originally posted Nov. 23, 2010
Hanukkah is a time for celebrating miracles. Enjoy this list of miraculous thoughts!
23. "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."
Albert Einstein
24. "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
25. "Expect a Miracle!" James Dillet Freeman
57. "Miracles, in the sense of phenomena we cannot explain, surround us on every hand: life itself is the miracle of miracles."
George Bernard Shaw
58. "The world is full of wonders and miracles but man takes his little hand and covers his eyes and sees nothing." Israel Baal Shem
For more Miracle Quotations see Bella Online.
KT,
RRW
Showing posts with label Hanukkah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hanukkah. Show all posts
Saturday, 12 December 2020
Monday, 30 December 2019
Was Hanukkah a Reaction to Secular Liberalism?
Originally published 12/8/10, 8:02 pm.
«In a broader sense, the miracle of Chanukah was much more than the over-extended burning of a bottle of oil; it was the victory of the Hasmoneans over the Greeks, of the Torah over secularism. The Greeks were in essence a liberal, open-minded society, not a barbaric nation given to mass-executions and bloodbaths. Their desire was to "enrich" Jews with their "enlightened" way of life; with their arts, culture and philosophy.»
Olas Shabbos - Chanukah, 5760 - Torah.org
Shalom,
RRW
«In a broader sense, the miracle of Chanukah was much more than the over-extended burning of a bottle of oil; it was the victory of the Hasmoneans over the Greeks, of the Torah over secularism. The Greeks were in essence a liberal, open-minded society, not a barbaric nation given to mass-executions and bloodbaths. Their desire was to "enrich" Jews with their "enlightened" way of life; with their arts, culture and philosophy.»
Olas Shabbos - Chanukah, 5760 - Torah.org
Shalom,
RRW
Sunday, 29 December 2019
Pirsumei Nissa & Af Hein Hayu - Connecting the Dots
Originally published 12/5/10, 7:32 pm.
Based upon my preliminary research we have at least three cases that manifest Pirsumei Nissa in Halachah - (perhaps there are more?)
A. Ner Hanukkah
B. Megillat Purim
C. Arba Kossot
We have several Halachot flowing from this designation
1. "Af hein hayu b'oto hanneis" implies gender equality in the performance of all of the above Mitzvot
2. We are also enjoined to "sell the shirts off our backs" to fulfill these Mitzvot
Some observations
• Women are usually enjoined from drinking too much wine. Obviously this is suspended during arba kossot
• However, re: Megillah, it seems that many Posqim refuse to waive issues of "kol ishah" to permit women to read the Megillah in Public.
Perhaps the Hilluq is the private nature of the Seder vs. the public nature of Megillah
V'tzarich Iyyun
• Another anomaly is that regarding Ner Hanukkah, husbands and wives usually fulfill this jointly. This may be driven by the "uveito" nature of the Mitzvah which pertains to the household [heftza] as opposed to the individuals [gavra].
Shalom,
RRW
Based upon my preliminary research we have at least three cases that manifest Pirsumei Nissa in Halachah - (perhaps there are more?)
A. Ner Hanukkah
B. Megillat Purim
C. Arba Kossot
We have several Halachot flowing from this designation
1. "Af hein hayu b'oto hanneis" implies gender equality in the performance of all of the above Mitzvot
2. We are also enjoined to "sell the shirts off our backs" to fulfill these Mitzvot
Some observations
• Women are usually enjoined from drinking too much wine. Obviously this is suspended during arba kossot
• However, re: Megillah, it seems that many Posqim refuse to waive issues of "kol ishah" to permit women to read the Megillah in Public.
Perhaps the Hilluq is the private nature of the Seder vs. the public nature of Megillah
V'tzarich Iyyun
• Another anomaly is that regarding Ner Hanukkah, husbands and wives usually fulfill this jointly. This may be driven by the "uveito" nature of the Mitzvah which pertains to the household [heftza] as opposed to the individuals [gavra].
Shalom,
RRW
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
The True Miracle of Hanukkah
Originally published 12/8/10, 7:34 am. Link no longer works.
'Tis the season for "Feel-Good Stories"
NYT: Metropolitan Diary
Shalom,
RRW
'Tis the season for "Feel-Good Stories"
NYT: Metropolitan Diary
«As I opened the box, I saw that the good Samaritan had written the following note: "This is the The true miracle of Hanukkah"»
Shalom,
RRW
Monday, 6 December 2010
Science, Hanukkah, and Miracles
Originally published 12/6/10, 9:10 am.
Dreidles and Daily Miracles: What a Modest, Spinning Top Can Teach Us About the Miracles in Our Lives » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry
- R' Eliyahu Safran
«As Tamar Sofer wrote in a recent blog, "My husband, a laser physicist, tells me that scientists who study particle physics are more likely to become religious. Scientists are notoriously hard to convince of anything. Yet, when these skeptical scientists see the perfect, natural order of the world, they decide nano and up, that this world was planned. The marvelous design before them becomes the miracle they need to become convinced." Indeed, it is quite often those scientists who study natural law in its greatest complexity and detail who appreciate miracles the most. »
My Physics teacher Dr. Genovese from the summer of 1972 at UConn's W. Hartford branch - said that you cannot see what the particles can do without believing in G-d. I had always assumed he was a religious Catholic, but I'm not so sure of that now, rather, I'd say for certain that he witnessed the "Hand of G-d" in G-d's Handiwork.
