Educating Children for Chanukah - Rabbi Yosef Avraham Pizam shlita

00:02 Speaker 1 You’re listening to the “Lemaan Yishme’u” podcast from Machon Halacha Chabad.

00:09 Speaker 2 In this class, we’ll discuss Chanukah and education. The word Chanukah is also related to chinuch, education. What place do children have in Chanukah? Quite a large one, it turns out—both in terms of the requirements of our Sages and halacha, and in terms of the importance the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach places on children’s education in the laws and customs of Chanukah and their involvement in it. So let’s go step by step. One of the most prominent Chanukah mitzvos is, of course, lighting the candles. Are children required to light Chanukah candles themselves? Well, boys are taught from a young age to light Chanukah candles, and to do so in the manner of mehadrin min hamehadrin. Where should children light? The purpose of having them light is its effect on their education, so in each place we need to consider what will be more beneficial: having everyone light in one room, or having each child light in his own room. Over the years, the Rebbe explicitly recommended that each child light in his own room, but there is a condition: it must be completely safe and fully supervised by the parents. In other words, the Rebbe does prefer that the child feel that this is his room, that he lights there and illuminates his own space. That is very important, just as the Rebbe wants every child to have a Chitas—a Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya—a tzedakah box, and a siddur in his room, arranged in a way that invites him to use them. The same applies to lighting Chanukah candles, but here there is the issue of safety. Safety is very important to the Rebbe. So it is highly desirable for a child to light at the entrance to his room, but we can understand the risk involved. It is possible only if the parents are truly careful about the timing and provide supervision throughout. That means the parents are there, keeping an eye on things

03:08 Speaker 2 and checking until the required time has passed. They devote that time to the laws, stories, songs, and niggunim of Chanukah, as well as to actual supervision. If they can’t manage that, then no: everyone should light in one place, and the adults should supervise that one place and the children. Let’s look at the halachic importance of involving children in lighting candles at home. First, when do we light Chanukah candles, even as adults? Between Mincha and Maariv. We light after sunset has begun. Married men wear a gartel, as well as a hat and their usual clothing. That is, they don’t specifically wear a sirtuk, but their weekday clothes, while certainly making sure to wear a hat, jacket, and gartel—not their Shabbos and Yom Tov clothes. On any evening, if the father is away from home and will return while the members of the household are awake, they should wait for him. If he sees that he will arrive after they have gone to sleep, he should ask his wife or one of the children to light on behalf of the household. He may then light for himself, provided he intended not to fulfill his obligation through their lighting. If the children know for certain that their father does not mind, they should light within half an hour of nightfall. If they did not light, one may light throughout the night if members of the household are awake. If not—everyone is asleep, and someone comes home very late knowing that they have not lit Chanukah candles—it is proper to wake them and recite the blessings. The Rebbe adds that nowadays we teach boys to light Chanukah candles from a very young age. The Rebbe was asked about what appears in the chronology at the beginning of Hayom Yom, in the 5755 edition, page 34, regarding the year 5748. It was an addition from 5748 that the Rebbe had edited: the Rebbe urged that every boy or girl light Chanukah candles at the entrance to their room. The Rebbe spoke about this in the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev, 21 Kislev. The Rebbe was asked several questions about it, including whether girls, too, should

