Alternative Facts: Chanukah Edition?

(1) Before lighting, we bless:

(2) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King

of the universe

(3) who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles.

(51) Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Kislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of the burnt offering that they had built.

(52) At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals...

(53) Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.

(54) So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings...

(55) They also decked the facade of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.

(56) Thus the people were extremely glad because the heathens had been put away.

(57) Then Judah and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev.

(8) It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Kislev.

(9) They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before, during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.
(10) Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place.

(11) They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year.”

(42) Now when Mattathias and his friends understood what happened, they mourned for all of them greatly.

(43) And one of them said to another: "If we all do as our brethren have done, and fight not for our lives and laws against the heathen, they will quickly wipe us off the earth."

(44) At that time, therefore, they made a decree, saying, "Whosoever shall come to battle us on the sabbath day, we will fight against him; we will not all die, as our brethren that were murdered in the secret places."

(45) A company of Assideans who were mighty men of Israel joined him, even all such as were voluntarily devoted unto the law.

(46) Also joining him were all they that fled for persecution, and were a force for them. So they joined their forces, and smote sinful men in their anger, and wicked men in their wrath: but the rest fled to the heathen for safety.

(47) Then Mattathias and his friends went round about, and pulled down the altars: And whatever children they found within the coast of Israel uncircumcised, they circumcised them valiantly.

(48) They pursued also after the strategic men, and the work prospered in their hand.

(49) So they recovered the law out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hand of kings, neither of these two opponents triumphed.

(3) Because of "this", the Sages of that same generation established that these eight days which begin on the 25th of Kislev [would be] days of joy, and singing-praise, and would light lights on them in the evening at the entrances of their houses every night of the eight nights, to show and reveal the miracle. And these days are called Hanukkah (lit. Dedication), and on then it is forbidden to eulogize, and to fast, like the days of Purim (lit. Lots). And lighting the lights on them is a commandment from the teachings of the Scribes, like Reading the Megillah (lit. Scroll).

The Sages taught in a baraita: The basic mitzva of Hanukkah is each day to have a light kindled by a person, the head of the household, for himself and his household. And the mehadrin, i.e., those who are meticulous in the performance of mitzvot, kindle a light for each and every one in the household. And the mehadrin min hamehadrin, who are even more meticulous, adjust the number of lights daily.

Beit Shammai say: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights until, on the last day of Hanukkah, one kindles one light. And Beit Hillel say: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights until, on the last day, one kindles eight lights.

It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp at the outside of one's house within the handbreadth closest to [the edge of] the entrance, so that the mezuzah will be to the right and the Chanukah lamp to the left. And if he was living in an attic [or second story apartment], he should place it in the window that is closest to the public domain. One who has placed the Chanukah lamp above twenty ells [cubits] has not done anything, because it is not recognizable [too high up].

(7) It is a mitzvah to light the menorah in the doorway that opens to the street, [public domain], in order to publicize the miracle; and it was done in this manner in the days of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Now, since we live among non-Jews*, we light the menorah in the house, and if you have a window facing the street, you should light it there; if not, you should light it near the door. It is a mitzvah to place the menorah within a tefach[width of one's hand across] of the left side of the door so that the mezuzah will be on the right⁵If for whatever reason there is no mezuzah, the Chanukah menorah should be placed on the right side of the door. (Shulchan Aruch 671:7) and the Chanukah lights on the left, and in so doing you find yourself surrounded by mitzvos. It is preferable to place the menorah within the open space of the door.

Rava said: It is obvious to me that there is a fixed list of priorities. When a person is poor and must choose between purchasing oil to light a Shabbat lamp for his home or purchasing oil to light a Hanukkah lamp, the Shabbat lamp for his home takes precedence. That is due to peace in his home; without the light of that lamp, his family would be sitting and eating their meal in the dark. Similarly, if there is a conflict between acquiring oil to light a lamp for his home and wine for the sanctification [kiddush] of Shabbat day, the lamp for his home takes precedence due to peace in his home. However, Rava raised a dilemma: When the conflict is between oil for a Hanukkah lamp or wine for kiddush of Shabbat day, what is the ruling in that case? Does kiddush of Shabbat day take priority because it is frequent, i.e., it is performed every week, and there is a principle: When there is a conflict between a frequent practice and an infrequent practice, the frequent practice takes precedence? Or, perhaps the Hanukkah lamp takes precedence due to publicity of the miracle? After he raised the dilemma, he then resolved it on his own and he ruled that, in that case, the Hanukkah lamp takes precedence due to publicity of the miracle.

(1) Someone who cannot afford both Chanukah candles and Shabbat candles should buy a Shabbat candle, for the sake of tranquility in his household (see above Siman 263:3); and if he has money for a Shabbat candle, but not enough for a Chanukah candle and kiddush wine, he should be a Chanukah candle, to publicize the miracle. Rem"a: And such is the ruling, that a Chanukah candle takes preference over wine for Havdala, and see above Siman 296:5).