Year: 2019

‘Why Were the Hasmoneans All Wiped Out?’ and Other Questions to Prepare You for Chanukah

The Chanukah Quiz

Monday, December 18, 2006

… Most of the history answers to these questions can be found in my essay here. Besides history questions, there are also halachik and hashkafic questions about Hanukkah. Enjoy! There are three levels of questions, so choose whichever you feel suits you or choose them all.

22 Questions: Chanukah Quiz

Easy Level:

  1. Who did the Hasmoneans fight in the story of Chanukah? The Syrian-Greeks, Yevanim.
  2. Who led the Hasmonean army? Yehuda the Maccabee.
  3. How many sons of Chana did the Syrian-Greek king kill for refusing to bow to idols? Seven.
  4. How many days long is Chanukah? Eight.
  5. How did Yehudis kill the Syrian-Greek general? By feeding him cheese and wine.
  6. Is the full Hallel said on Chanukah or is it only half? Full.
  7. How many sons did Matisyahu have? Five.
  8. What prayer is added to the Shemonah Esrei on Chanukka? Al HaNissim.
  9. How many places to light are there on a candelabra used for Chanukah? Nine.
  10. What is the Chanuka candelabra called? Menorah or Chanukiah.
  11. What was the name of the army of the Hasmoneans? Maccabees.
  12. What do some people call Chanukah in English? The Festival of Lights.
  13. Why is there a custom that some have the women do not do work while the candles are burning? Because two women (Chana and Yehudis) helped the miracle of Chanukah.
  14. What was needed but couldn’t be found to light the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash? Pure Olive Oil.
  15. What is the extra candle that is lit each night called? Shamash.
  16. What day of the Hebrew calendar is Chanukah? 25 Kislev.
  17. What Halachos did Antiochus outlaw? Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh, Bris Milah.
  18. How many candles do you use the entire Chanukah, not including the Shamash? 36.
  19. What Torah portion is read specifically for Chanukah? The dedication of the Mishkan/Tabernacle.
  20. Who was the father of Matisyahu? Yochanan.
  21. What toy do some spin on Chanuka? Dreidel.
  22. How many Aliyahs are read on a normal weekday of Chanukah? 3.

Intermediate:

  1. How many Hasmonean kings were there? 11
  2. What was the name of the Syrian-Greek general whom Yehudis killed? Helefornes.
  3. Why is there a special mitzvah to have a meal on Purim but not on Chanukah? On Purim, they tried to destroy our physical beings so we celebrate with the physical, but on Chanukah, they tried to spiritually destroy us, so we only celebrate on a spiritual plane.
  4. What happened to Elazar, the son of Matisyahu? He drowned in elephant dung or was stomped on by an elephant.
  5. The Rosh Chodesh for which month always falls out on Chanukah? Teves.
  6. What does Maccabee stand for? Mi Kamocha B’eilim HaShem or Matisyahu Kohen ben Yochanan.
  7. When do we light the Menorah in Shul? Twice: Once before Shachris and once between Mincha and Ma’ariv.
  8. How many places to light were there on the Menorah in the Bais HaMikdash? Seven.
  9. How does one say “Chanukah money” in Yiddish? Chanukah Gelt.
  10. Whose seal was required to ensure that olive oil was truly pure? The Kohen Gadol.
  11. Is the full Hallel said on Chanuka on Rosh Chodesh? Yes.
  12. Who asked the famous question why Chanukah is eight days long instead of seven if the miracle was only that the oil which was enough for one day lasted seven extra days? The Beit Yosef or Shulchan Aruch or Rabbi Yosef Cairo.
  13. Which Kohen Gadol met with Alexander the Great? Shimon HaTzadik.
  14. Why is Chanukah called Chanukah? Because the Maccabees rested from fighting on the 25th of Kislev after beating the Syrian-Greeks.
  15. What prayer is added to the Grace After Meals on Chanukah? Al HaNissim.
  16. What were the names of Matisyahu’s five sons? Yehuda, Yonason, Yochanan, Shimon, Elazar.
  17. Why do we light a Shamash? To not get benefit from the light of the other candles.
  18. What was Antiochus’ name? Epiphanes.
  19. What are the three levels of fulfilling the mitzvah of Chanukah? One candle each night or one candle per person each night or one candle per night per person.
  20. What was the Menorah in the Bais HaMikdash made out of? Pure Gold.
  21. In Al HaNissim, what do we say the Syrian-Greeks tried to make us do? Forget the Torah and transgress HaShem’s commandments (specifically the Chukim).
  22. What prayer is added to davening after Shemonah Esrei on Chanukah? Hallel.

