Illuminations / הארות

Student Editor: Sarah Ascherman ‘16 Artwork by: Dynnor Shebshaievitz ‘16 Faculty Advisors: R’ Kenny Schiowitz. Ms. Miriam Krupka

ILLUMINATIONS Volume 9

‫הארות‬ Chanukah 5776, 2015

In Honor of Aliza YaelAlissa Shams’ Milestone Birthday Alissa Illuminates the lives of all those she comes in contact with.

May she be blessed with that gift until 120.

Her Friends and Family All or Nothing: The Issue of Dreidel on Chanukah Akiva Gold ‘16

Hiddur Mitzvah B’Chanukah Matthew Hirschfeld ‘17

One of the most recognizable, yet divisive, features of Chanukah is the tradition of the game of dreidel. According to a famous

Chanukah is a beautiful time of inspiring spirituality, communal happiness, and overt expressions of appreciation of our religion. It is

legend, dreidel originated as a means to mask Torah learning. When the SyrianGreeks conquered Judea, they forbade Torah learning in an attempt to suppress Judaism. Because some Jews of the time ignored this law, they searched for a way to conceal their learning when the SyrianGreeks would come to investigate.

Consequently, the game of dreidel was developed so that the people who were learning could quickly pretend to play with the dreidel in order to trick the SyrianGreeks into thinking they were merely playing a game. However, though the Syrian-Greeks no longer maintain rule in

common, however, that the extent of a Jewish individual’s knowledge of the background of this momentous holiday is limited to only the historical elements of this meaningful chag, namely, the Maccabees and the Jewish military victory over the Greeks. As precious as this first level of knowledge is, this preliminary familiarity with Chanukah is desperately lacking another layer – a halachic layer that is. We are fortunate to be a part of a religion that is both a religious system and a legal one.

Therefore, let us explore the nature of the laws of the menorah of Chanukah and in

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Why Do We Read Parashat Miketz on Chanukah?

Aliza Oppenheim ‘16 Most years, the Shabbat of Chanukah falls on Shabbat Parashat Miketz. There are several links between the story of Chanukah and Parashat Miketz. For example, one prevalent theme in the Chanukah story, and in the Yosef story in Parashat Miketz and the surrounding parshiot, is assimilation. After being sold into slavery in Egypt, Yosef becomes a part of Egyptian society. In fact, he becomes so assimilated that his own brothers do not recognize him. The Ramban and Radak on Bereishit 42:8 say that Yosef’s brothers did not recognize him because he looked and acted so much like an Egyptian official that they did not even think to recognize him.

Clearly, according to the the Rambam and Radak, Yosef appeared to be completely assimilated; he was a high ranking official, had been in Egypt for many years, and dressed and acted like an Egyptian. But how assimilated was he really? According to the midrash, when Potifar’s wife approached him inappropriately, Yosef almost followed her, until he saw the image of Yaakov’s face in front of him, and decided against it. On the verge of full assimilation, Yosef remembered his roots and stayed true to himself and his beliefs. Additionally, years later, when Yosef (now bearing the Egyptian name Tzafnat Paneach) revealed his identity to his brothers, the first thing he asked is ?‫ –הַ עֹוד ָאבִי חָ י‬Does my father still live?. His first concern is for his family and his past. While he may have appeared to have assimilated, internally, Yosef stayed true to his identity.

Similarly, the Jews in the time of the Chanukah story were under a great deal of pressure from the Greeks to assimilate, and in fact, many did.

However, others chose to resist assimilation and stay true to their heritage,

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despite the hardships that accompanied this decision. For example, the Jews invented the game of dreidel in order to hide their Torah learning from the Greeks. In this respect, they were similar to Yosef, choosing to stay true to their identity, despite external pressure and outside appearance.

There is another link between the two: In both stories, there is a hunt for something necessary for survival. In Parashat Miketz, Yaakov’s sons went down to Egypt in search of food, and in the story of Chanukah, the Jews searched for oil to light the menorah.

The brothers needed something vital to their physical survival, while the Jews in the Chanukah story searched for something that was necessary for their spiritual survival. Additionally, in both stories, the search did not go as well as intended; while the brothers procured the food they needed, it was at a heavy cost. The viceroy accused them of theft and threatened to keep Binyamin.

Similarly, the Jews were only able to find a small jar of oil with barely enough to last for the amount of time required.

Nevertheless, both stories end on a happy note. After some time, the viceroy reveals himself to be Yosef, and the family happily reunites and the oil in the jar miraculously lasts eight days.

While all had seemed to be lost, it turned out that with perseverance, the situation was resolved. Yosef’s brothers did a full teshuva and fought for the freedom of their younger brother Binyamin.

Truly, Chanukah is all about sticking to beliefs through difficulties and not giving up, no matter the odds. This is also found in the story of the sons of Yaakov in Parashat Miketz and the (Continued on page 3)

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parshiot that follow. As it says in the book of Kohelet 3:1- “ ‫לַּכ ֹל זְמָ ן ו ְעֵ ת ְלכָל חֵ פֶ ץ ּתַ חַ ת‬ " ‫ הַ ּׁשָ מָ י ִם‬- to everything is its season, and a time for every purpose". According to Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Hurwitz in his work, the ‫ה"של‬, this verse refers to the idea that there is a reason for everything in terms of timing in the Jewish calendar. Indeed, Chanukah and Parashat Miketz were placed together for a reason; their similar messages concerning values and perseverance. Their messages can be applied to our society today as well.

Though we sometimes seem to be a highly acculturated society, hopefully we are still one that holds tightly to the values and Jewish identity at its core.

Chanukah, Purim, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: Duality of the Holidays

Ben Rabinowitz ‘16 If I were to ask someone what they thought Chanukah, Purim, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut have in common, they might be tempted to say tasty foods, but I am not much of a falafel eater. Quite interestingly, on all three of these holidays we commemorate two kinds of wars fought; one spiritual and one physical. On Chanukah, the Maccabees took down the Greeks on the battlefield, but also fought a war of assimilation as they reclaimed the holiest site for the Jewish people, the Beit HaMikdash. On Purim, the Jewish people were oppressed and persecuted by Haman. Just as they did on Chanukah, the Jewish people, led by Esther and Mordechai, fought a battle of assimilation against the Persian Empire. Finally, Yom Ha’Atzmaut is a holiday marked by the War of Independence when the Israeli Defense Force miraculously defeated its Arab neighbors in an astounding victory.

The spiritual war of this holiday, however, extends far beyond 1948, all the way back to 70 C.E., when the Jewish people were PAGE Page 33

exiled for a second time by the Romans.

