Chanucah 5773 - Federation Of Synagogues

בס ‏"ד
lite
“Hamaor Lite” - A special Chanukah edition of Hamaor to continue our celebration of 50 editions!
From its very first edition right up until the present day, Hamaor, as its name suggests, has been
illuminating the community of the Federation of Synagogues with its rich mix of insightful words
of Torah and wide range of thought provoking articles.
The Torah itself is called “Light” and what better way to celebrate this significant milestone in the
history of Hamaor than with a special “Lite” edition full of Torah.
I am sure you will enjoy the divrei Torah, there is enough to last for 8 nights with spiritual thoughts
to enhance your festival and delicious recipes for your physical enjoyment of Chanukah.
May we all have a Chanukah filled with light and miracles.
Eva Chapper
Editor
Oil or Wax Candles for the Menorah?
In his famous sefer on Chanukah “Ner Mitzvah” the Maharal suggests that the use of wax candles
to light the Menorah is an inappropriate way of performing the Mitzvah of Ner Chanukah (lighting
the Chanukah lights). The Maharal describes that in order to perform the Mitzvah correctly it must
be done in a fashion that closely resembles the kindling of the Menorah in the Temple and the
miracle that took place with the Menorah on the eight days of Chanukah.
This means cups have to be filled with olive oil with a simple, single wick stretching to the outside
edge of the cup. The reason for this explains the Maharal is because, a torch like flame like that
from a wax candle where the fuel to the fire can readily be seen being consumed, does not clearly
demonstrate the miracle that happened to the oil of the Temple Menorah. With an oil lamp it is not
self-evident that the oil inside the container is being combusted. The reality is the olive oil is being
drawn up by the wick and then the oil is being burnt by the flame at the end of that wick.
In lighting the Neros of Chanukah in this manner, this closely symbolises the miracle of the oil in
the cups of the Menorah burning in the Temple in those days from the 25 th Kislev. The wicks
remained alight for those eight days without the oil, poured just from one jug, being readily used
up.
Rabbi Alan Lewis – Yeshurun Synagogue
Chanukah 5773
December 2012

The Power of Hashem
All of our observances of the festivals throughout the Jewish year deal with becoming more aware of
Hashem, acknowledging more and more His presence in our lives, and expressing gratitude to Him. Each of
our festivals however, expresses a different aspect of this awareness.
What is our celebration on Chanukah? Is it not of the נס – the miracle of the victory of Maccabees? But
though Jewish sovereignty was re-established, was it such a great accomplishment? We see from history
that eventually the state leadership was fraught with corruption and the society was far from ideal and
within only a matter of several hundred years the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.
The miracle of Chanukah was on a spiritual level and this was emphasised with the miracle of the oil lasting
beyond its material limitations. And indeed in our Amidah prayer of Thanksgiving on Chanukah, it is not so
much the victory of the Maccabees over the Hellenists that is emphasised but rather Hashem's deliverance
of the “strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of
the pure”. True power is from Hashem as we read from the Haftarah of Shabbat Chanukah, “Not by (your)
might, not by (your) power, but by My spirit, says Hashem”. When we have this awareness as represented
by the light of the Menorah and pure intention as represented by the purity of the oil, only then are we truly
empowered.
It is this principle that our observance of Chanukah imbues in us, the essence of which existed before the
historical events of the Maccabees. And we can see this in the culmination of the final and eighth day of the
Festival, known as זאת חנוכה which according to our Sages corresponds to Shimini Atzeret – the Eighth
Day of Solemn Assembly. Where seven represents sanctity within the here and now, the number eight
represents transcendence, beyond limits of the physical world of time and space, the miraculous.
The Hellenists did not wish to enslave the body of Yisrael but rather the soul of Yisrael. By transcending
these imposed limitations, through observance of Torah, the generation of the Macabees succeeded in
ensuring the passing on of the flame of Judaism from one successive generation to the next despite all the
ups and downs of our history.
