ExperienceChanukah

Kislev 25–TeveT 3, 5773DeCember 8–16, 2012

Join us for our annual Grand Menorah LightingSee back for details.

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This publication contains sacred writings. Please don’t desecrate it. However, it is not considered shaimos.© 2012 by The Shluchim Office, Design & Photography © 2012 by Spotlight Design. Cover Art by Michoel Muchnik

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{ Save the Date }Join Chabad of Yourtown’s

Chanukah WonderlandSunday, December 16TH 2012, 5:00PM

Live Music, Balloons, Dreidels, Doughnuts,Hot Latkes, Juggling Show

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For more information and to RSVP visit www.chabadofyourtown.com or call 123-456-7890 or email: info@chabad.com

Dear Friend,Did Chanukah happen years ago, or is it happening now?Looking at the events today, you start to wonder. The story of alittle candle pushing away the monster of frightening darkness,of human sensibility overcoming terror and brute force, of lifeand growth overcoming destruction�the battle is very muchalive within each of us, and in the world outside of us.

It reoccurs at every winter solstice, at every dawn of each day,with every photon of sunlight that breaks through the earth'satmosphere bringing it warmth and life-nurturing energy.With every breath of life, every cry of a newborn child, everyblade of grass that breaks out from under the soil, everydecision to do good in the face of evil, to be kind where there iscruelty, to build where others destroy, to move humanityforward when others pull us toward chaos. And that isChanukah.

Chanukah is an eight-day spiritual journey. Many people knowthe story of Chanukah�but only as a historical pretext to givegifts and eat latkes. We can call that the body of Chanukah.The soul of Chanukah is its meditation, joy, warmth and light.Not only in our homes with our loved ones, but with the entireworld. In this tradition, Chabad presents this historic MenorahLighting. Our hope is that by igniting our souls, everybody willfollow and light the world, one candle at a time.

We look forward to having you join us for the Public MenorahLighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 16th at 5:00 pm andmaking this Chanukah very special.

Sincerely,Rabbi Chabad LubavitcherDirector, Chabad of Your Town

Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, re-calls the victory—more than 2100years ago—of a militarily weak but

spiritually strong Jewish people over themighty forces of a ruthless enemy that hadover run the Holy Land and threatened toengulf the land and its people in darkness.

The miraculous victory—culminating withthe dedication of the Sanctuary inJerusalem and the rekindling of theMenorah which had been desecrated andextinguished by the enemy—has been cele-brated annually ever since during theseeight days of Chanukah, especially by light-ing the Chanukah Menorah, also as a symboland message of the triumph of freedom overoppression, of spirit over matter, of lightover darkness.

It is a timely and reassuring message, for theforces of darkness are ever present.Moreover, the danger does not come exclu-sively from outside; it often lurks close tohome, in the form of insidious erosion oftime-honored values and principles that areat the foundation of any decent human so-ciety. Needless to say, darkness is not chased

away by brooms and sticks, but by illumina-tion. Our sages said, “A little light expels alot of darkness.”

The Chanukah lights remind us in a mostobvious way that illumination begins athome, within oneself and one’s family, by in-creasing and intensifying the light of Torahand Mitzvos in the everyday experience,even as the Chanukah lights are kindled ingrowing numbers from day today. Butthough it begins at home, it does not stopthere. Such is the nature of light that whenone kindles the Chanukah lights are ex-pressly meant to illuminate the “outside,”symbolically alluding to the duty to bringlight also to those who, for one reason or an-other, still walk in darkness.

What is true of the individual is true of a na-tion, especially this great United States,united under G-d, and generously blessedby G-d with material as well as spiritualriches. It is surely the duty and privilege ofthis Nation to promote all the forces of lightboth at home and abroad, and in a steadilygrowing measure.

Let us pray that the message of theChanukah lights will illuminate the every-day life of everyone personally, and of thesociety at large, for a brighter life in everyrespect, both materially and spiritually.