This military victory symbolizes much more than a physical recapturing of the land of Israel; the Jewish people were again in control of the area where they yearned to be and where they had served God for thousands of years. So, it begs the question: why is it that three of the most joyous holidays on the calendar are characterized by the celebration of these two different categories of conflict of the Jewish people?

The answer to this question might come from Psalm 27, ‫לדוד ה אורי‬.

A brief analysis of this chapter highlights a key concept in Judaism—gratitude to God and acknowledgement of His control of the world, regardless of whether we are successful or not. In the beginning of the Psalm, David announces that he is not fearful of anything in the world because he knows Hashem is with him. However, he later explains that this is only the case because he has served God throughout his life, as he says “ ‫שבתי בבית ה כל ימי‬ ‫”חיי‬. More important, David says that regardless of his success in life, or lack thereof, he attributes all power and authority in the world to God, saying how he relies on Him in life and wishes for His help in life, ‫את פניך ה’ אבקש‬. This understanding of faith in and reliance on Hashem regardless of our physical or material gain in this world is a pillar in Judaism, acknowledging the element of ‫השגחה‬. With this approach to life, we can answer the question above. For Jews, military success and spiritual journey are never independent.

Whenever we have a win on the battlefield, we recognize that the victory came from Hashem and wish to thank Him appropriately by serving and praying to Him. So the truth is, that on Chanukah, Purim, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Continued on page 4)

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we do not commemorate two different wars the Jews fought but one war containing two elements – the physical and the spiritual.

Interestingly, the famous addition to our liturgy on Chanukah and Purim of ‫על הניסים‬,which was also decreed by some rabbis, including R’ Ezra Tzion Melamed, to be recited on Yom Ha’Atzmaut as well, addresses this theme of the duality of the holidays. If you look at the first two words, you notice that we do not thank Hashem for the miracle He performed on these holidays, but the miracles He bestowed upon us, possibly referring to the physical and religious gifts of freedom to the people after the conflicts with the Greek and Persian peoples. However, it is important to note that the Chanukah and Purim stories are not identical. On Chanukah, there was a clear military victory against the Greeks, followed by a restoration of the Temple. On Purim, however, the physical victory was not a war with generals and cavalry. Rather, the Jews’ mere survival as a nation after Haman wished to destroy them was the physical miracle. The miracle in that respect is “hidden” in comparison to Chanukah. However, the ability to understand that living through the time period of Haman is a miracle nonetheless, is vitally important. The religious victory is slightly murkier on Purim. As the ending of the Megillah suggests, even with this victory of defeating Haman and his anti-Semitic decrees, the spiritual battle was not won in a convincing fashion like it was on Chanukah, or more recently, Yom Ha’Atzmaut. On Chanukah, the Jews

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rejoiced by restoring the Beit HaMikdash and reinstituting the sacrificial service. After the War of Independence, the spiritual energy was apparent with the reconquering of the land of our forefathers and the subsequent prayers and thanks to Hashem for granting us this opportunity. However, on Purim, the Jews did not have this immediate reaction to praise God for his gifts to them. They remained assimilated, under a Persian exile and rule. Some Jews went back to Israel, but most decided to stay in exile. After all, they had very comfortable lives; Jewish life in Persia was great, they had a Jewish queen, and Mordechai was second in command! However, they lost focus and unfortunately drifted from the key element of the Jewish faith mentioned above—that God is present in everything we do. The Jews in Persia separated the physical from the spiritual. True, sometimes this is necessary in life, like on Yom Kippur when we divide our spiritual selves from material pleasures.

However, in communal celebrations, it is a mistake to think that one is separate from the other. Thus, Purim is slightly distinct from the other holidays, in that while there is still this dual nature of the physical and spiritual conflict being commemorated, the Jewish people as a whole did not succeed on the religious front like they did on the other holidays.

We must always look to the model set forth by David and remember that whatever comes out of this world we must attribute to God and realize that our physical and spiritual lives are truly one!

Might vs. Light: The Reason We Celebrate Chanukah Caroline Jaspan ‘18

The common understanding of the celebration of the miracle of Chanukah is that we are celebrating the victory of the Chashmonaim over the Greeks.

We rejoiced in the ability to once again be observant Jews, learn Torah, observe the mitzvot of Shabbat and brit milah, and other mitzvot which identify us as Jews. Antiochus, the Greek ruler, had banned circumcision and Shabbat observance, and brought pagan worship into the Temple in Jerusalem. The ability to be Torah practicing Jews should, by itself, be a compelling foundation for the holiday celebration. Nevertheless, a different basis for the observance of the holiday for eight days is found in the Gemara in masechet Shabbat (21b). The Gemara seems to say that Chanukah was established in memory of the miracle of the oil; the jar of oil found by the Maccabees contained pure olive oil which was sufficient to burn for one night, yet it burned for eight nights.

Although this is truly a miracle, why is it a reason to celebrate for generations, and for no less than eight nights?

Shouldn’t we focus on the fact that, once again, as has occurred over and over again in history, the Jews were persecuted and overcame possible extinction?

Just like Pesach celebrates the victory over the Egyptians and Purim celebrates the escape from extinction of the Jews, shouldn’t our salvation from the Greeks be the cause for celebration? The Al hanissim prayer that we say in tefillah and birkat hamazon highlights the military victory over the Greeks. So why does the Gemara focus on the miracle of the menorah, and establish the lighting of the menorah as the required mitzvah?

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Lighting Chanukah candles is so central to the holiday that the Rambam, in Hilchot Chanukah 4:12-13 states that even a poor person must borrow money or sell his clothes to have enough money to buy oil or candles to light the menorah. In addition, each individual member of the family should undertake to light his or her own menorah. We are even supposed to advertise the miracle of the holiday-pirsum haneis-by displaying the menorah outside.

Perhaps the answer to the importance of lighting the candles lies in the context of the content of the oil. Oil is a liquid that is hard to separate. Just as the Maccabees refused to separate themselves from Judaism, so too, does the oil symbolize their perseverance.

The lighting of the candles and the oil serves as a reminder to us of the determination of the Maccabees to stay true to themselves and to not assimilate. The goal of the Greeks was to battle the people who threatened their commitment to hedonism and their infatuation with beauty. There were Jews known as Hellenists who assimilated and were lost to their faith. The victory of the Maccabees was their triumph over those who sought to assimilate them into extinguishment.

Thus, the miracle of the oil represents the true importance of Chanukah.