05:55 Speaker 2 light. He replied: “In each place, one must consider and examine the actual results: which approach will contribute more to their education?” At the same time, the Rebbe continued to note, at farbrengens in 5750, for example, that the custom in the Rebbe’s household had always been for girls not to light. The Rebbe noted this in subsequent years as well. What should we do in practice? If we follow the Rebbe’s later statements, he noted that the custom in the Rebbe’s household is that girls do not light. Yet the Rebbe had said at a farbrengen what appears in the edited Hayom Yom. I would reconcile the two by saying that if you see that lighting is very important to a girl’s yiras Shamayim, and she feels strongly that she should light herself, you can tell her to light, including at the entrance to her room. But if you sense that it is merely a kind of competition—if the boys light, the girls should light too, that sort of thing—then we know that the custom in the Rebbe’s household is that girls do not light. However we look at it, though, the Rebbe says to consider the results. Simply put, if you see that it will deepen your daughter’s connection to the experience of Chanukah, then she should light; the Rebbe explicitly says so. It isn’t automatic. It calls for a thoughtful decision, specific to each home and each girl and her circumstances. Overall, the idea is that we educate the children to light as well. We should not simply have them fulfill their obligation through their father’s lighting; they should light too, as a matter of chinuch—to teach them and accustom them to lighting themselves. The miracle was for them as well, for men, women, and children, so they are part of it. The custom of our Rebbeim was to light Chanukah candles at the entrance to one of the rooms, not at the window—on the left side as one enters, opposite the mezuzah, fulfilling the words of our Sages: “so that the mezuzah is on the right and the Chanukah candle on the left, and he is thus surrounded by mitzvos.” Notice, too, the precision of the Rebbe’s wording: it is advisable and proper for children to light Chanukah candles at the entrance to their private rooms, if the conditions of the space and the rules of safety allow it.

08:18 Speaker 2 And as I mentioned earlier, that means the parents actually take responsibility for it, properly, with very close supervision. The Rebbe adds that this also helps educate them to make their room a miniature sanctuary on Chanukah. The Rebbe always speaks about making a child’s private room a Tzivos Hashem room, a Tzivos Hashem home, their own miniature sanctuary, their own Chabad House. It is all part of the same idea. So it certainly matters that they add holiness, a revelation of holiness, and light to their own room. But again, only when it is one hundred percent safe. The lighting begins only after all the preceding blessings have been completed. We light with olive oil, and the shamash is a wax candle. With children too, it is preferable to use olive oil once they are ready for it. If they are still at an age when the colorful candles appeal to them more, that is a sign that they have not matured enough. We don’t yet have to fight with them about using olive oil. But again, the more a child understands and appreciates its importance, the more we can—and should—educate him to use olive oil as well. We begin placing the candles at the right-hand end of the menorah. We say and sing “Haneiros Halalu” after all the candles have been lit. We remain near the candles for about half an hour, children included. We make sure the candles will burn for at least fifty minutes. If a candle goes out within its required burning time, we relight it without a blessing; this applies to children’s candles too. Once fifty minutes have passed, one may

10:38 Speaker 2 To move the menorah even while the candles are still burning, when necessary for the household, for safety reasons and so on. Then, once that time has passed, one may do work away from the candles, even on the first and eighth days. A few more things for men, women, and children: During Chanukah, there should also be a special increase in Torah study. The Rebbe Rashab, of blessed memory, would sit near the Chanukah candles after lighting them and study Torah. So how fitting it is to share a point from a sicha of the Rebbe, to learn something together—Chassidus, for example, or laws and their reasons. Some say that one should eat dairy foods and cheese on Chanukah in remembrance of the miracle brought about by Yehudis, daughter of Yochanan the Kohen Gadol. So dairy foods on Chanukah could certainly be fitting, whether by the candles or separately. It is a Jewish custom, which itself has the force of Torah, to eat foods made with oil in remembrance of the miracle of the oil. Now, more Chabad Chanukah customs that apply to men, women, and children. First of all, it is proper and advisable that throughout Chanukah, each and every day, gatherings and joyous celebrations connected with the themes of the day be held everywhere: with the family, in schools and other educational settings, and in workplaces, according to the conditions of each place and time. They should be for men, women, and children—boys and girls separately, of course. In every educational institution, there should be a farbrengen with the students at least once. In institutions where they study during Chanukah, there should be several farbrengens. At the gathering held at the time of the Chanukah candle-lighting, someone should share a Torah thought about the themes of the day. Then one of the children should light a Chanukah candle for everyone. Here the Rebbe also brings in the idea of distributing Chanukah gelt to the students. In some places outside Chabad, that is the custom, particularly for the Rebbe to distribute it. But the Rebbe said—and made everyone shluchim in this—that every teacher should distribute Chanukah gelt to the students, every principal should distribute Chanukah gelt to the students, and clearly every principal should also distribute Chanukah gelt