Iluminate THE

a message based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

World

ChanukahExperience q3

W hen Alexander theGreat conqueredJerusalem in 3448 (-313

B.C.E.), we paid taxes and livedpretty peacefully under Greek rule.Several rulers later, AntiochusEpiphanies rose to power. Antiochusand his cohorts ransacked our HolyTemple in Jerusalem. Then heoutlawed some core Jewish mitzvot:circumcision, Shabbat, learningTorah and Jewish marriage. Jewishidentity and our relationship withthe single and indefinable G-d wasseriously in jeopardy.

Many Jews openly defied these decrees anddied as martyrs. Finally, when Anti-ochus

raised statues of Zeus in the townsand demanded that peo-ple worship them, theJewish people rose up torevolt. In 3621 (-140B.C.E.), led by a priestlyfamily of the Hasmoneandynasty, they fought awar not over territory orpower, but for religiousfreedom and rights. Thissmall army called them-selves the Maccabees, anacronym for “Mi Kamocha

Ba’eilim Hashem—Who is likeYou among the powerful, O L-rd?”

Logically, the Hasmonean Mattityahu andhis five sons, men of priestly class, were nomatch for the most powerful army in theworld. The miracle was that they won somebattles. The Greeks kept coming back withbigger armies and (to really make a point)armored elephants. As the battles becamefiercer, the victories became increasinglymiraculous, and the Maccabees kept onwinning. In fact, they managed to chasethose Greeks out of Jerusalem, clean up thedesecrated Temple, and declare independ-ence.

When the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalemand entered the Holy Temple, they found adisturbing mess—idols, forbidden foods, andbroken pottery everywhere. So they tidiedup and rededicated the Temple.

Then they encountered a new problem. Thesix-foot golden Menorah had to be lit withpure olive oil, undefiled by those who wereritually impure. All the oil in the Temple hadbeen defiled by the Greeks. There was noone there who could make new oil, sinceeveryone was ritually impure, having justfought a war and killed people.

They could not use the defiled oil, but to getolive oil from the orchards of Tekoah wouldtake 7 days round-trip. They did not want towait to light the Menorah!

Now even more miracles occurred: First,they found a bottle of pure oil hidden be-neath the floor, still sealed with the insigniaof the High Priest. Then, even though it wasa single flask with just enough oil for onenight, it miraculously lasted for eight days!

ChanukahExperience q4

storyTHECH

ANUKAH

THe rUlesTo play, you need adreidel and some coins(or anything small buteasily counted, like candyor cereal pieces). Allplayers begin with anequal amount, and alsoestablish the “pot” bycontributing equally.

Take turns spinning the dreidel.If it lands on:

נ Nun—get nothing.

ג Gimmel—take the whole pot.

ה Hay—take half the pot.

ש Shin—pay two into the pot.

If the pot empties out, everyonecontributes equally once again.

ChanukahExperience

rPlayingDreidel W hen the Greek Antiochus

forbade Torah study,Jewish children studied

together secretly in caves. When theyheard a Greek officer approaching,they would hide their schoolbooks andpretend to be playing with tops.

We play dreidel (sevivon in Hebrew) onChanukah as a reminder of these brave

children and their courage. The worddreidel comes from the Yiddishword drei, which means“turn.” Our dreidels havefour sides, with a Hebrewletter imprinted on each:Nun, Gimmel, Hay, and Shin.These stand for the Hebrewwords Ness Gadol Haya Sham,

which means “a great miraclehappened there, in reference to the

Maccabees’ miraculous victory. InIsrael, the dreidels say Nun, Gimmel, Hay, andPaywhich stand for “Ness Gadol Haya Poh -A great miracle happened here.”

q5

M enorah is the Hebrew word forlamp. Originally mentioned inthe Torah, the menorah is one

of the oldest symbols of Judaism.