The miracle of Chanukah could have been the military victory over the Greeks, the discovery of the jug of pure oil, the fact that the oil lasted for 8 days, or some combination of all of these reasons. Whatever the reason, come light the menorah, let’s have a party and we will all dance the horah! Pass the latkes!

Might over Light?

Elie Present ‘16

the Lubavitcher Rebbe was trying to tell us that we need to appreciate the importance of the military victory just as much as the miracle of the oil, so we devote a prayer just to this event. The Lubavitcher Rebbe indicated that fighting for the "soul of Judaism" is a spiritual battle while fighting to continue learning Torah and doing mitzvot is the physical. I think it is clear that the Jews fought for both.

Rav David Silverberg of Yeshivat Har Etzion gives another reason why Al hanissim focuses on the military victory.

He says that we are thanking Hashem for helping the small Jewish militia fight the strong Greek Empire, which afforded the Jews significant long-term benefit.

The chachamim wanted to put the military victory into a broader spiritual context, figuring that the oil is easier to connect to because it is like the small group of Jews who remained faithful and didn't fall prey to the Greek's efforts.

Therefore, Chazal made the miracle of the oil the focal point of the holiday because it "shed light" on the military victory.

Rav Silverberg similarly recognizes that the miracle of the oil was not in any way less significant because it was ignored in Al hanissim.

There, the focus is on the military victory because this prayer allows us to properly thank Hashem for "restoring Jewish independence and religious freedom." But as for our ritual, the miracle of the oil is the focus to teach us a major lesson - whenever we are surrounded by assimilation, the Torah will shine far brighter and longer if we make sure to hold on to that "single jug of pure oil." Rav Silverberg's reasoning resonates with me, and I believe he makes an important point by saying that

As Chanukah approaches, classrooms around the world are filled with discussions about the miracle of the oil and the Jews’ miraculous military victory over the Greeks. A popular source that helps to shed light on the events that we commemorate is the Al hanissim prayer, recited every day of the holiday. In it, we express our thanks and gratitude to Hashem for helping the Jews defeat the Greeks, who had been forcing them to abandon their beliefs in Hashem and the Torah. In this celebratory paragraph, though, one might notice that the miracle of the oil is nowhere to be found. We say, “ ‫ו ְַאחַ ר ּכֵן‬ ‫ ו ְטִ הֲ רּו‬.‫ ּופִ ּנּו אֶ ת הֵ י ָכלֶָך‬.‫ּבָאּו ָבנֶיָך לִדְ בִיר ּבֵיתֶ ָך‬ - ”‫ ו ְהִ דְ לִיקּו נֵרות ּבְחַ צְרות קָ דְ ׁשֶ ָך‬.‫אֶ ת מִ קְ ּדָ ׁשֶ ָך‬ following the victory, the Jews entered the Beit HaMikdash, cleaned it, and kindled lights in the holy courtyards. It seems that the miracle of the oil was all but skipped over! Based on its absence in Al hanissim, can we conclude that the miracle was less significant than the military victory?

According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, there is an understandable reason for the miracle of the oil’s absence. He explains that Bnei Yisrael did not fight for physical things like the Torah and mitzvot, they fought for the “soul of Judaism, for the purity of Torah as the divine word and its mitzvot as the divine will.” Because their fight was Bnei Yisrael’s most spiritual battle, the ritual that we do is instead focused on the most spiritual aspect, the lighting of the menorah. However, it was the physical aspect, namely the military victory, that made the spiritual victory possible. For this reason, the Al hanissim prayer only focuses on the physical. In my opinion,

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separate and individual ways of remembering and celebrating both miracles.

It is clear from these different opinions that the absence of the miracle of the oil from Al hanissim does not make it any less significant. Whether the military victory became the only focus of Al hanissim because we needed to be reminded of its equal significance or that Al hanissim was simply the only miracle in which we needed to offer our thanks to Hashem is irrelevant. Similarly, no matter what the reason for the miracle of the oil being left out of Al hanissim, we still commemorate this event through our ritual of lighting the Chanukah candles every night of Chanukah. We should all feel extremely fortunate for our ability to appreciate these two great miracles. Without them, Judaism might not exist in the way it does today.

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both miracles are equally significant, but there are two separate ways that they need to be commemorated in order to heed the individual messages.

Finally, Rabbi Yehonatam Gefen echoes Rav Silverberg's conclusion, but approaches the issues with a different reasoning. He says that the significance of a miracle is determined by its necessity and how much it breaks the laws of nature. In terms of necessity, it seems like the military victory was a more significant miracle because it made it possible for Torah Judaism to continue. In terms of breaking the laws of nature, the miracle of oil was more significant. The Talmud (masechet Shabbat daf 21b) focuses on the miracle of oil, unlike in Al hanissim, when answering the question “What is Chanukah”. As Rashi explains, the true question is “for what miracle did they fix Chanukah as a permanent festival?”.

The Siftei Chaim explains that the miracle of oil was one that had the most effect. However, when we show gratitude to Hashem for the miracles of Chanukah, our focus is on the miracle that occurred at the most vital time, the military victory. The Siftei Chaim continues by saying that Hallel (praise) commemorates the miracle of oil because it showed Hashem’s involvement with the Jewish people.

Hodaah (a prayer of thanks) is more appropriate for the military victory because of our appreciation for the redemption from the Greek exile. In my understanding, the miracle of oil is absent from Al Hanissim precisely because it is not a miracle that requires giving thanks, which is what we do in this prayer. Here, too, neither of the two miracles is the more important; we have

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/ chanukah/article_cdo/aid/2680/jewish/ Does-Chanukah-Celebrate-the-Battle-or -the-Oil-Bottle.htm http:// www.lubavitchnh.com/media/pdf/297/ fHnO2970775.pdf http://etzion.org.il/vbm/english/archive/ salt-bereishit/10-5miketz.htm http:// rabbiygefen.blogspot.com/2009/12/hallel -and-hodaah-chanukah.html

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What is the True Source of Chanukah?

Gabriel Klapholz ‘17

the question of why Chanukah is specifically eight days long remains mysteriously unanswered in this text.

In the Second Book of Maccabees, Chanukah is equated to a similar eight-day holiday, Sukkot.

According to the text, the Jewish people “celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before…they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.”

This account of the Chanukah story communicates that the Maccabees associated their experience of hiding from the Greek forces with the holiday of Sukkot. Because they equated their military experience with the outdoor lifestyle typical of “the Festival of Booths,” they decided to create a new holiday with an equal number of days.

While the linking of Chanukah to Sukkot may draw Chanukah closer to having textual legitimacy, it also represents a divergence from the widely accepted narrative offered in the Talmud.