13:17 Speaker 2 to the teachers. After all, it is all about setting a personal example. You give to the students; give to the teachers too. And bring everyone into the practice of tzedakah, as the Rebbe once put it: one coin to use as they wish, and another coin to give to tzedakah. It is up to us adults to make sure that at these farbrengens, these gatherings, these Tzivos Hashem rallies, they tell the story of the Chanukah miracle and the lessons to be learned from it. Hold a general celebration for everyone, with the mashpia, the rabbi, and others taking part, and also a separate celebration, say, in each classroom. The same applies to the children. Here the Rebbe introduces something new. The Chabad custom had been to give Chanukah gelt once or twice during Chanukah, on the fourth or fifth night; that was the practice in the families of our Rebbeim and is the Chabad custom. Now the Rebbe says that we want to give Chanukah gelt every day, to give children Chanukah gelt every day. This will strengthen their connection to Torah, increase light and holiness, overcome the darkness of exile, and foster their connection to our Rebbeim. We are observing this Jewish custom, which is also a Chabad custom, but doing it each and every day. The Rebbe adds that Chanukah gelt should be distributed to all the students, even someone whose status as a student is uncertain—perhaps his name is only on the list and he does not actually attend. Let him receive Chanukah gelt in anticipation of what he will become, and then he will study. That itself will give him light and draw him closer. Another point about education on Chanukah: It is a Jewish custom to play with a dreidel. As is well known, Jews write the letters nun, gimmel, hei, shin on the dreidel, standing for “A great miracle happened there.” Those letters also spell Goshna, which has the same numerical value as Moshiach. In some places they also put on plays about the story of Chanukah, dressing up as the Chashmonaim. So, as always, following the Rebbe’s holy approach: if the performers are girls, the costumes should of course be especially modest

15:36 Speaker 2 in the—yes, for the purposes of the play, and in accordance with the guidance of a rabbi. In any case, for the boys too, it is certainly important to give them roles—roles that will especially help them identify with Yehudah Maccabee and Mattisyahu the Kohen Gadol, with self-sacrifice for Hakadosh Boruch Hu and His Torah. The days of Chanukah are also especially suited to organizing gatherings for Jewish children, Tzivos Hashem rallies. It was precious to the Rebbe to bring Jewish children together on Chanukah. Back then, they had to study secretly, in hiding, taking care to avoid the Greeks. Now they can gather openly: “When you cry out, let your gatherings save you.” The Jewish people need great salvation from this state of the darkness of exile, together with all the miracles and wonders of the true and complete Geulah in actual reality. The subject of tzedakah: Tzedakah is very important, and we should increase our giving during Chanukah. We know that the days of Chanukah are, in a sense, a continuation and completion of the days of Sukkos and Hoshana Rabbah, when the final sealing for a good year takes place. It says in sefarim, especially works of Chassidus—including those of other Chassidic groups, not only Chabad—that this continues until Chanukah, until Zos Chanukah. We should therefore continue to increase our tzedakah during the days of Chanukah, so that we, and the entire Jewish people, will merit a favorable judgment. When will he come already? “When will the Master come?” When will the Geulah finally come? Today, at this very moment. Great is tzedakah, for it brings the Geulah closer. So we need to give more tzedakah; this is very, very important, because tzedakah helps set things right. A child in a Torah school who davens Shemoneh Esrei—we need to know that in Shemoneh Esrei he also needs to say Ve’al Hanissim. A child who says Birchas Hamazon at school or in kindergarten—we need to see that he says Ve’al Hanissim. A child in a Torah school who says the Rosh Chodesh prayers and Hallel every Rosh Chodesh should also say Hallel on Chanukah—full Hallel. Full Hallel on Chanukah is something new and joyful for a child. So it is always worthwhile to explain it as well.