May we merit to continue this miracle. חנוכה משמחת Happy Chanukah
Rabbi Nathan Asmoucha – Croydon & District Synagogue
It Beats Me...
"At the end of two years, and behold Pharaoh dreamt that he was standing by the Nile" [Bereshis 41:1].
Pharaoh is very disturbed by a dream wherein seven skinny cows eat seven fat cows. None of the wise men
of Egypt can interpret the dream for him, and this troubles him even more.
In recent times we have been exposed to politicians of all political persuasions telling us their dreams.
Starting with the success of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, many party political speeches speak
about dreams for a better future. But we all know that these people did not REALLY have those dreams
while they were sleeping. It is not as if they woke up one morning and said "Wow! I had a dream that would
be perfect to speak about at the next party conference." I am sure that if they truthfully told us their dreams,
we would be less surprised if they really were about seven fat cows and seven thin cows.
It reminds me of the joke we used to play on our teachers at this time of year and ask them the following:
On a recent archaeological expedition in Egypt, seven bovine carcasses were found on the bank of the river
Nile. Which set of cows were they from? After hearing out the logic for why they should have been from
either set of cows, we always had the last laugh and exclaimed "It was a dream!"
Rabbi Shimon Schwab gives us fascinating insight into the psychology of a ruler/dictator. Pharaoh had
probably never lost a fight in his life. His belief was that the strong ALWAYS overpower the weak. "I am
the king. I have the power. I can impose my will on whoever I wish, because no one can do anything against
me and certainly noone will ever beat me."
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The dream disturbed Pharaoh so greatly because it went totally against his mindset. He felt that it MUST
be telling him something important. It must have foreboded a terrible message. This threatened his power
and he HAD to get to the bottom of it.
Rabbi Schwab takes this one step further and points out that Parshas Miketz and the story of Pharaoh and
his dreams always coincides with Chanukah. It is not a coincidence (nothing ever is!). One of the major
themes of Chanukah is the idea that "the mighty fell into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands
of the few", as we say in the addition of Al Hanissim to the Amidah and Birkas Hamazon. The Makabim
were but a small minority yet they managed to fight off the power and might of the Ancient Greeks and
restore the Beis Hamikdash to its glory.
Rabbi Yehuda Aronovitz – Loughton Synagogue
Fiona's latkes
3 medium potatoes
Small onion
1 tsp salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 eggs
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder.
Oil for frying.
Grate potatoes and onion, add salt, pepper, sugar and
beaten egg, flour and baking powder.
Fry in hot oil.
Delicious fresh and freezes well too.
Rebbetzin Gitty Aronovitz
Of Flames and Souls
HAVE you ever noticed how difficult it is to sit and do nothing? In a waiting room or on a train, we find it
nearly impossible not to search for something to look at or read, as if we need to be constantly stimulated. It
is a phenomenon that suggests a yearning for something beyond our present reality. Judaism calls this
phenomenon the neshamah, the soul that is embedded in us, which is given expression in the story of
Chanukah and our remembrance of past miracles.
The Greeks, who tried to destroy Jews and Judaism based their actions on the philosophy of the physical,
celebrating beauty and elevating logic as the yardstick against which all had to be measured. However, while
Greece taught the holiness of beauty, Judaism teaches the beauty of holiness. This holiness has its root in the
soul, as the verse in Proverbs says, "The candle of G-d is the soul of man,"(20: 27), and it is this idea that
comes to the fore on Chanukah.
The candles we light contain in their simplicity a fundamental concept of Judaism. The flame represents the
soul, the very essence of a person while the candle is the body, just the necessary receptacle. A flame is the
only physical entity that defies gravity: it reaches ever upwards, like the soul of man which constantly strains
for the heavens. The natural state of the soul is to grow and just as the more the flame burns, the lesser the
candle becomes, so, too, the more the soul grows, the more the physical diminishes.