Digressing even further from the traditional Talmudic account, the Second Book of Maccabees also states that the eight days of Chanukah were “decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year”. Similar to the First Book of Maccabees, the origin of Chanukah in this text is not at all rooted in the divine and the miraculous.

Shockingly, the Talmud itself suggests an alternative explanation for the establishment of this holiday. In masechet Avoda Zara 8a, the Gemara discusses the various Greco-Roman pagan holidays that foreigners celebrated in the Land of Israel during

In elementary school, the Chanukah story is always characterized as a glorious victory of the Maccabees over the infamous Hellenist intruders in the Land of Israel. However, it is quite uncommon to find any deep historical analysis of the Chanukah narrative.

Chanukah is unique among other Jewish holidays in the sense that it originates from a non-biblical source. The fact that Chanukah’s ritual is largely rabbinic allows room for investigation into the true origin of the Festival of Lights.

In the Talmud (masechet Shabbat 21a), the Rabbis ask the question: “What is the reason for Chanukah?” The rabbis proceed to enumerate the classic storyline of the holiday, in which the Hasmonean dynasty combated Hellenist control and removed their detrimental religious and social influence. Thus, they liberated the Holy Temple and allowed the miracle of Chanukah to occur in which oil that was supposed to last for one day instead lasted for eight.

Similarly, the traditional Chanukah narrative is found in apocryphal texts, those that the Rabbis did not canonize into the Tanakh. The First Book of Maccabees offers a detailed description of how exactly the Maccabees cleansed the Beit HaMikdash following the fall of Hellenist religious hegemony. However, while the rededication of the Holy Temple is the centerpiece of this text, the actual miracle that is offered in masechet Shabbat is omitted. The omission of the divine origins of Chanukah is of great significance as it highlights the detachment of the Chanukah narrative not only from Jewish scripture, but also from any miraculous event. Additionally,

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What is Chanukah? The Talmud's Take Jasmine Levine ‘17

The Talmud (masechet Shabbat 23) discusses what Chanukah is and what it represents. The discussion focuses on the miracle of the lights, but surprisingly, it does not mention the military victory as it pertains to the holiday. This is peculiar as, in our teachings, much emphasis is placed on the Maccabees and their military victory.

The Al hanissim prayer recited during Chanukah mentions the military triumphs prominently. Yet, the Gemara remains silent on this subject. The question, therefore, is why does it not mention the military triumph when it discusses Chanukah in the Talmud?

In searching for an answer to this question, it is important to consider when the Gemara was written and to what purpose it was edited. There are different kinds of texts in the Gemara.

Some are legal in nature and others tell a story. The legal portions tell us what to do in order to conform with Torah law.

For instance, with regard to the Chanukah candles, do we start with one candle and add a candle each night or do we start with eight candles and subtract a candle each night? This is the disagreement between Hillel and Shammai and it impacts our performance of how we fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles.

Why, then, are stories included in the Talmudic text? The answer, I believe, is that the stories are meant to teach us how to act according to Torah values. An example of such a story would be the story of the oil lasting for eight nights. The Gemara was edited after many disasters befell the Jewish people. The rebellion against Rome and the destruction of the Temple taught the rabbis a lesson far different than the revolt by the Hasmoneans. In the year

70 of the Common Era, the Jewish people experienced a genocidal reaction to their rebellion. The population was decimated and the remnants of the population were carried off into slavery.

It can be argued that the rabbis did not include the story of the military victory associated with Chanukah because they were afraid that it would foment rebellion among the Jews which in turn could lead to the complete destruction of the nation.

Instead, they chose to emphasize the spiritual victory, which is inspiring and less fraught with danger.

The rabbis, in choosing this aspect of the Chanukah events, therefore, do not glorify physical might but rather spiritual strength and faith in God. In today’s troubling times and in the shadow of the Holocaust, seeing how depraved the world, sadly, can sometimes be, it seems that spiritual strength, although important, is simply not enough. While spiritual grounding and belief in God are the dual foundations of our faith, our destiny also requires that we are able to physically defend ourselves against our enemies.

The bitter experiences of the twentieth century as well as current events prove that Jews must combine faith and spiritual strength with military might to maintain our survival.

!‫ע ישראל חי‬

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The Eight Day Holiday Noa Attias ‘18

Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a holiday that everyone anticipates all year. It commemorates the time when the Jews were under the kingship of Antiochus, and the Maccabees rebelled and won the battle. The Maccabees entered the Beit HaMikdash and saw the whole Temple destroyed and impure, and miraculously found enough oil to light the menorah for one day that stayed lit for eight days. Why do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days, when the real miracle only lasted seven, for the oil was naturally supposed to last one day?

Beit Yosef and many other commentators also pose this question.

He offers three possible answers. Firstly, the oil was divided in tiny portions, so there was a little oil each for each day.

Consequently, it was a miracle that each day, a little oil could light the whole menorah, so the first day is included in the miracle. Alternatively, the whole vial was finished to light the menorah the first day, but as soon as it was emptied that first day, the vial would miraculously refill itself for eight days, so the miracle happened on the first day as well.

Thirdly, it is possible that all of the oil was used the first day and the oil did not burn out and lasted until they found more oil. The fact that the oil did not burn out on the first day, supports the idea that the miracle started the first day.

The Pri Chodosh explains that the first day of Chanukah is not to commemorate the miracle of the oil, rather it is to celebrate the victory of the Maccabees in the wars against Antiochus and the Greeks. The Aruch HaShulchan states that brit milah was forbidden by Antiochus in that time period, and after the victory the Jews were finally able to openly circumcise

their children. In honor of being able to perform this mitzvah, Chanukah is eight days just like the brit milah happens in the eighth day of the newborn’s life. The midrash says that the building of the Mishkan terminated on the 25th of Kislev. Yet the dedication of the Mishkan happened in the month of Nissan. As a way to make up the holiday that was supposed to happen on this date, God decided that the miracle of Chanukah and the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash had to happen in the month of Kislev. And just like the dedication of the Mishkan lasted eight days, so does Chanukah. In addition the word "Chanukah" means "dedication," or “they rested on the 25th of Kislev,” which supports this explanation.

The second book of the Maccabees, written by the Jews in the diaspora at around 120 BCE, explains that the holiday of Chanukah is eight days long in order to act as a substitute for the holiday of Sukkot, which also lasts eight days. Under the reign of Antiochus, the Jews were forbidden to study Torah, conduct circumcisions, or practice the holiday of Sukkot. When the Temple was rededicated, the Maccabees took lulavim and etrogim and had a winter Succot of eight days, which demonstrates the importance of following Jewish tradition.