The Torah tells us a special seven-branched menorah was lit every day in theMishkan, the portable temple used by ourancestors en route to the Holy Land, andalso in the Beit Hamikdash, Jerusalem’sHoly Temple.

Over time, the menorah has become anicon for Jewish culture and faith. Forthousands of years, images of eight-branched menorahs have been prevalent inJewish art, architecture, and culture.

The menorah of the Temple only boreseven branches. So why does the popularmenorah have eight?

The simple answer is that the popularmenorah is not a depiction of the Templemenorah, but of a special Chanukahmenorah. Chanukah celebrates the miracleof the Temple’s seven-branched menorahburning for eight days. In commemorationof this, we light an eight-branchedmenorah.

The miracle that inspired the Sages’creation of Chanukah occurred in 140 BCE.Since then, Jews throughout the worldhave lit the menorah each year atChanukah. The menorah continues to be a

source of inspiration for us. Its lights giveus the strength we need to persevere, evenamidst such horrors as the Holocaust andthe gloom of the Soviet gulag.

In addition, there is something morespiritually significant, somethingKabbalistic, about lighting eight candles atChanukah.

Kabbalah teaches that the number sevensymbolizes the natural order of theuniverse, as in the seven days of the week.Eight, being the first number beyond seven,symbolizes transcending nature andembracing the supernatural andmiraculous.

Now we understand why specifi-cally the eight-branchedmenorah is so popular. It is asymbol of our hope and eter-nal optimism that G-d willmake things work out forus, even when it seemsunlikely.

The Chanukah meno-rah proclaims G-d’s in-volvement in our lives,past and present. Whenwe light the menorahthis Chanukah, let’s begrateful for all of our ownprivate miracles.

seven branCHes or eigHT?A Look at the Menorah’s History & Deeper Meaning

The Menora� tt

ChanukahExperience q6

Lightall the lampholders of your

menorah should be of even heightand in an even line, except for theshamash (service candle), whichshould be at a distinctly differentheight than the rest.

The optimum place for amenorah is in a doorway, oppositethe mezuzah. You can also use awindow that is visible from the street.

a married couple or family isconsidered one unit, so the husband

can light for everyone. If you areliving alone, you also need a

menorah. To get the kidsinvolved, they can light theirown menorahs.

on the first night, light thecandle furthest to the right.each day, add another to the

lest of the original. always lightthe newly added candle first.

The right time to light is atnightfall (about 20 minutes astersunset). Your menorah should

remain lit for at least a ½ hour pastnightfall. You may light earlier, but makesure it is able to stay lit for the requisite½ hour past nightfall.

Got home late? as long assomeone’s around to see themenorah, you can still light it with ablessing. If not, light the menorahwithout a blessing.

on Friday asternoon, both yourmenorah and Shabbat candles shouldbe lit 18 minutes before sunset. Don’teven think of lighting aster sunset.Your menorah may need more fuel tolast until ½ hour aster nightfall.

on Saturday night, wait untilaster nightfall, when Shabbat ends.Recite the Havdalah before lightingyour menorah.

Women have the custom to taketime out from doing household choreswhile the Menorah burns. How long?at least half an hour.

The menorah brings lightinto our homes andradiates onto the street.By spreading goodnessand kindness, we too cantransform the outsideworld, and weaken thespiritual darkness.

See page 11 for dates and blessings

YourMenorah

rHow-to

ChanukahExperience q7

There is also adeeper reason for this age-old custom:�The Greeks laid their handsupon the possessions of Israel.�

—Maimonides

The Greeks assaulted the pos-sessions of Israel in the samespirit in which they ruined theoil in the Holy Temple. Theydid not destroy the oil; theydefiled it. They did not rob theJewish people; they attemptedto infuse their possessionswith Greek ideals—that theybe used for egotistical and im-pure ends, rather than holypursuits.

Chanukah gelt celebrates ourfreedom and mandate to chan-nel material wealth towardholy ends.