This neshamah phenomenon also contradicts the Hellenistic idea of "what you see is what you get," which
denies the existence of any greater value than surface appearance, while the Jewish view is better
encapsulated by the saying: "There's a lot more than meets the eye." Our immediate reality is not necessarily
the ultimate; so much more is hidden, waiting to be discovered.
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Candles give this concept expression. One could be forgiven for believing that the wax form of the candle
defines its purpose and is therefore its whole value. Yet when you watch the flame glowing, you realise
that there is something more than just wax. The flame gives light to the world as the soul gives light to the
body, and from this flame a thousand other flames can be lit to create even more light. That ability to give
light is within us all and can be experienced in our relationships with other people.
What do we see when we look at another person? As the commentators explain of the description of
Rachel's beauty, she had an inner beauty and an outer beauty. External qualities are often clearly apparent,
but internal qualities are harder to appreciate. Yet every person has light to bring to the world; it is only
clouded Hellenistic vision that fails to see it. While the world busies itself chasing whatever the eye can
see - and never more so than at this time of year - Chanukah calls out for us to look beyond first
impressions to find deeper value.
The Ponovezher Rav, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, once asked the following question. After having
lit the Chanukah lights, we recite a prayer, "Al hanisim ve'al hamilchamot," for "the miracles and for the
wars." Why should we thank G-d for wars? Are we bloodthirsty, do we live by the sword, that we are
happy G-d provides wars for us? Would it not have been more appropriate to highlight the victories in
which we vanquished the enemy?
He answered that, in reality, it is premature to thank G-d for the victories because the fight that took place
for the first Chanukah still continues today. The war against the Greeks was mainly a spiritual struggle, a
war of sanctity against defilement that remains as yet to be won and so we thank G-d for the plain fact that
we are fighting, that we strive, despite the most difficult conditions, for something better than our present
situation.
Throughout Jewish history, the battles we have faced have never been simply for the cause of physical
survival: they have always been for higher stakes, the spiritual well-being of our nation. And through all
the enormous tragedies and terrible persecutions our people have undergone, holiness never departed from
us. The flame of the soul that searches for deeper meaning was never extinguished, surely something
worth celebrating, especially today.
Rabbi Alex Chapper – Ilford Federation Synagogue
For 25 doughnuts you will need
2.2lbs (1 kilo) flour
1.5 tbsp (50gm) dry yeast
half cup sugar
half teaspoon salt
3.5 cups lukewarm water
Oil for frying and sugar for coating
Moroccan Doughnuts / Sfenj
Mix the flour and yeast in a very large mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt to the mixture and mix. Add half
of the water and knead the dough for one minute with open fingers and by lifting the dough from bottom
to top. Add the rest of the water gradually, kneading for one more minute. The dough should not be
kneaded too much; it should have a loose consistency. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise.
When the dough has doubled in volume, knead the dough to remove air, cover and leave to rise again.
Heat oil for deep frying. Smear your hands with oil (not water). Take a handful of the dough, about the
size of a tangerine, by pulling upwards with one hand and pinching off with the other.
Using your fingers, make a hole in the ball, pulling and stretching to form a doughnut shape.
Immediately drop the doughnut into the hot oil at the side of the pan closest to you, then move the sfenj
(doughnut) away. Continue filling the pan quickly, smearing your hands with oil every now and then. Fry
for about 2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels.
Immediately dip in sugar on each side and serve hot.
Note: this may be prepared in a mixer but be sure to knead the dough only a little bit - until the dough is
uniform but not very smooth.
Enjoy…
Rebbetzin Melissa Glass
r
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בראשית ‏)א ב(‏ וְהָָארֶ‏ ץ הָיְתָה ת ‏ֹהּו וָב ‏ֹהּו וְח ‏ֹשְֶך עַל פְנֵי תְהֹום וְרּוחַ‏ אֱֹלהִים מְרַ‏ חֶפֶת עַל פְנֵי הַמָיִם:‏
And the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the
Spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters.
