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Chanuka: Understanding Why We Praise Hashem
It is good to thank Hashem…
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Chanuka and the Spiritual War of the Maccabees
The Gemarah asks, Mai Chanukah – what is Chanukah? Ask any Jewish school child, and they will know to tell you that it is the celebration of the miracle of the oil that lasted for 8 days. An older child might tell you we are also celebrating the victory of the small army of Maccabees…
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Beit Hillel and Our Ascent in Holiness
There is a well-known debate in the Gemarah between the schools of Shammai and Hillel…
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Chanuka: What Are the Implications of a Rabbinic Holiday?
The post-Biblical phase of history, which we are still in today, does not feature open, public miracles…
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Comparing Chanuka and Shabbat Candles
“For the candle of Hashem is the soul of man.” (Mishlei 26:6) There is something so mesmerizing and transcendental about the flickering flame of a candle, that it merits comparison to the soul of man. There is a mitzvah to light candles every Friday afternoon to welcome in the holy Shabbat, and there is a
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Were Women Involved in the Miracle of Chanuka?
In the Chanukah narrative, the spotlight often shines on Yehuda HaMaccabee and his brothers, heroes of the Jewish rebellion against the tyrannical Antiochus IV. While women weren’t directly involved in the military aspects of the revolt or the subsequent rededication of the Beit Hamikdash, deeper investigation unveils a hidden gem in the form of Yehudit,…