Difficult:

  1. How many years in total did the Hasmoneans rule? 103 years.
  2. Which son of Matisyahu never became the king? Eliezer.
  3. Who killed the last surviving member of the Hasmonean family? King Herod the Great.
  4. Although the Mishkan was completed on the 25th of Kislev when was it finally erected? Rosh Chodesh Nissan.
  5. Which foreign nation supported the Hasmoneans? The Roman Empire.
  6. Which Hasmonean ruler was the sister of Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach? Queen Alexandra/Shlomzion/Salome.
  7. What is the difference between a Dreidel in Israel and in the Diaspora? In Israel the Dreidel says a “great miracle happened here” but out of the land it says “a great miracle happened there”.
  8. Who were some students of Antignus Ish Socho (5 answers)? Tzadok (of the Sadducees), Baysus (of the Boethusians), Yosef ben Yochanan (the Av Beis Din), Yose ben Yoezer (the Nasi), Yochanan the father of Matisyahu (the Kohen Gadol).
  9. When are three Sefer Torahs taken out on Chanuka? If Rosh Chodesh Teves falls out on Shabbos.
  10. What chapter of Tehillim mentions the dedication of the Bais HaMikdash? 30.
  11. Which is the only son of Matisyahu to have been the king and have his descendants also become the king? Shimon.
  12. On Chanukah that’s on Friday night, do you light Shabbos candles first or Chanukah candles first? Chanukah first.
  13. Why were the Hasmoneans punished that they were all wiped out? Because they were Kohanim and only people from the tribe of Judah should be kings, not from Levi.
  14. Which two Hasmonean brothers are famous for their quarrel which brought the Romans to Jerusalem? Aristobulus and Hyrcanus.
  15. Which Hasmonean King was killed by his own son-in-law who was the King of Egypt? Shimon.
  16. How do you make Latkes? Fry potatoes.
  17. How old was Elazar the Kohen Gadol when he was killed by Antiochus? Ninety.
  18. Who wrote Ma’oz Tzur? “Mordechai”
  19. Why is there Hallel on Chanukah but not on Purim? Because on Purim the Megillas Esther replaces the Hallel.
  20. What city is the Hasmonean family from? Modi’in.
  21. Which Hasmonean got mad that his lineage was questioned and he killed many Rabbis because of this? King Yannai.
  22. Chanukah comes before Purim in History or in the Jewish calendar? Only in the Calendar.

Of the Israeli Airport Arrivals Hall

The Happiest Place on Earth

The happiest place on earth isn’t Disneyland, though I would definitely put Disneyland in the top five. No, I’m convinced that the happiest place on earth is the arrivals hall of Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport. Everyone is happy. Whether they’re waiting in nervous but happy anticipation for their loved ones to land, coming for a visit, home after a visit, or home after a lifetime, everyone is in various stages of euphoria to have landed on Israeli soil. The festivity is enhanced by the myriad balloons on the ceiling. I had wondered how they had gotten there until one time I came to meet my son with a balloon and in my haste to hug him I let it go and it floated up to join its friends.

There’s contained Israeli mayhem as people talk on their cellphones, dogs bark and people squeal and rush to greet their friends and family. The airport workers intermittently try to shoo people back behind the barrier as people stream in from the dozens of flights from all over the world. But they do so half-heartedly knowing it is a lost battle. Israelis are fiercely loyal to their travelling relatives. And then there are the groups on pilgrimage or friends of Israel who come in singing and dancing or beating drums dressed in various costumes. There are the Birthright groups and the tourist groups. People don’t get disconcerted if you shout at them, “Hey, what flight were you on?” And everyone comes out smiling, beaming, grateful.

It’s also a very user-friendly hall. For those of you who’ve never been here (What are you waiting for?), the arrivals hall is in a semi-circle shape with a decorative barrier so that you can see the arrivals and they can see you as soon as they come out of the doors and you don’t get in people’s way if you happen to jump the barrier in your enthusiasm to greet someone. A huge board clearly displays the arrivals and when they’re supposed to arrive and while you’re waiting you’re surrounded by food options. Also, I saw someone bring brownies.

Unlike in bigger city airports, you will invariably meet people you know, or make friends with people waiting. But as I stood watching the hugs and kisses, the greetings and joy, the children gamboling into the arms of waiting relatives, the groups being welcomed and the vestiges of chaos that still, baruch Hashem, give Israel that family flavor, it was clear to me that this was the happiest place on earth, the only tears being tears of joy and the only time, this moment.

Tourism is one of Israel’s biggest industries. Groups coming on aliyah is a frequent news item and the wandering Jew perpetually wanders even if now it’s on a tourist visa. But whatever language you say it in, Welcome Home is always applicable here because there’s no place like home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rosally Saltsman, originally from Montreal, lives in Israel. Her books include Finding the Right Words, Parenting by the Book, Soul Journey and A Portion of Kindness.

Reprinted from Times of Israel, here.

Do Mussarites Really Expect Jews to Pray for THEIR OWN Destruction?!

