CTJC Bulletin Chanukah 2021

Lighting the streets What is the purpose of the Chanukah candles?

How can the purpose lead us to a different kind of interfaith work?

Rabbi Elazar Symon The Chanukah candles are traditionally lit on the window sill. The common explanation for that is that it is so they can fulfil their role of "Pirsumei Nisa" - spreading the word of the Chanukah miracle (ie that the oil lasted for eight days and the victory over the Greeks).

But I have difficulty accepting this explanation. Why is it that we are not interested in similarly advertising other miracles? Why do we not hold our Seder outside so that people should hear about the miracle of the Exodus? Or put speakers facing the street when we read the book of Ester on Purim? On a textual level my question holds: the Talmud mentions that the Chanukah candles should make the Chanukah miracle known (Shabbat 23b). But that is not mentioned in the context of the duty to light them facing the street, nor is it offered as an explanation for the very existence of the mitzvah. Rather it is mentioned as a certain quality this mitzvah holds, underlining its importance when in contradiction with other mitzvot. That same quality is similarly attributed by the Talmud to parts of the Seder (Pesachim 112a) and to the reading of the Megillah on Purim (Megillah 3b).

A different and rather simple explanation comes to mind. The reason we light Chanukah candles next to the window is because we want to bring light to the street. We want the public spaces to be safe and beautiful. The Midrash supports this idea by saying the candles are lit between dusk and until the streets are empty "so that people walking in the street may enjoy the light of the candles" (Sechel Tov, Beshalach, 17).

This idea can be better understood in contrast with the other candles in our tradition, the Shabbat candles. The latter are lit inside the house, on the table or in the living room, and their purpose is to enhance the Page 11