18:06 Speaker 2 The whole subject of davening, the schedule of additions to the prayers—it is best to sit with the child at home with an open siddur. Say to him: “Now it’s Chanukah. Do you know what we daven? Well, you tell me. Do you know why?” And so on. Make it interesting for him. What does it mean? Give it a little meaning, as much as possible, and that way davening will interest him. And we need to know and tell him: “You are speaking to Hashem. You are asking Hashem. Ask for the whole family. Thank Hashem for the miracles on behalf of the whole family. Ask for the entire Jewish people.” Zos Chanukah is a very great day. The Rebbe asked that a great deal of outreach activity be done on Zos Chanukah and that it be photographed, so that it could benefit the many. So we have come to the subject of Mivtza Chanukah. The Rebbe asks that men, women, and children take part in Mivtza Chanukah, helping others fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah candles. This includes making home visits so that a Chanukah candle will be lit in every Jewish home, and giving people a menorah as a gift. In places where the men do not light—if they are not home or do not want to light when approached during outreach—one should try to ensure that at least a woman or girl lights a Chanukah candle. Now let’s go through the list of practices the Rebbe instructed us to follow in outreach. All the men, including many boys, should light their own menorah. Another instruction from the Rebbe: Gather Jewish children, including those who have never attended a Jewish school. Tell them the Chanukah story, bring them joy, offer them doughnuts and the like, and give them the opportunity to light a menorah. Likewise, for Jews who are currently in hospitals or prisons, or serving in the armed forces or police, wherever they may be: Try to ensure that every IDF outpost has at least one menorah and that a different soldier lights it each day. Share words of Torah with them and distribute Chanukah gelt. It is preferable that the soldiers themselves also share words of Torah and distribute

20:20 Speaker 2 Chanukah gelt, and that they should have a tzedakah box on the table or on the wall—that is, a tzedakah box permanently affixed to the wall. Encourage Jewish friends and neighbors to light Chanukah candles. Make an effort to ensure that all Jewish children, boys and girls, receive Chanukah gelt. It would be good for the boys, too, to give Chanukah gelt to their friends, and the girls to theirs. Encourage the children to give tzedakah throughout the days of Chanukah, except on Shabbos; instead, they should give double on Friday, including an amount for Shabbos. Encourage them to add to their learning each day of Chanukah by studying Torah teachings about Chanukah in honor of the festival. Light the Chanukah menorah at the proper time in public places to emphasize publicizing the miracle—in every city and town, village and community, at the most central public location. If it is possible to light in additional places as well, all the better. Those gathered must be told that this lighting does not fulfill their obligation, and they should be encouraged to light the Chanukah menorah in each of their homes. When non-Jews are present at a gathering, they should be encouraged to observe the seven Noahide laws they were commanded to keep, whose essence is justice, integrity, and a well-ordered world. It is a mitzvah to publicize those who perform mitzvos, including by publishing photographs of the activities and campaigns through which men, women, and children help others—men, women, and children—perform mitzvos. All of this, of course, with the utmost modesty. In closing, just as Chanukah candles are lit in shuls in the morning, they should also be lit without a blessing during the day on Zos Chanukah. All the more so on the other days: at gatherings and assemblies attended by ten Jews, they may be lit at any time of day, without a blessing. This is especially true of gatherings with children. When children are present, one should make an even greater effort to tell the story of the Chanukah miracle and publicize it for adults and children alike. May we merit to give children the experience of Chanukah—not only its spiritual feeling and atmosphere, but also

23:12 Speaker 2 through careful observance of all the mitzvos and customs of the festival, according to each child’s capacity. May we have a happy, illuminating Chanukah and carry the light of Chanukah throughout the entire year, in the words of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.