Hanuka — or Chanukah or any variation thereof, still is חנוכה — is different than most “popular” Jewish holidays in many ways. It is not from the Torah; akin to Purim, it is “post-Torah.” The full Hallel is recited after the morning Ahmedah.1 On Pesach (Passover) the full Hallel is recited only on the first day. Shavuot, however, is similar to Hanuka in that full Hallel is recited all eight days.2 Hanuka also shares another trait with Shavuot. Both holidays are celebrated with dairy meals. My Moroccan Mother-in-Law recalls making a dairy cus-cus.
שלחו ערוך השלם מנקד (של הרה''ג מרדכי אליהו) הנוכה ,,,בת יוחנן כהן גדול (ע"מ 466))
As with everything Jewish, there are variations on a theme.
?מה עוד חדש
EVERYTHING “HANUKA” IS RABBINICAL.
Everyone knows that the main difference between the menorah in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem — built long before Mohamed was born and therefore preceding Islam and the so-called “Palestinians” — and the Hanukia is the number of wicks.
The Temple in Jerusalem had seven wicks — the shamash in the middle flanked by three on either side.
Why “wicks?” Rather than write “candles or wicks in oil,” “wicks” covers both. Candles have wicks. Oil hanukiot also use wicks.
Some homes have a hanukia for each person — it makes a pretty sight and we are allowed only to enjoy the light — in other homes, there is one hanukia for the entire household. In multi-hanukia households, everyone who lights the wicks says the blessings. In a single-hanukia household, whoever lights the wicks says the blessing. The single-hanukia source is the Babylonian Talmud.3
Everyone says amen to the blessings:
להדליק ניר של חנכה
בימים ההם בזמן הזה
שהחינו
Everyone sings the songs, including:
מעור צור ישועתי
To help assure that everyone enjoys the light of the hanukia, work is prohibited while the wicks burn.
The commandment is to LIGHT the wicks. If the fire goes out, it is not necessary to re-light the wick.
The REASON the wicks are lit is to publicize the miracle of Hanuka.
While the only thing we can do with the light is to enjoy it, in order to publicize it we put the hanukia where it can be seen by passers-by.
On most nights the wicks must burn, at a minimum, 30 minutes. On Shabat, when the wicks are lit before the Shabat candles, the “no work” period is longer. (On the other hand, all work is permitted during Hanuka (except, of course, on Shabat Hanuka).4 Shabat is the only night when the wicks are lit before dark (since they must be lit before the Shabat candles).
The problem with the hanukiot in the image above is that the candles are at different levels. The only exception is the shamash. All eight candles must be at the same level.5
During prayers and at meals
In the morning prayers, both daily and Shabat, Moroccans add “A psalm, a song of dedication of the House of David, a/k/a the Temple, before “From your heights”
In the Hanuka Ahmedah, we add “For the miracles” (על הנסים) and the paragraph beginning “In the days of Matatya” ( בימי מתתיה בן יוחנן) 7
In Berekat HaMazon (prayer following a meal with bread), the words we add “Because of the miracles” (על הנסים).8 All of the above apply to those who pray at home as well.
Many Moroccans also add “נר-לרגלי ואור לנתיבתי” just before “בריך שמיה” except on Rosh Hodesh when “יהי רצון” precedes “בריך שמיה”.
Hanuka song book
* Songs for Teaching: http://tinyurl.com/y8h6ymod
* Chanukah Songs from Chabad: http://tinyurl.com/y8fllhjm
* Maoz Tzur & Oh Hanukkah: http://tinyurl.com/yafkh6e9
* Hanukkah Song and Music Guide: http://tinyurl.com/y7dkqc3a
* Hanukkah Songs and lyrics: http://tinyurl.com/y8rol623
* Hebrew songs (English lyrics): http://tinyurl.com/3esc7http://tinyurl.com/3esc7
Hanuka elsewhere on this blog
Hanukkah quiz http://tinyurl.com/ybuoggqw
A little bit of water keeps oil cups clean http://tinyurl.com/y9yscayu
Phrasing it out? http://tinyurl.com/yaxt3pow
Two thoughts - Hallel and Atheists http://tinyurl.com/y6wz93nx
Choice: Advertise Hanuka? Or risk a conflagration http://tinyurl.com/yb2hqolm
"Xmas not for Jews" said to be hate crime http://tinyurl.com/y75af53e
I don't understand http://tinyurl.com/y8kg7gqu
Sources
1. R. Israel Meir Lau, יהדות הלכה למעשה Page 241
2. Sedur Abotanu, Page 667
3. Israel Meir Lau, יהדות הלכה למעשה Page 239
4. R. Mordachi Eliyahu קצור שלחן ערוך השלם מנקד Page 466, Para. ג
5. R. Mordachi Eliyahu קצור שלחן ערוך השלם מנקד Page 467, Para. י
6. Sedur Abotanu, Page 134
7. Sedur Abotanu, Page 183
8. R. Israel Meir Lau, יהדות הלכה למעשה Page 238
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