Shalom,
RRW
Dreidles and Daily Miracles: What a Modest, Spinning Top Can Teach Us About the Miracles in Our Lives » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry
- R' Eliyahu Safran
«As Tamar Sofer wrote in a recent blog, "My husband, a laser physicist, tells me that scientists who study particle physics are more likely to become religious. Scientists are notoriously hard to convince of anything. Yet, when these skeptical scientists see the perfect, natural order of the world, they decide nano and up, that this world was planned. The marvelous design before them becomes the miracle they need to become convinced." Indeed, it is quite often those scientists who study natural law in its greatest complexity and detail who appreciate miracles the most. »
My Physics teacher Dr. Genovese from the summer of 1972 at UConn's W. Hartford branch - said that you cannot see what the particles can do without believing in G-d. I had always assumed he was a religious Catholic, but I'm not so sure of that now, rather, I'd say for certain that he witnessed the "Hand of G-d" in G-d's Handiwork.
Shalom,
RRW
Thursday, 2 December 2010
The Hanukkah I Hanukkah II Hypothesis - The Outline
Originally published 12/2/10, 8:42 pm.
The Outline
I have posted this previously on the web In the meantime I will present it again briefly using my taciturn New English terseness. :-)
Hanukkah was a "discontinuous" function. It originally was an "Independence Day" - namely from its inception until the Hurban. It then went "Kaput" * for several generations following the Hurban.
It was subsequently revived and resuscitated sometime later on during the era of the Talmud.
Hanukkah I:
• Maccabees I + II
• Josephus
• Al Hanissim
• The Braitto of Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel
•. The Dedication of the Mizbei'ach
• Political Independence
Interruption *
•. The Mishnah
Hanukkah II
• TB Shabbat
• THe Scholion to Megillat Taanit
• The Miracle of the Oil
* Note that during the "interuption" Hanukkah was likely to have been practiced as a "Minhag
B'alma"
Shalom,
RRW
The Outline
I have posted this previously on the web In the meantime I will present it again briefly using my taciturn New English terseness. :-)
Hanukkah was a "discontinuous" function. It originally was an "Independence Day" - namely from its inception until the Hurban. It then went "Kaput" * for several generations following the Hurban.
It was subsequently revived and resuscitated sometime later on during the era of the Talmud.
Hanukkah I:
• Maccabees I + II
• Josephus
• Al Hanissim
• The Braitto of Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel
•. The Dedication of the Mizbei'ach
• Political Independence
Interruption *
•. The Mishnah
Hanukkah II
• TB Shabbat
• THe Scholion to Megillat Taanit
• The Miracle of the Oil
* Note that during the "interuption" Hanukkah was likely to have been practiced as a "Minhag
B'alma"
Shalom,
RRW
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
The Hanukkah I Hanukkah II Hypothesis - The Questions
Originally published 11/30/10, 1:06 pm.
Hanukkah is mentioned in the following texts
• Maccabees I + II
• Josephus
• Al Hanissim
• Megillat Taaanit
Yet the Miracle of the Oil is omitted, excepting the Scholion of the Megillat Taanit.
• How is it that the Mishnah does not treat the Laws of Hanukkah at all? It merely mentions Hanukkah in passing - EG Ner Hanukkah in Bava Kama.
• Without the Miracle of the Oil, how did Hanukkah get to be Eight Days Long?
• Given the Absence of the Mizbei'ach why do we still celebrate Hanukkah Nowadays?
• Why is it the Bavli that first mentions the miracle of the oil?
Shalom,
RRW
Hanukkah is mentioned in the following texts
• Maccabees I + II
• Josephus
• Al Hanissim
• Megillat Taaanit
Yet the Miracle of the Oil is omitted, excepting the Scholion of the Megillat Taanit.
Questions
• Why is there no mention of the Miracle of Oil in the above?• How is it that the Mishnah does not treat the Laws of Hanukkah at all? It merely mentions Hanukkah in passing - EG Ner Hanukkah in Bava Kama.
• Without the Miracle of the Oil, how did Hanukkah get to be Eight Days Long?
• Given the Absence of the Mizbei'ach why do we still celebrate Hanukkah Nowadays?
• Why is it the Bavli that first mentions the miracle of the oil?
Shalom,
RRW
Friday, 19 November 2010
Q: Why was the Hanukkah Revolution led specifically by Kohanim?
Originally published 11/19/10, 2:38 pm.
Q: Why was the Hanukkah Revolution led specifically by Kohanim?
A: Because of the gzeira of "tibo'eil lehgmon". For Yisroelim and Leviim this was bad - but survivable. For Kohanim it meant that every wife would thereby become a "zona-hallalah" [even as an anussah] and in a single generation the k'hunah would have been history. Hence the sense of urgency - davqa for Kohanim.
- As per my chaveir R. Joel Stern.
Shalom,
RRW
Q: Why was the Hanukkah Revolution led specifically by Kohanim?
A: Because of the gzeira of "tibo'eil lehgmon". For Yisroelim and Leviim this was bad - but survivable. For Kohanim it meant that every wife would thereby become a "zona-hallalah" [even as an anussah] and in a single generation the k'hunah would have been history. Hence the sense of urgency - davqa for Kohanim.
- As per my chaveir R. Joel Stern.
Shalom,
RRW
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