The Midrash (Ber. Rab. 2 4) sees in this verse an allusion to the future history of Israel and
refers to the four exiles which the Jewish nation would have to endure before the coming of
Moshiach. The Midrash expounds “and darkness” is the Greek exile, which darkened the eyes
of Israel with its decrees ordering Israel “write on the horn of the ox that you have no portion
in the G-d of Israel”.
The reference to writing on the horn of the ox is obscure and a selection of interpretations is
offered below:-
1. Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Reines (quoted by Kohelet Yitzchok) refers to the three headings of
damages of an ox stated in the mishna (Bava Kama) – ‘keren’ (horn), ‘shein’ (tooth) & ‘regel’
(foot). The unique features of keren are that it intends to harm even though it does not gain
from its act. This was the nature of the Greek decrees in banning brit mila, Shabbat
observance, and learning Torah (as per Maharsho R.H. 19a).
2. Maharal (Ner Mitzvah) sees in this Midrash a reference to the sin of Israel in worshiping the
golden calf.
3. Megaleh Amukos (parshat Mikeitz) sees an allusion to the sale of Yoseph. Yoseph is, of
course is referred to as ‘bechor shor’.
4. Rav Leib Gurwitz quotes from Shabbos 36a that the shofar is not considered muktzeh as it
can be used as a substitute for a baby’s milk bottle, (such an item is to be found in the British
museum). The Greeks wanted to destroy the Jewish religion by attacking the educational
system which starts with the education of tiny babies. The statement Israel “write on the horn
of the ox that you have no portion in the G-d of Israel” alluded to the desire of the Greeks to
obliterate the tiny children’s education.
5. I once heard from Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld that the Greeks were skilled in advertising.
Today, if a political party or a business enterprise wishes to market their product, one of the
most effective means of advertising would be to use a medium which reaches the maximum
number of people say on the back of a bus or in the underground stations where the public is to
be found. Oxen were used in those days as a means of transport so the Greeks utilised the best
form of advertising media to influence the people.
6. It is quoted in the name of Bnei Yissoschor and similarly expounded by Megaleh Amukos
that the reference to writing on the horn of the ox is referring to the ruling stated in B.Kama
37a that an ox of a Jew goring for the first time the ox of a non-Jew incurs a payment of only
50% of the damage caused whereas in the reverse the non-Jew is required to pay to the Jew full
damages. This naturally caused ill-feeling.
The Talmud relates that two officers were sent to the sages of Israel to learn Torah. They
confessed their approval to all the Torah teaching with the sole exception of the inequitable
damages paid between Jew and Gentile when an ox gored. Yam shel Shlomo queries why the
Rabbis did not change the ruling to prevent potential attacks from the gentile rulers. He
answers that to change a ruling in the Torah was not possible even at the cost of potential loss
of life. This matter is on par with the three cardinal sins of murder, immorality and idol
worship against which saving life does not have priority. He distinguishes this case from the
textual changes made by the Sages in the Septuagint, which were made to avoid
misunderstandings which could lead to heresy.
Rabbi Chaim Zundel Pearlman -
Machzikei Hadath Synagogue & Rosh Beit Midrash Hendon
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One of the more famous halachos of Chanukah is אין זקוק לה ‏,כבתה if the lights of the
menorah are extinguished one need not relight them in order to fulfil the obligation of Ner
Chanukah. This holds true even if they were extinguished during the half-hour period during
which the candles should burn. As long as one put in sufficient oil to ensure that they could
have remained alight one has fulfilled the mitzvah. The meforshim are bothered by the
rationale behind this. Why did Chazal take such a lenient stance and not require the
relighting of the menorah? It is after all a mitzvah which comes once a year, a mitzvah which
we merited through tremendous self-sacrifice and an act which is relatively easy to do? The
Bnei Yissoschar explains that the exemption to rekindle the lights represents the entire
message and essence of Chanukah!
