There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle. -- Attributed to Albert Einstein
The other is as though everything is a miracle. -- Attributed to Albert Einstein
ת"ר נר חנוכה מצוה להניחה על פתח ביתו מבחוץ אם היה דר בעלייה מניחה בחלון הסמוכה לרה"ר ובשעת הסכנה מניחה על שלחנו ודיו
The Sages taught: It is a mitzva to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside, so that all can see it. If they lived upstairs, they place it at the window adjacent to the public domain. And in a time of danger, when the gentiles issued decrees to prohibit kindling lights, they place it on the table and that is sufficient to fulfill their obligation.
Rabbi David Hartman, Trusting in a New Beginning in A Different Light
In considering the miracle of the cruse of oil, our Rabbis asked why the holiday of Hanukkah was celebrated for eight days rather than for seven days. Since there was, by all accounts, sufficient oil for one day, only seven of the eight days of burning may be designated as miraculous days. Though several ingenious explanations were offered, what strikes me as being the miraculous feature of the initial day was the community's willingness to light the lamp in spite of the fact that its anticipated period of burning was short-lived. The miracle of the first day was expressed in the community's willingness to light a small cruse of oil without reasonable assurance that their efforts would be sufficient to complete the rededication of the Temple. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle expressed by those who lit the lamp and not only the miracle of the lamp's continued burning for eight days.
In considering the miracle of the cruse of oil, our Rabbis asked why the holiday of Hanukkah was celebrated for eight days rather than for seven days. Since there was, by all accounts, sufficient oil for one day, only seven of the eight days of burning may be designated as miraculous days. Though several ingenious explanations were offered, what strikes me as being the miraculous feature of the initial day was the community's willingness to light the lamp in spite of the fact that its anticipated period of burning was short-lived. The miracle of the first day was expressed in the community's willingness to light a small cruse of oil without reasonable assurance that their efforts would be sufficient to complete the rededication of the Temple. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle expressed by those who lit the lamp and not only the miracle of the lamp's continued burning for eight days.
והשתא דאמרינן הדלקה עושה מצוה הדליקה חרש שוטה וקטן לא עשה ולא כלום אשה ודאי מדליקה דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי נשים חייבות בנר חנוכה שאף הן היו באותו הנס:
And, the Gemara remarks, now that we say that lighting accomplishes the mitzva, there are practical ramifications. If a deaf-mute, an imbecile, or a minor, all of whom are of limited intellectual capacity and not obligated in mitzvot, kindled the Hanukkah light, he did nothing in terms of fulfilling the mitzva, even if an adult obligated in mitzvot subsequently set it down in its appropriate place. That is because placing a lit lamp does not constitute fulfillment of the mitzva. The lighting must be performed by a person with full intellectual capacity, obligated in mitzvot. However, a woman certainly may light, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in lighting the Hanukkah light, as they too were included in that miracle of being saved from the decree of persecution.
Story of Judith
During the 12th year of Nebuchadnezzar reign over the people of Assyria. He decided to take his revenge upon all Jews for being disobedient when he called them to fight with him against his enemy - for the Jews, Nebuchadnezzar was just a man, not a god. Thus, they ignored his demand and sent away his messengers empty handed. Nebuchadnezzar was furious, so he decided to invade their territory.
He called one of his finest generals, named Holofernes, and he told him to be in charge of the military invasion and she sent him towards the west lands with many soldiers. Camels, donkeys and other animals carried their possessions which included the gold and the food they took from prior battles.
Nebuchadnezzar told Holofernes to have no mercy upon the people they shall capture and that they should ravage their city. The priest, who was in Jerusalem, sent his messengers to Betulia to tell the people they should block the mountain crossings in order to stop the army. The crossing was so small that only two people could walk through it at once.
In the meantime they started to spiritually prepare for the trouble that was coming upon them; they started to fast, spilled ashes on themselves and they called God’s name and prayed for protection.
Soon after sunrise Holofernes took his army to punish the people in Betulia who dared to stand against him. Holofernes took his counselors advice, and cut off their only access to clean water and all of the town exits so that the people would come out starved and thirsty. The citizens of Betulia managed to survive 34 days of being captive and then the children and the women started fainting due to starvation and weakness. The people sent their representatives to talk to the superiors and tell them to give the town up to Holofernes’ army because it’s they thought it was better to be a slave than to watch their children and women die. Their leaders asked them to stay strong for 5 more days and wait for God's help.
Judith was a God-fearing woman, and didn't want the people in Betulia to give up. She was also known for being exceedingly beautiful. She believed that they, like Abraham, were placed on a trial and that they will come across a hard destiny if they deny their God. She asked the people to be patient and she headed for Holofernes' tent with her maid. On her way she prayed and asked God to give her strength.