In addition, the Hebrew word for eight, "shemoneh,” which is composed of Shin-Mem-Vav-Nun-Hey, has significant value. If one rearranges the letters, “shemoneh” can be "Shemen Vov Hey." What is the meaning of Vav Hey In Hashem’s name, Yud-Kay-VavKay? The Yud Kay represents what is hidden, and Vov Kay represents the visible. These different parts of God’s

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The Candle Conspiracy Oren Oppenheim ‘16 Chanukah is famous for the miracle of the oil. The Gemara in masechet Shabbat 21b introduces the holiday as the celebration of when “the Hasmonean dynasty overcame and defeated [the Greeks]… they checked and they found but one cruse of oil that was set in place with the seal of the High Priest, but there was in it only [enough] to light a single day. A miracle occurred, and they lit [the menorah] from [the oil] for eight days.” And because of that wondrous event, we light candles each night of Chanukah.

But hold on a moment. Candles?

The Beit HaMikdash was not missing wax candles. It was out of oil, and the miracle happened with oil, not candles. So why, then, are we allowed to light the menorah using wax candles?

Shouldn’t we be required to use oil, the material at the center of the miracle itself?

While it doesn’t address this specific question, the Gemara discusses various opinions surrounding whether the wicks and oils (p’tilot u’shmanim) prohibited to be used on the Shabbat can be used on Chanukah itself (Shabbat 21a-21b). So the Gemara itself has no issue with using candle wicks instead of oil.

One could say that both the candles and the oil accomplish the same goal of reminding us about the miracle, because they represent the same thing— the flames. However, if the point of lighting the candles is to publicize the miracle, shouldn’t we be required to publicize it in the most accurate way possible? Other holidays have very strict parameters as to what we are required to use or do for its mitzvot—for instance, the specific requirements for the size of a sukkah or for what can and can’t be used to light Shabbos candles (see the chapter of Mishnah recited most Friday nights,

Bameh Madlikin). Even Chanukah has restrictions on how its mitzvot are performed; we’re told later on Shabbat 21b, for example, “it is a mitzvah to set [the candles] within ten handbreadths [from the ground]”. Thus it isn’t illogical that we could be commanded to specifically use oil and not an alternative.

The Shulchan Aruch, when discussing the lighting of the menorah (Orach Chaim 671), uses both the terms “ner” and “shemen,” but based on the wording, it seems that he thinks the ideal is to light with oil: “Even a poor man living off charity must lend or sell his clothes, and buy oil to kindle with” (671:1). But later on, both the Shulchan Aruch and the Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserless) come across an idea that seems to be a gamechanger.

The Shulchan Aruch discusses the idea (671:4) that the lights cannot seem to blend together to look like a “bonfire.” He says, “If one filled a bowl with oil and surrounded it with wicks — if he covered it with a vessel, each wick counts as one light. [If] he did not cover it with a vessel, it does not even count as one light, because it is like a bonfire.” That is, the lights all need to be clearly distinct from one another; they can’t be all “mushed’” together.

The Rema comments, “Therefore, one should be careful to place the lights in a straight row and not in a circle, since that is like a bonfire.” Then he makes a comment that provides an intriguing glimpse into the common ground between oil and candles. He says, “It is permitted to kindle with candlesticks, since each light is separated greatly from the other”. He is not requiring us to use oil and to fully recreate the experience of the lighting in the Beit HaMikdash. But the lights still need to be separated from each other like

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Why A Chanukiah?

Tess Solomon ‘16

On Chanukah, we famously light a candle for each night, illuminating our homes with a warm mid-winter glow as we shower our family members with gifts. However, the mitzvah to light a chanukiah seems strange. We learn in traditional sources that the action of lighting candles each night commemorates the re-igniting of the menorah, where oil that should have only lasted for one day lasted for eight days. But there is a discrepancy between what we commemorate and how we commemorate it. The menorah is a seven-pronged lamp, and we light an eight-pronged lamp.

In commemorating the fact that seven flames lasted for eight days, we relight our versions of the lamp, changing our number each night.

Though there is a logic to what we do (one more candle for each additional day the oil lasted), the mitzvah we perform is oddly not parallel to the miracle we are commemorating.

Interestingly, the Rabbis see the chanukiah as directly commemorating the menorah. In the Ramban’s commentary on parashat Beha’alotcha (Numbers 8:2), he examines the juxtaposition between the dedication offerings of each tribe for the Mishkan and Aaron’s commandment to light the menorah.

The Ramban believes the proximity of the two passages alludes to the rededication of the Temple by the Hasmoneans, as Rabbeinu Nissim writes in Megillat Setarim, “There is another dedication in which there will be lighting of the lamp, when I will perform through your sons miracles

and salvation for Israel.” The Ramban goes on to cite a midrash that says, “The offerings are brought only as long as the Sanctuary is in existence, but the lamps will give light… forever.”

Of course the lamps of the menorah would also cease after the Temple was destroyed, so, Ramban writes, these “eternal” lamps are the lights of Chanukah. What remains unclear is the physical correlation between the two ritual objects.

Why did the rabbis establish this tradition, and make something so incongruous an integral part of Jewish tradition? How is the chanukiah related to the menorah? I think the distinction between the menorah and the chanukiah is very deliberate. The menorah’s seven lights that remained miraculously illuminated for seven days is a very specific type of continuity, a Godly endurance only possible in the context of the Temple.

The Hasmoneans won and reclaimed the Temple and were able to bask in the glow of light literally perpetuated

by God. The menorah, described in great detail in the Torah, is the perfect vessel for this situation; the number seven in the Torah typically represents God’s direct actions, as seen in the seven days of creation, the seven years of the shemita cycle, the seven cycles in one yovel cycle, the seven days of Succot and Pesach.

In each of these cases, we bring God closer to us by having Him present in every piece of our lives.

Between the rededication by the Maccabees and the Talmud, though, Judaism as a religion had undergone a massive shift. The (continued on page 12)

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second Temple was destroyed, and our holy vessels were carried off to Rome. The Jewish culture became centered on learning and not on sacrifices. The religion had no more central meeting place in Jerusalem.

God was no longer as visibly involved in the life of each individual as He had been when each person three times a year offered sacrifices at the Temple.

There was no one keeping seven lights lit for prolonged periods of time.