The Menorah and its light represent חכמה - wisdom, specifically the wisdom of Torah. One
of the great differences between other wisdoms and Torah wisdom is in the event that a
person is unsuccessful in grasping or understanding that particular wisdom. When it comes
to, for example, mathematics, physics or engineering, if a person makes a mistake and comes
up with a theory which is false, although his efforts may be commended he has not
accomplished what he set out to do. He has arrived at an inaccurate or untrue conclusion and
has not understood the mathematics or the engineering. The wisdom of Torah, however, is
very different in this respect. Chazal say in several places that someone who sincerely tries
to engage in Torah study and does not succeed in attaining an accurate understanding of that
particular concept has nevertheless successfully accomplished the mitzvah of Talmud Torah.
In addition to merely accruing knowledge, the mitzvah is to immerse oneself and endeavour
to understand what the Almighty wants from us. One who is not successful in attaining an
‘enlightening’ pshat is on par with one who has attained an ‘enlightening’ pshat. [The
Maharal says a similar idea when explaining the text of the first of the two birchos haTorah
– לעסוק בדברי תורה recited in the morning. The words which Chazal choose for us to say are
to be involved in divrei Torah as opposed to ללמוד את התורה – to study Torah. Had that been
the required text, it would have indicated that one only fulfils the mitzvah in the event that
לעסוק בדברי תורה accuracy. one was successful in grasping the knowledge with precision and
- to engage and involve oneself with divrei Torah clearly has a different connotation.] That
is what Chazal were hinting to when they said אין זקוק לה ‏,כבתה if the light goes out one need
not rekindle the flame! The light which is generated by the one with the mistake is equal to
the light generated by the one without the mistake.
This idea is anathema to the Greek mind and its perception of wisdom. If one can
demonstrate a mistake made, how can one possibly still say they have accomplished or
succeeded in that wisdom? This is part of the ongoing battle between כלל ישראל and the
legacy of the Greeks. It is a battle which unfortunately has not been totally resolved and our
victory over the Greeks remains somewhat incomplete. Through our continued Torah study,
‏.ה‘‏ - the earth will be filled with knowledge of כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ה‘‏ may we merit a time
אז אגמור בשיר מזמור חנוכת המזבח . complete. That will be the time when the battle will be
ibaaR Yaakov Hamer – Finchley Central Synagogue
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“The mitzvah of lighting the candle of Chanukah is an extremely beloved mitzvah” (Rambam, Hilchot
Chanukah 4:12).
This is a puzzling statement. Firstly, it is placed in a halachic work and yet it does not seem to be a
statement about how to actually perform the mitzvah. Secondly, although it is clearly a good thing for
any mitzvah to be beloved, why is this concept specially mentioned only in relation to the mitzvah of
lighting the menorah?
The Syrian-Greek oppression of the Jewish people at the time of Chanukah is one of the four exiles that
the Jewish people is destined to endure over the course of history (Bereishit Rabbah 2:5). It was,
however, a unique exile. It was an exile during which we lived in the land of Israel and during which the
Beit Hamikdash/Temple was standing and, for the most part, functioning. In what sense, in fact, was it
exile at all?
A key to answering these questions lies in a phenomenon of this exile which had existed in no previous
exile. In this exile a societal group known as the “mityavnim” developed. These were Jews who
jettisoned their Judaism and adopted Greek culture. Jews who had assimilated. This was entirely new. In
the exile of Babylon, for example, there had been no “mitbavlim”, no Jews to speak of who had adopted
the mores of Babylonian society.
This leads us to understand that at the root of the exile of Chanukah was not a physical attack on the
Jews or the Beit Hamikdash, but rather an attack on the very identity of the Jews as Jews. We sing in
Maoz Tsur, “they made impure all the oil” that was used for the menorah. They did not destroy it or
pour it away. They just made it the same as all other oil and stripped it of its sanctity.