After the prayer, Judith put on an elegant dress. She put on her sandals and jewelry on to impress. She gave her maid some wine and food to carry to Holofernes' tent. At the tent, she announced herself as the daughter of Hebrew, the people who will give in to Holofernes’s army. She said that the people had no strength left and that she wants to help Holofernes win the war. The soldiers were amazed with her beauty so they let her into Holofernes’s tent. Judith won his heart by flattering him and Nebuchadnezzar, and lying to say that the Hebrews were terrible for daring to fight against Holoferenes’s army. She even said they infuriated their God by disobeying the commandments. Holofernes loved everything she told him so he ordered his servants to give her food and shelter. She got the permission to leave every night with her servant for a prayer - during which we asked God for strength to carry out her plan.
In order to increase moral amongst his soldiers Holofernes ordered a diner to be prepared and he invited Judith and her servant. During the dinner, Judith fed him salty foods to make him drink more and more wine. The dinner was long and one by one, the participants went to sleep. Judith was left alone with Holofernes, who was sound asleep due to the alcohol. Judith told her servant to wait for her on their place where their pray.
Then, Judith was completely alone with Holofernes. She prayed to ask for God's help, gathered her strength, and with two strong blows she killed Holofernes by cutting off his head. She escaped the palace, and gave his head to her maid and then they headed to their daily prayer. However, instead praying, they went to Betulia carrying Holofernes' head.
When Judith arrived in Betulia, she praised God and the people fell on their knees and joined her in prayer and thanksgiving.
During the 12th year of Nebuchadnezzar reign over the people of Assyria. He decided to take his revenge upon all Jews for being disobedient when he called them to fight with him against his enemy - for the Jews, Nebuchadnezzar was just a man, not a god. Thus, they ignored his demand and sent away his messengers empty handed. Nebuchadnezzar was furious, so he decided to invade their territory.
He called one of his finest generals, named Holofernes, and he told him to be in charge of the military invasion and she sent him towards the west lands with many soldiers. Camels, donkeys and other animals carried their possessions which included the gold and the food they took from prior battles.
Nebuchadnezzar told Holofernes to have no mercy upon the people they shall capture and that they should ravage their city. The priest, who was in Jerusalem, sent his messengers to Betulia to tell the people they should block the mountain crossings in order to stop the army. The crossing was so small that only two people could walk through it at once.
In the meantime they started to spiritually prepare for the trouble that was coming upon them; they started to fast, spilled ashes on themselves and they called God’s name and prayed for protection.
Soon after sunrise Holofernes took his army to punish the people in Betulia who dared to stand against him. Holofernes took his counselors advice, and cut off their only access to clean water and all of the town exits so that the people would come out starved and thirsty. The citizens of Betulia managed to survive 34 days of being captive and then the children and the women started fainting due to starvation and weakness. The people sent their representatives to talk to the superiors and tell them to give the town up to Holofernes’ army because it’s they thought it was better to be a slave than to watch their children and women die. Their leaders asked them to stay strong for 5 more days and wait for God's help.
Judith was a God-fearing woman, and didn't want the people in Betulia to give up. She was also known for being exceedingly beautiful. She believed that they, like Abraham, were placed on a trial and that they will come across a hard destiny if they deny their God. She asked the people to be patient and she headed for Holofernes' tent with her maid. On her way she prayed and asked God to give her strength.
After the prayer, Judith put on an elegant dress. She put on her sandals and jewelry on to impress. She gave her maid some wine and food to carry to Holofernes' tent. At the tent, she announced herself as the daughter of Hebrew, the people who will give in to Holofernes’s army. She said that the people had no strength left and that she wants to help Holofernes win the war. The soldiers were amazed with her beauty so they let her into Holofernes’s tent. Judith won his heart by flattering him and Nebuchadnezzar, and lying to say that the Hebrews were terrible for daring to fight against Holoferenes’s army. She even said they infuriated their God by disobeying the commandments. Holofernes loved everything she told him so he ordered his servants to give her food and shelter. She got the permission to leave every night with her servant for a prayer - during which we asked God for strength to carry out her plan.
In order to increase moral amongst his soldiers Holofernes ordered a diner to be prepared and he invited Judith and her servant. During the dinner, Judith fed him salty foods to make him drink more and more wine. The dinner was long and one by one, the participants went to sleep. Judith was left alone with Holofernes, who was sound asleep due to the alcohol. Judith told her servant to wait for her on their place where their pray.
Then, Judith was completely alone with Holofernes. She prayed to ask for God's help, gathered her strength, and with two strong blows she killed Holofernes by cutting off his head. She escaped the palace, and gave his head to her maid and then they headed to their daily prayer. However, instead praying, they went to Betulia carrying Holofernes' head.
When Judith arrived in Betulia, she praised God and the people fell on their knees and joined her in prayer and thanksgiving.