Chanukah was developing in this context. Each night, a Jewish person took it upon himself to light his own light, and he made sure to do so every night for eight days. Chanukah speaks to the necessity for human action, human perpetuation of the holy light, when we no longer have to opportunity to have God keep our flame alive. A tenuous flame winks out, and, undeterred, we light that one and another one the following night, becoming more certain with the passage of time. The chanukiah is literally an extension of the menorah: when in the course of history the Jews found themselves farther from God than they ever had been as a nation, they added a lamp, and

commemorated the miracle of the endless oil by lighting a lamp themselves, adding themselves to the equation. We can now explain the famous Gemara in masechet Shabbat, which introduces its discussion of Chanukah by saying, “What is Chanukah?� and proceeds to cite the intricate laws associated with the holiday. This is how the rabbis literally define what Chanukah is becoming the proactive members of a covenant made thousands of years ago, but which took on new meanings in new contexts. To return to the Ramban, the flames we light on Chanukah are the continuation of the lights Aaron and the Kohanim lit on the menorah. They are the eternal, human element that continued when the temple was destroyed. For this, the number eight is apt: as seen in the mitzvah of brit milah, eight days after a baby is born, eight evokes that which is beyond seven, beyond the very obviously God, emulatable human proactivity in keeping the Jewish lights alive. http://www.haaretz.com/wwwMobileSite/ jewish-world/jewish-worldfeatures/.premium-1.631830?

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The 8 Day Week: Chanukah by the Numbers Zachary Oppenheim ‘16 We know that Chanukah is eight days long. Is there any reason or significance to the length of the holiday? The simple explanation is that at the time of the Chanukah story it took eight days to make the much needed olive oil. The last bit of pure oil had been used up, so the menorah needed to burn for eight days so more oil could be made. However, certain numbers have a symbolic meaning in Judaism. You may already know about three symbolizing unity and seven symbolizing completion. But what about eight?

There is another mitzvah associated with the number eight -the brit milah- which is performed on the eighth day of a baby boy’s life. The brit milah is done to demonstrate our covenant with Hashem, in which we go beyond the limits of our natural desires. The act itself is beyond the natural order of creation. Similarly, the eight stringed tzitzit elevates us beyond our natural desires by reminding us of the mitzvot when we look at them. Thirdly, after bringing korbanot for all 70 nations of the world on Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day in Israel, is celebrated as a special time between Hashem and us because the Jewish people’s connection with Hashem is beyond that of the other nations.

The number eight is also associated with the service in the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash. After the Mishkan was completed, there was an eight day dedication ceremony, symbolizing how the

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Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash go beyond the natural order of creation, doing the seemingly impossible by hosting the shechinah within a manmade structure. In addition, the kohen gadol, who would enter the kodesh hakedashim, an area holier than the natural human capacity, would wear eight vestments during his service.

Finally, an eight stringed instrument will be played in the Messianic era, when the world itself has risen beyond creation and achieved its final purpose.

So what does this have to do with Chanukah? As Chanukah is a rededication of the Beit HaMikdash, the symbolism of the number eight would be present in the holiday. Our custom to increase the number of candles each day symbolizes how we rise in holiness and don’t go down (Shabbos 21b). But the rededication only happened because of the bravery of the Maccabees. Despite being severely outnumbered and outmatched by the Syrian-Greek army, the Maccabees chose to go beyond their limits and the normal order of nature to save their religion.

Therefore, they merited to miraculously win the war and have the menorah burn for eight days. So too, when we are faced with a challenge that may seem beyond our limits, by exhibiting a bravery similar to the Maccabees, we can go beyond the natural order as symbolized by the number eight.

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name also allude to the two different types of miracles that occur in Chanukah and in general: the hidden or the visible. It was only until finding the oil, that the Maccabees truly realized their victory was also a miracle. Nowadays miracles are not as obvious as the oil lasting eight days; however they are miracles nonetheless and should be treated just the same.

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the same time as Chanukah. According to Rav Hanan ben Raba, Saturnalia and Kalenda were two pagan eight-day holidays that preceded and followed the winter solstice, respectively. Indeed, while it is understandable that the sudden natural transition from days shrinking in length to growing in length would necessitate some festivity, the Talmud seems to be suggesting here, that it is possible that the concept of Chanukah was based on the larger culture at the time, which the traditional Chanukah story supposedly came to reject. The Talmud may be suggesting here that the Festival of Lights resulted from a cross-cultural permeation where certain pagan customs surrounding the winter solstice were incorporated into the Jewish ritual tradition. Subsequently, the Talmud supports the above hypothesis by quoting a baraita in which Adam HaRishon becomes incredibly fearful when he realizes that the days are becoming shorter and shorter leading up to the Page 15 PAGE 15

solstice. Adam interprets the shrinking days as a sign that the world is returning to “its state of chaos and confusion (tohu vavohu)”.

In response, Adam kept an eight day fast. Following the solstice and upon realizing that the days were actually growing, Adam celebrated for eight days. Thus, he appointed both the eight days before the solstice and after the solstice as days of festivity.

The Talmud concludes by claiming that these festivities were set “for the sake of Heaven,” but the “heathens” appointed them for the sake of idolatry. If the holidays were appointed originally for the sake of God, the link between these holidays and the Chanukah celebration is quite possible.

While most people tell the Chanukah story the same way each year, it is of great value to analyze the multiple sources of Chanukah as a means to understanding the holiday’s position in the Jewish calendar. The true origins of the Chanukah narrative remain unclear and this eight-day celebration is far more complex than it seems.

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particular, the legal value of the ‘beautification of the mitzah’: hiddur mitzvah. It is through coming to a better legal understanding of the holiday that we will actually enhance our historical understanding as well.

Hiddur mitzvah is the mitzvah to beautify one’s mitzvah observance. Examples of this include purchasing a magnificent etrog, a talit with techeilet, etc. While the story in the Talmud about hiddur mitzvah begins with a Gemara in masechet Shabbat, a brief background is needed. In the process of brit milah, there are certain parts of the skin that absolutely must be removed in order to fulfill the mitzvah, and then there are various other parts of the skin that should be cut off by the mohel. However, the mitzvah may still be fulfilled even if the mohel does not remove these secondary parts. The parts of skin that must be removed are referred to as “tzitzin hame’akvin” and the secondary ones are called “tzitzin she’enan me’akvin.” The Gemara labels these “tzitzin she’enan me’akvin” as hiddur mitzvah, which means that if the mohel is able to cut off these parts of the skin in addition, then he is considered to have beautified the mitzvah.

In masechet Shabbos daf 133b, the Talmud tells us that there is a distinction between whether the mohel is still performing the bris and whether he has stopped and taken a step back. If he is amidst performing the bris, he is permitted to even cut the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin. However, if he has stopped and taken a step back, provided that he has already removed the tzitzin hame’akvin, then he is not permitted to continue the bris and remove the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin. The question is: why not?