The mostsignificantnight to give

is on the fifth, the firstnight that there are more flamesthan darkness. The LubavitcherRebbe encouraged the ad-mirable custom of gelt-givingeach night of Chanukah (asidefrom Shabbat).

th NIGHT

ChanukahTIDBITS

ChanukahExperience q8

Chanukah Gelt

The Hebrew word Chanukah shares thesame root as chinuch (education). The

Greeks were determined to force Hellenismupon the Jewish population, at the expense ofthe ideals and commandments of the holyTorah. Unfortunately, they almost succeededin their endeavor. After they were defeated itwas necessary to reintroduce Torah values tomany Jews.

Appropriately, during Chanukah it is custom-ary to give gelt (money) to children to teachthem to increase in charity and good deeds;and to add to the festive holiday spirit.

This gentle persuasion is an essential compo-nent in the educational process. Maimonidesdiscusses the importance of using incentivesuntil a child can independently understand theimportance and beauty of the Torah.

What is Chanukah?Chanukah is a lesson in life - per-

haps the most important lessonyou’ll ever learn. Chanukah is the storyof light defying darkness.

All of us struggle with darkness—whether it be from within our ownselves or from the big, scary world outthere. Chanukah comes to say:Don’t fight with shadows.Instead, light a candle andthe darkness will runaway.

What’s a candle? Acandle is a mitzvah—adivinely beautiful deed,handed to us straightfrom Heaven to upliftour world and make itinto a divinely beautifulplace. Nothing is morepowerful than a mitzvah.

So, as the sun’s light dwindles and thedays shorten, we light one small candle.The next night we light two. Bit by bit,the light becomes stronger until wereach the power of eight—a numberthat represents a power beyond nature,a miraculous power.

There are so many lessons to be learnedfrom Chanukah, but let’s start

here: When darknesslooms, make more light. Do

more good. Add another mitz-vah to your life and make yourlight shine brighter each day.Your efforts may seem smallin comparison to the darknessout there, but never under-estimate the power of light.

Like in the story of theMaccabees, just a little bit of

light can chase away a whole lot of

MENORAHThe Jewish sages taught that thefirst light created was too powerfulfor humans to use, so G-d hid itaway for the time when the worldwould achieve a higher state. That’sthe light that shines out of yourChanukah menorah.

The windows of the Holy Templewere wider outside than in. Ratherthan let the sun light in like all otherwindows, the Temple windows were

built to let the light ofthe Menorah out, to

shine out to therest of the world.

MIRACLE OIL Since the miracle ofChanukah happened withoil (the olive oil in themenorah), we eatoily foods onChanukah, suchas donuts andpotato latkes.

Oil also symbolizesthe secret wisdom of the Torahknown as the Kabbalah. Like oilseeps through a fabric, this wisdompermeates every aspect of the Torah.Yet, just as oil remains separate andfloats above water, the true depth ofKabbalah always remains just be-yond our grasp.

ChanukahExperience q9

Donuts, an old-fashionedtreat, are never quite as goodwhen store-bought.Try them homemade!

INGREDIENTS1 ¾ ounces fresh yeast1 ½ cups warm water1 Tbsp. sugar3 eggs½ cup oil½ cup sugar½ cup non-dairy creamer1 tsp. vanilla extract1 tsp. grated lemon peel6 to 7 cups of flouralso:Oil for fryingConfectioners’ sugar

Use: 2-quart potYields: 5 to 6 dozen donuts

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar(first three ingredients). Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large mixer bowl: place eggs, oil, sugar, non-dairy creamer, vanilla, and grated lemon peel. addyeast mixture; add flour until sost dough isformed. (Dough need not be dry; it should besoster than challah dough.) Knead for a few min-utes. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk,about 1 to 1-½ hours.

Roll out dough ½-inch thick on floured surface.Cut out circles with a doughnut cutter.

