles!

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Leonard Hirschel <yanky@mail.idt.net> wrote:

>Did the Menorah in the Temple have 6 or 8 branches?

* * * * * * * * *

Dear Leonard Hirschel,

	The Menorah in the Temple had six or seven branches, depending on 
whether or not you call the central stem a "branch."  It had six branches 
coming out of a central stem.  Each branch had a flame on top, and the 
central stem also had a flame on top.  Altogether, the Menorah had seven 
lamps.

Sources:
o  Exodus 25:32,37
o  Numbers 8:2

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Mike <mikebrad@netspace.net.au> wrote:

>What would have happened if the Greeks won?

Josh from Melbourne <superjosh@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Dear Rabbi,
>My name is Josh and I go to Bialik College, Melbourne, Australia.  I just 
>wanted to ask you a few questions about Chanukah.  Why is Chanukah so 
>important?  What is the main feature of Chanukah?  What do you think would 
>happen if the Greeks were successful in the battle against the Maccabees?  
>Why were the Maccabees chosen to fight the Greeks? Thank you for your time 
>and I hope to hear from you soon.  From your Jewish friend, Josh.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Mike and Josh,

	Chanukah is so important because it means the victory of Torah over 
Greek philosophy.

	Unlike previous pagan ideas so revolting to Jews, Greek paganism was 
bound up with beauty, art and philosophy.  Therefore, it captured the 
imagination of many Jews.  Many Jews became "Greekified," or "Hellenists."

	This may surprise you, but the Greeks did win.  You see, there was a 
battle and there was a war.  The Maccabees won the battle and were able to 
hold on for a while but eventually they succumbed to Pompeii's conquest 80 
years later.

	But the miracle of the oil inspired us to realize that G-d is with us 
no matter what.  Without that inspiration the Jewish People might not have 
been able to survive future periods of even greater persecution.

	Why the Maccabees? Because their father Mattityahu's faith in G-d 
gave him the courage to stand up against power and corruption.  The name 
Maccabee comes from the Hebrew acronym "Mi Camocha B'eilim Hashem" -- "who 
amongst the mighty is like You, G-d?"  Although the Maccabee's military 
victory didn't last, the miraculous events of the war and the oil inscribed 
the message of faith and loyalty indelibly into the Jewish soul.

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Will Sleever <williams@ovnet.com> wrote:

>I read through several areas of the origins of Chanukah.  There was also 
>reference to the books of Maccabees and Judith.  Are these considered 
>false history or true history?  I am aware that various peoples like to 
>trace their history to your civilization.  I am aware that other religions 
>have Maccabees I and II and Judith in their writings.  In  your opinion 
>are these events portrayed in these books false or true or mixed?

Dear Will Sleever,

	These books and others like them are part of what is known as the 
Apocrypha.  The Apocrypha are not considered holy, inspired or 
prophetically written.  Therefore, they are not necessarily historically 
accurate.  The Book of Maccabees describes events already discussed in the 
Talmud and hence is generally considered more accurate than the other books 
of the apocrypha.  Another account is the Scroll of Antiochus, 
which is printed in the Siddur Otzar Hatefillot.  Some communities used to 
read the Scroll of Antiochus during Chanukah on Shabbat afternoon.

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Helena from Troy, Michigan <esde@traversecity.com> wrote:

>Dear Rabbi,
>
>What's the source for "Chanukah gelt" -- giving money or presents on 
>Chanukah.  Does it have a Jewish source, or is it something we copied from 
>others so Jewish kids wouldn't feel left out?  Does it have any 
>significance?  Thank you.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Helena,

	"Chanukah gelt" is a Jewish custom rooted in the Talmud.

	The Talmud states that even a very poor person must light Chanukah 
lights, even if he can't afford it.  A person with no money is required to 
go "knocking on doors" until he collects enough to buy at least one candle 
for each night of Chanukah.

	The Torah concept of charity -- tzeddakah -- requires us to help the 
recipient in the most dignified manner possible.  Therefore, the custom 
arose to give gifts of money during Chanukah so that someone who needs 
extra money for Chanukah candles can receive it in the form of "Chanukah 
gelt."

Sources:
>Heard from Rabbi Dovid Cohen

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David Welsh <dwelsh@wgn.net> wrote:

>I heard in a lecture by a leader of the Israel Museum that the name given 
>to the Chanukah candelabra, Chanukiah, is not a correct way to refer to 
>it.  He said that the word Chanukiah was coined in the 1910's for a song 
>written in Israel.  I am a tour leader at the Skirball Museum in Los 
>Angeles, California and am anxious to be informed on this subject.  Can 
>you help?  Thank you & Shalom.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear David Welsh,

	In traditional Jewish literature the candelabra for Chanukah is 
called either menorah or ner Chanukah, "candle of Chanukah." Chanukiah is a 
modern Hebrew term.

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Yiddle Riddle

Question:  Where does the word Chanukah appear in this week's Parsha 
(Mikeitz)?  (That is, all the letters of the word "Chanukah" are written 
together, although they are out of order.)


Answer: "Yosef said to his attendant, `slaughter and prepare (the 
meal)....' " (Bereishis 43:16 ) The word for "and prepare" -- "vav - hay - 
chaf - nun sofit" -- plus the last letter of the word "slaughter" -- "tet - 
bayt - chet" -- spell "Chanukah" when they are rearranged.
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