The first step in answering this question is placing this story in context. Rashi, the Tur, the Shulchan Aruch, and the Rema all interpret this Gemara to be referring to a bris being performed on Shabbat. While it makes sense that a bris would be forbidden on Shabbat because it involves prohibited malachot, the Torah teaches us that a bris is permitted on Shabbat in the specific case of a bris in its correct time, meaning for an 8-dayold child. Hence, since these exegetes think

that the context for this brit is on Shabbat, then we can understand that they would explain the words of the Gemara as follows: If the mohel is still in the process of performing the bris, then he may removed all the necessary skin, even the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin, because that is also an element of performing the brit milah. However, once the mohel has stepped back after already cutting off the tzitzin hame’akvin, then he has no permission to resume and remove the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin, which would constitute a hiddur mitzvah, because the brit has technically, and halachically, already been fulfilled, thereby making any more cuttings an unsanctioned violation of Shabbat. With regards to a bris effectuated on a weekday, these opinions could all be expanded to hold that a mohel who has stopped and taken a step back, may even remove the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin. Yet, the Rambam disagrees, writing in his hilchot Shabbat (2:4) that the above Gemara was referring to a weekday bris. Therefore, according to the Rambam, a mohel who has stopped after having removed the tzitzin ha’meakvin may not continue to remove the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin, even during a brit milah on a weekday. This leaves a question for the Rambam; what is the problem with going back? Where is there a prohibition such that you cannot perform this hiddur mitzvah after having stopped cutting even on a weekday?

The Beit Yosef comments on the Rambam’s words in Hilchot Shabbat that according to the Rambam, there is no prohibition per se, rather it is simply not advised to go back and cut the tzitzin she’enan me’akvin. But this does not clarify our question: why is it not advised? Why should the fact that the mohel stopped suddenly void the hiddur mitzvah opportunity? So we essentially have the same question for the Rambam, why can’t a mohel go back and remove all the pertinent skin on a weekday?

We can settle the position of the Rambam, as well as why the others disagree, by grasping the two dissenting understandings of hiddur mitzvah. Is hiddur mitzvah a new and independent mitzvah, or

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is it part and parcel of whatever mitzvah one is currently performing with its hiddurim? For example, when one uses a hiddur mitzvah set of arba minim, what merit is attributed to them? Is it hiddur mitzvah or mehudar mitzvah of arba minim? There are several ways that this conceptual question may have practical application. Firstly, is it more important to fulfill hiddur mitzvah on more important mitzvot? If you follow the first opinion, then the answer is no, because the hiddur mitzvah is an independent mitzvah. A second example is from Sukkot. Let’s say you have just completed your mitzvah of arba minim with a non-mehudar set of arba minim, but along comes your friend, who asks you if you want to use his set of mehudar arba minim now for the hiddur mitzvah. Is there any added benefit of using your friend’s mehudar set if you’ve already fulfilled the basic mitzvah? This depends on the two interpretations. If hidddur mitzvah is an independent mitzvah, then if you now use your friend’s mehudar arba minim, you consequently receive an extra mitzvah of hiddur mitzvah.

On the other hand, if hiddur mitzvah is a part of each mitzvah, then one can only fulfill hiddur mitzvah at the same time as he fulfills the basic mitzvah, and in this case, you have already fulfilled the basic mitzvah, and as such, you will receive any added benefit from using your friend’s mehudar set again on the same day.

These two stances are the root of the aforesaid machloket. The Rambam holds that hiddur mitzvah is an element of the mitzvah, and therefore, if the mohel has stopped then he can no longer fulfill the hiddur mitzvah, for basic mitzvah and hiddur mitzvah must occur simultaneously.

Even if we understand that nothing will be gained by going back according to this opinion, what is the prohibition against it on a weekday? Perhaps the prohibition is the prohibition of hurting someone else for no reason. The other school of thought,

which is where the Tur, Shulchan Aruch, and Rema reside, holds that hiddur mitzvah is an independent mitzvah. For this reason, on a weekday there is no problem to go back and remove the hiddur-mitzvah skin, because one can still fulfill the hiddur mitzvah even long after the basic mitzvah. The only problem is on Shabbos, where the secondary removal violates other prohibitive laws.

Now that we maintain a deep comprehension of hiddur mitzvah and the machloket about it’s nature, we can discuss the halachot of Chanukah. The basic mitzvah of Chanukah is to light one candle each night. In terms of the top level of hiddur mitzvah, contrary to standard practice, the Ashkenazim follow the opinion of the Rambam, who is typically the Sefardim’s preferred sage, whilst the Sefardim follow the opinion of the Tosafot, who is usually the Askenazim’s preferred sage.

Rambam’s opinion is that every member of the house should light their own menorah, which is what the Ashkenazim do, and Tosafot’s opinion is that you should light one menorah for the entire household, which is what the Sefardim do. However, all is not hunky-dory, for the Brisker Rav, who is also known as Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, points out that it seems that the Ashkenazim are not adhering to the Rambam entirely. When the Rambam refers to the lighting on Chanukah, he invariably speaks in the singular (“he lights”). So, while the Rambam holds that the number of candles and menorahs should correspond to the night of Chanukah multiplied by the number of people in the house, homeowner is required to

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Judea, dreidel has survived to this day, developing into a key feature of Chanukah.

Even though dreidel seems like an innocent game, there could potentially be a few issues with playing dreidel, as dreidel could be seen as a type of ‘mesachek bekubiyot’ (gambling), which is generally forbidden. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 24b says that a gambler is not allowed to testify before a Beit Din, and one view argues that it is because mesachek bekubiyot is considered to be asmachta, or thievery. This is due to the nature of gambling, as people involved in gambling are oftentimes not actually willing to lose their money in the game. Therefore, when it comes time to pay, the Gemara says that because the loser never planned on paying, forcing the loser to pay is essentially stealing from him.

The Shulchan Aruch says that mesachek bekubiyot is considered theft, and therefore prohibited, which essentially renders dreidel playing prohibited as well. But, the Mishnah Berura argues that mesachek bekubiyot is not considered theft, and is allowed, a good sign for dreidel players.

However, because of the dueling opinions, it is still unclear whether or not one would be halachically allowed to play dreidel on Chanukah.

It seems upon a closer examination of both the issur of mesachek bekubiyot and the nature of dreidel, that dreidel is not truly gambling, and therefore should be allowed.

