(א) בְבַיִת שֵׁנִי כְּשֶׁמַּלְכֵי יָוָן גָּזְרוּ גְּזֵרוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִטְּלוּ דָּתָם וְלֹא הֵנִיחוּ אוֹתָם לַעֲסֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת. וּפָשְׁטוּ יָדָם בְּמָמוֹנָם וּבִבְנוֹתֵיהֶם וְנִכְנְסוּ לַהֵיכָל וּפָרְצוּ בּוֹ פְּרָצוֹת וְטִמְּאוּ הַטָּהֳרוֹת. וְצָר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְאֹד מִפְּנֵיהֶם וּלְחָצוּם לַחַץ גָּדוֹל עַד שֶׁרִחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיָּדָם וְהִצִּילָם וְגָבְרוּ בְּנֵי חַשְׁמוֹנַאי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וַהֲרָגוּם וְהוֹשִׁיעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּדָם וְהֶעֱמִידוּ מֶלֶךְ מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים וְחָזְרָה מַלְכוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יֶתֶר עַל מָאתַיִם שָׁנָה עַד הַחֻרְבָּן הַשֵּׁנִי:
(ב) וּכְשֶׁגָּבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְאִבְּדוּם בְּכ''ה בְּחֹדֶשׁ כִּסְלֵו הָיָה וְנִכְנְסוּ לַהֵיכָל וְלֹא מָצְאוּ שֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ אֶלָּא פַּךְ אֶחָד וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ לְהַדְלִיק אֶלָּא יוֹם אֶחָד בִּלְבַד וְהִדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נֵרוֹת הַמַּעֲרָכָה שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים עַד שֶׁכָּתְשׁוּ זֵיתִים וְהוֹצִיאוּ שֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר:
(ג) וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הִתְקִינוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁתְּחִלָּתָן כ''ה בְּכִסְלֵו יְמֵי שִׂמְחָה וְהַלֵּל וּמַדְלִיקִין בָּהֶן הַנֵּרוֹת בָּעֶרֶב עַל פִּתְחֵי הַבָּתִּים בְּכָל לַיְלָה וְלַיְלָה מִשְּׁמוֹנַת הַלֵּילוֹת לְהַרְאוֹת וּלְגַלּוֹת הַנֵּס. וְיָמִים אֵלּוּ הֵן הַנִּקְרָאִין חֲנֻכָּה וְהֵן אֲסוּרִין בְּהֶסְפֵּד וְתַעֲנִית כִּימֵי הַפּוּרִים. וְהַדְלָקַת הַנֵּרוֹת בָּהֶן מִצְוָה מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים כִּקְרִיאַת הַמְּגִלָּה:
(1) During the Second Temple period, when the Hellenic kings decreed decrees upon Israel, and [sought to] nullify their religion, and they did not allow them to immerse in Torah and in commandments. And they reached out their hands against their money and their daughters, and they entered the shrine, and put in there idols, and defiled that which was pure. And was Israel was distressed because of them, and oppressed them greatly until the God of their ancestors had compassion on them, and saved them from their hands, and rescued them, and the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame and killed them, and saved Israel from their hand, and set up a king from among the Priests, and brought back kingship to Israel for more than two hundred years until the destruction of the Second Temple.
(2) When the Jews overcame their enemies and won the military battle on the 25th day of Kislev, they entered the sanctuary of the Temple and found only one flask of pure oil. That flask only contained enough oil to burn for one day but it remained lit for eight full days, until fresh olives were crushed into pure oil.
(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).
(ז) כל מצות הבן על האב. אנשים חייבין. ונשים פטורות. וכל מצות האב על הבן. אחד אנשים ואחד נשים חייבין. וכל מצות עשה שהזמן גרמה אנשים חייבין ונשים פטורות. וכל מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמה. אחד אנשים ואחד נשים חייבין. וכל מצות לא תעשה. בין שהזמן גרמה. בין שלא הזמן גרמה. אחד אנשים ואחד נשים חייבין. חוץ מבל תשחית. ובל תקיף. ובל תטמא למתים:
(7) [With regard to] all commandments of the son which are [incumbent] upon the father, men are obligated, and women are exempt. And [with regard to] all commandments of the father which are [incumbent] upon the son, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every positive commandment that is time-dependent, men are obligated and women are exempt. And [with regard to] every positive commandment which is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every negative commandment, whether it is time-dependent or it is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated, except for: "You shall not round off [the corners of your head]" (Leviticus 19:27), "You shall not destroy [the corners of your beard]" (ibid.), and "You shall not become ritually impure for the dead" (Leviticus 21:1).
What are positive commandment that is time-dependent? give some example.
according to this rule, are woman obligated to light chanucka candle?
Way do you think a women IS obligated to light chanucka candle?
שאף הן היו באותו הנס - כדאמרינן (סוטה דף יא:) בשכר נשים צדקניות שבאותו הדור נגאלו וכן גבי מקרא מגילה נמי אמרינן הכי דמשום דע"י אסתר נגאלו וכן גבי נר חנוכה במסכת שבת (ד' כג.):
"Even they were part of the miracle" - As we say (Sotah 11b) that through the merit of righteous women in that generation were they redeemed, and similarly for Megillah we also say that because of Esther were they redeemed, and similarly regarding Chanukah candles in Tractate Shabbat.
היו באותו הנס. שגזרו יוונים על כל בתולות הנשואות להיבעל לטפסר תחלה ועל יד אשה נעשה הנס:
"Were part of the miracle" - That the Greeks decreed [prima nocta] on all the virgins to be wed that they must have relations with the high official first. And also a miracle happened through a woman [Yehudit].
ספר כלבו סימן מד
ונשים חייבות בנ"ח שאף הן היו באותו הנס, פירוש שהאויבים באו לאבד הכל אנשים ונשים וטף, ויש מפרשים שעל ידי אשה אירע להם הנס הגדול ההוא ושמה יהודית כמו שמפורש באגדה בת היתה ליוחנן כהן גדול והיתה יפת תואר מאד ואמר המלך יון שתשכב עמו והאכילתו תבשיל של גבינה כדי שיצמא וישתה לרוב וישתכר וישכב וירדם ויהי לה כן וישכב וירדם ותקח חרבו וחתכה ראשו ותביאהו לירושלים וכראות החיל כי מת גבורם וינוסו, ועל כן נהגו לעשות תבשיל של גבינה בחנוכה
The Book of the Kolbo, (by Rabbi Aharon ben Jacob of Narbonne) Chapter 44
Women are obligated to light Hannukah candles, for they too were included in the miracle. This means that the enemies came to destroy everyone, men, women, and children, and there are those who say that the great miracle occurred through a woman. Her name was Judith, as the story goes, and she was the daughter of Yochanan, the high priest. She was extremely beautiful, and the Greek king wanted her to lay with him. She fed him a dish of cheese to make him thirsty, so that he would drink a great deal and became drunk, and recline and fall asleep. And it happened just that way, and once he was asleep, she took his sword and cut off his head. She brought his head to Jerusalem, and when the armies saw that their leader had been killed, they fled. For this reason, we have the custom of eating a cheese dish on Hannukah.
טור אורח חיים תרע
...ונוהגות הנשים שלא לעשות מלאכה בעוד שהנרות דולקות
TUR Orach Chaim
... and the custom of the women is not to do any work will the candles are burning
What Hanukkah stories (if any) do you think influence your celebration of the holiday?
- What Hanukkah story is being told by each of these texts? Is it one with which you are familiar?
- Is there anything from any of these stories that you would want to incorporate into your celebration of Hannukah?