Place 2 or 3 inches oil in a 2-quart saucepan andheat over a medium flame until hot. Place fourdonuts at a time in the oil. Brown on one side andthen on the other. Remove with slotted spoon,drain and cool on paper towels. Dust with confec-tioners’ sugar.

Note: To test if dough is ready for rolling, place asmall piece in a glass of water-if the dough floatsto the top, it is ready.

Traditional DonutsRecipe for Delicious

ChanukahExperience q10

FIRST NIGHT OF CHANUKAH SHaBBaT, DeCeMBeR 8—KISLeV 25After night falls and Shabbat ends, recite the Havdalah(www.chabad.org/256963). Recite blessings 1, 2, and 3, andkindle one light on your menorah.

SECOND NIGHT OF CHANUKAH SUNDaY, DeCeMBeR 9—KISLeV 26After sunset recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle two lightson your menorah.

THIRD NIGHT OF CHANUKAH MONDaY, DeCeMBeR 10—KISLeV 27After sunset recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle three lightson your menorah.

FOURTH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH TUeSDaY, DeCeMBeR 11—KISLeV 28After sunset recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle four lightson your menorah.

FIFTH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH WeDNeSDaY, DeCeMBeR 12—KISLeV 29After sunset recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle five lights onyour menorah.

SIXTH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH THURSDaY, DeCeMBeR 13—TeVeT 1After sunset, recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle six lights onyour menorah.

SEVENTH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH FRIDaY, DeCeMBeR 14—TeVeT 2Before sunset, recite blessings 1 and 2, and kindle seven lightson your menorah. The menorah must be lit BEFORE lightingthe Shabbat candles (18 minutes before sunset).

Light Shabbat candles (see chabad.org for your local times.)

EIGHTH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH SaTURDaY, DeCeMBeR 15—TeVeT 3After night falls and Shabbat ends, recite the Havdalah(www.chabad.org/256963). Recite blessings 1 and 2, andkindle eight lights on your menorah.

Chanukah 5773/2012CALENDAR

Baruch atah ado-noi, elo-hei-nuMelech Ha-olam, asher

Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sav, Ve-tzi-vanu Le-had-lik Ner Chanukah.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of theuniverse, who has sanctified us with Hiscommandments, and commanded us tokindle the Chanukah light.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of theuniverse, who performed miracles for ourforefathers in those days at this time.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of theuniverse, who has granted us life,sustained us, and enabled us to reachthis occasion.

1

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/vŠFb£j rb

Baruch atah ado-noi, elo-hei-nuMelech Ha-olam, She-asa

Nisim La-a-vo-sai-nu, Ba-ya-mimHa-haim Biz-man Ha-zeh.

2

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Baruch atah ado-noi elo-hei-nu Melech Ha-olam

She-heh- chi-yah-nu Ve-ki-ye-mahnu Ve-hi-gi-ahnu Liz-man Ha-zeh.

3

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BLESSINGS

AFTER LIGHTING, SAY OR SING:

',IgUJ§T©v k‹g 'ih¦ehk§s©n Ubt UkŠK©v ,«urb©v,h¦aŠg¤a ',«utŠk‰p°b©v k‹g±u 'oh¦x°b©v k‹g±u h¥s±h k‹g 'v®z©v i©n±ZC o¥vv oh¦n²H‹C ubh¥,«uc£t‹k'vŠFb£j h¥n±h ,³b«un§a kŠf±u /oh¦a«us§e©v Whœ®b£v«F,UJ§r UbŠk ih¥t±u 'o¥v a¤s«e UkŠk©v ,«urb©v 'sŠc‰kC i,«ut§rk tŠk¤t 'i¥vŠC J¥N©T§J¦v‰k 'k«us²d©v W§n¦J‰k k‡K©v‰kU ,«us«uv‰k h¥s‰F

:Wœ¤,ŠgUJ±h k‹g±u Whœ¤,It‰k‰p°b k‹g±u Whœ¤X°b k‹g

ChanukahExperience q11

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