The aforementioned Gemara disqualifies a mesachek bekubiyot because of the potential unwillingness of one party to turn over the money to the winner, entangling the players in the issue of asmachta. However, when playing dreidel, the issue of an unwillingness to turn over money is not problematic, even according to the Shulchan Aruch. Since dreidel is only played with small denominations of money, and the money that is actually used is placed

into a “pot”, players will not be so hesitant to pay their losses, and therefore will not have to be coerced into giving up their money.

This renders the Gemara’s issue of ashmachta and mesachek bekubiyot moot in the case of dreidel, clearing a halachic path for people to play dreidel on Chanukah.

In the book Bnei Yissaschar, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov gives a different explanation as to why playing dreidel is permitted. He says that because dreidel has been played for two thousand years, it is a minhag yisrael, and therefore, has many cultural and educational positive values. Just as having many odd objects and foods during Pesach causes children to ask questions and to learn, so too, the dreidel offers a fun and thoughtful way to teach our children. Playing the game of dreidel will pique their interest about the holiday, and will allow them to learn the importance and value of the mitzvot and the dangers that historically accompanied them. Because most people do not play dreidel to make money, the game has become a fun way to celebrate a holiday and to teach children about Chanukah, Torah, and Jewish values.

In summary, although one might think that playing dreidel would be banned due to the issue of asmachta, it is probably not, even according to the most stringent opinion.

Additionally, the educational and cultural value of the dreidel is so powerful, and the dreidel has lasted in our tradition for so long, that it seems that playing dreidel on Chanukah is not prohibited. Therefore, as long as a person stays within the confined realms of the halacha (i.e small denominations of money in a “pot”, or for educational value), then there really should not be a problem with playing dreidel on Chanukah.

Thanks to Rabbi Dov Pianko for learning through this topic with me.

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light all of the candles. Despite this, in actuality, our practice is to have each person light his or her own menorah.

Therefore, why do we deviate from the words of the Rambam? The answer is that it is not our fault. We can impute this deviation from the Rambam to the Rema, because although he cites the opinion of the Rambam for Ashkenazim with regards to the number of candles, he makes the switch from the ba’al habayis igniting every candle to each person lighting his or her menorah. Now the question is, why did the Rema make this alteration?

The Brisker Rav clarifies that this is also correlated with the above machloket about hiddur mitzvah. We recall that the Rambam held that hiddur mitzvah is part of each current mitzvah. This interpretation motivates him to write that the same person who lights the first light, the basic mitzvah, must light the hiddur candles, because the hiddur mitzvah must be performed together with the basic mitzvah without stopping, just like in the brit milah case. However, the Rema in the case of the bris held like the Tur and he believes that hiddur mitzvah is an independent mitzvah. Therefore, there is no problem for one person to light the basic mitzvah and for others to be the one physically completing the hiddur mitzvah. Since Ashkenazim generally follow the Rema, we do usually have each family member light their own menorah.

Chanukah is unique in that we not only find a level of hiddur mitzvah, yet we also find a level of mehadrin min hamehadrin. The reason for his may be embedded in our historical understanding of the source for the holiday of Chanukah.

After endeavoring to win a seemingly improbable war, when the Jews return the Beit HaMikdash to light the menorah, we

all are familiar that the Maccabees had a severely depleted supply of oil. Nevertheless, the chashmonaim performed exceptional hiddurim in searching for pure oil for the menorah when they have easily used impure oil since it was a period of public need. As we all know, Hashem subsequently granted their efforts a fantastic reward and they were able to light with the pure oil and it lasted a miraculously long amount of time. From this meaningful story we can reap the profound lesson that we should always strive to go above and beyond when it comes to serving Hashem. However, furthermore, we can ask on this anecdote why were the Maccabees themselves not gratified with the impure oil they had? They weren’t satisfied for the beautiful reason that the Jewish people had just miserably endured a period of darkness and spiritual persecution. The Maccabees therefore decided that it was time for a special new effort and a uniquely inspired, novel dedication to serving Hashem in the best way they could. They wanted to bounce back from the fall with even more strength then the amount, with which they fell. Undoubtedly, we all fall in our lives. But we see here that the fault isn’t in falling, but in not striving to rise as best as one could. Hence, in our lives let us avoid all dangers, but when we are ensnared in a period of darkness, let us summon the strength and courage to bounce back stronger and fresher than before.

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In Honor of Aliza Yael-

Alissa Shams’ Milestone Birthday Alissa Illuminates the lives of all those she comes in contact with.

May she be blessed with that gift until 120.

Her Friends and Family Thank you for all the wise counsel, empathy and wisdom of experience that you have shared with all of us.

Sheera and Michael Moffson Jocelyn London '02 and David Adelsberg Pamela ’08 and David Ness Lawrence Adolf and Howie Ness Deborah and Isaac Ash Judy and Donald Olenick Kristin and Peter Auerbach Judith '92 and Daniel Ottensoser Karen and Mark E. Benson Debbie and Kenneth Rochlin '86 and Nava and Dan Bettinger Family Judith Abel ‘80 and Michael Brill Esther Buterman and Kenneth Fran and Benjy Brown '59 Rubinstein Lisa Don Carol and Alan Schechter Randi and Howard Eisenstein ‘83 Ilana and William Schubin Barbara and Abe Esses Roberta Solar and Rabbi Robert Linda and Jeffrey Esses '93 Schumeister Ruth and Rafael Fouzailoff Erica ‘93 and Robert Schwartz Stephanie and Jonathan Freilich '83 Sandra and Morton Seewald Amy and Alex Goldstein Smadar and David Seinfeld Robin and Sammy Greenfield Mijal and Sion Setton Karynne Naftolin and Rabbi Eric Howard Shams Grossman Becky Shams ‘13 Amy and James Haber Hannah Shams ‘14 Racheline Habousha Harry Shams ‘19 Amy and Albert Harary Michele and Joseph Shams Michele ‘79 and Ari Hering Nathan Shams '10 Diane and Ashley Joffe Sara '92 and Simon Shemia Leslie Spitalnick '99 and Joshua Kaplan Johanna Shlomovich Lauren Katz Suzy and Joey Sokol '89 Elana and Rabbi Tavi Koslowe Rachel and Jonathan Sopher Randy and Mitchell Krevat Lisa and Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz Sherri and Alexander Libin '92 Phyllis and Jonathan Wagner Audrey and Rabbi Haskel Lookstein '49 Naama and Rabbi Elie Weinstock Rochelle and Eugene Major '80 Judy Schaer Wilner and Ira Miller and Family Philip Wilner '75 Uri Moche PAGE 20 Page 20