The post-censorship faux-“traditional” Siddur reads:

ולמלשינים אל תהי תקוה וכל הרשעה כרגע תאבד וכל אויביך מהרה יכרתו והזדים מהרה תעקר ותשבר ותמגר ותכניע במהרה בימינו. ברוך אתה השם שובר אויבים ומכניע זדים.

Why does Birkas Haminim seem to devote most imprecations against specifically the “Zedim“? And whomsoever could the “Zedim” be? (Let’s not compare Nuscha’os like the Rishonim or the Gra would do, because that would be against our anti-academic late Mesorah fake Torah methodology!)

I heard several Mussar peddlers “explain” this non-problem by referencing the verse “Zed yahir letz shemo”. In other words, scoffers require/deserve extra-special personal care. Sure, there is lots of discussion in Mussar books regarding the flaw of Letzanus, but it must all be intended for Hebraist Goyim…

Wait, isn’t that, itself…

Yes, but it’s permissible sarcasm!

Funnily enough, the assumption one refuses to “bless” himself is the sevara behind Shulchan Aruch O.C. 126:1:

ש”צ שטעה ודילג אחת מכל הברכות, וכשמזכירין אותו יודע לחזור למקומו, אין מסלקין אותו; אבל אם דילג ברכת המלשינים, מסלקין אותו מיד, שמא אפיקורוס הוא; ואם התחיל בה וטעה, אין מסלקין אותו.

See Beis Yosef 126 (from here):

ירושלמי ש”צ שדילג ב’ או ג’ ברכות אין מסלקין אותו חוץ ממי שלא אמר תחיית המתים וכו’ בפרק אין עומדין ואיני יודע למה כתבו רבינו מאחר שהוא חולק על תלמוד שלנו דסתם ואמר טעה בכל הברכות כולם אין מעלין אותו חוץ מברכת ולמלשינים וכ”כ הרי”ף והרמב”ם והרא”ש ולא הזכירו הירושלמי הזה כלל וא”ת מ”ש ברכת ולמלשינים מתחיית המתים ובונה ירושלים כבר כתב ה”ר יונה דדוקא ברכת ולמלשינים איכא למיחש שמא אפיקורס הוא ואינו רוצה לקלל את עצמו אבל בתחיית המתים אע”פ שלא יאמין בה אפשר שיאמר אותה דמאי איכפת ליה אם יאמר אותה דלמה ימנע מלאמרה הואיל ואינו מקלל את עצמו הילכך כיון שאפשר שאומר אותה ויהיה אפיקורס ולא נוכל להכיר אותו אפי’ כשלא אמר אותה אין מעלין אותו ע”כ וטענה זו תספיק לומר ג”כ שאין מעלין אותו כשלא אמר בונה ירושלים ואחר שכתבתי זה מצאתי להרשב”א שכתב בתשובה אע”ג דמשמע מדברי הירושלמי שיש לחלק בין ש”צ ליחיד ואפי’ בשטעה והשמיט אחת מן הברכות כדגרסי’ בר”פ אין עומדין ש”ץ שהשגיר ב’ או ג’ ברכות אין מחזירין אותו וכו’ מ”מ כיון שלא מצינו כן בגמרא ולא חילקו בין ש”צ ליחיד אין לנו אלא כגמרתינו.

Although, I have seen that rare halacha ignored, too, so at least we’re being consistent.

Here is another version of this, copied from a Parsha sheet:

וזהו שאנו מתפללים בשמו”ע “ולמלשינים אל תהי תקוה וכל הרשעה כרגע תאבד וכל אויביך מהרה יכרתו והזדים מהרה תעקר ותשבר ותמגר ותכניע” ומבואר דכשתתגלה כבודו יתברך שמו המלשינים והרשעה מאליהם יכרתו אבל הזדים שהם הליצנים כדכתיב “זד יהיר לץ שמו” (משלי כא כד) לא יכרתו מאליהם אלא תעקר ותשבר ותכניעם ורק אז יכרתו.

The source is Rabbi Mordechai Bunem Zilberberg, Rav of Bnei Brak’s Shikkun Heh. (If he’s Chassidic-leaning, as the language slightly implies, this perhaps illustrates the Chassidus/Mussar Horseshoe Theory*.)

Now, praying against ourselves isn’t so strange if we still say the censorship of “אויביך” (instead of “אויבי עמך“!), too — another category too easy to fall into (at least in the weak sense of the Zohar on צר כחכה, and the like). The nusach in “Asher Heni” used to be “ארורים כל הגוים\הערלים, ברוכים כל היהודים\ישראל” instead of Tzaddikim, Resha’im, etc. as appears today.

Mussar isn’t just intellectually false, it’s anti-intellectual, too!

* “Proponents of horseshoe theory argue that the extreme left and the extreme right are closer to each other than either is to the political center.”