If the Greek exile of Chanukah was an assault on our identity as Jews, then it needed, primarily, to be an
assault on the Torah itself. As Rav Saadiah Gaon (882-942 CE) famously said, “The Jewish nation is a
nation by virtue of the Torah”. This assault had begun even before the events of Chanukah, when the
Torah had been translated by order of Ptolemy Philadelphus (Talmai), one of Alexander the Great’s
successors. This was a seemingly innocuous event and yet Megilat Taanit says that its effect was that
“darkness came to the world for three days”. The act of translating the Torah was an attempt to turn
Torah from something sacred into a “world classic”, something interesting and academically fascinating
yet devoid of spiritual content. And then, at the time of Chanukah itself, the study of Torah was
outlawed. The very first goal of the Syrian-Greeks mentioned in the Al Hanissim prayer is “to make
them forget your Torah”.
But, as we know, we overcame this exile. The joy of Chanukah, therefore, stems from the fact that we
regained access to our identity as a nation, through regaining access to Torah. The illumination of the
Menorah itself is symbolic of the light of Torah.
Now we can understand the comment of the Rambam, singling out the mitzvah of the Menorah as
“beloved”. The learning of Torah is a unique mitzvah. The blessing made over the learning of Torah is
the only blessing over a mitzvah that contains a prayer that the mitzvah should be sweet or delicious:
“please sweeten...the words of your Torah in our mouths”. Further, the only mitzvah where our own
desire is decisive in our choice of how to perform the mitzvah is the mitzvah of learning Torah: “A
person should learn the Torah which his heart desires” (Avodah Zarah 19a). Sweetness, pleasure, is an
intrinsic part of the mitzvah of learning Torah. It is the very medium through which we learn, much as
light is the medium through which we see and sound waves the medium through which we hear.
Therefore the mitzvah of lighting the menorah, which celebrates regaining access to Torah, is
intrinsically sweet, intrinsically beloved. Unlike most mitzvot, where the love of them is ideal but not
essential, here the beloved-ness lies at the heart of the lighting of the menorah and at the very heart of
Chanukah itself.
[Based loosely on Pachad Yitzchak Chanukah: 6 by R Yitzchak Hutner zs"l.]
Rabbi Daniel Glass – Shomrei Hadath Synagogue
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Chanukah in Numbers
Rabbi Elazar Ben Chisma taught that the calculation of the gematria are the desserts of wisdom. (Pirke
Avot 3). Simply put a gematria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, whereby
each letter of the alef beit represents a number. Alef = 1, Beit = 2 etc. Many of the greatest Sages use
gematria to teach allusions and reinforce messages. The very name Chanukah lends itself to this form of
study. The gematria 25 serves as a perfect example. The first night of Chanukah begins on the 25th of
Kislev because that is the day the Maccabees reclaimed and rededicated the Temple after defeating King
Antiochus’ Syrian army.
Chanukah means “dedication.” But if we look at the word through gematrian-glasses, the word can be
split into two words, Chanu, which means “they rested” and kah, which is comprised of the Hebrew
letters, kaf and hei. kaf = 20, hei = 5, giving us a sum of 25. So we could re-translate the word Chanukah
as “On the 25th of Kislev they rested from their enemies.”.
It is well know that the 25th word in the Torah is ohr, which means “light”. In addition when the Jews
travelled in the desert, on their way from Egypt to the promised land, the twenty-fifth place that they
camped ("rested") was Chashmonah. A clear allusion to the priestly family of Chashmonaim who led the
Maccabee armies in the battle against the Greeks, and rested on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. (Bamidbar
33:29). But let us go a little deeper.
I recently managed to purchase “Leorah Shel Torah” a book no longer in print penned by someone call R’
Yaakov Auerbach. It is by far the most astounding work with phenomenal novel and unique calculations
of numbers in Jewish thought. Each one of them number perfect. The Chanukah represents the menorah,
which in turn represents the light of Torah as King Solomon said Ki Ner Mitzva V'torah Or.. a candle
represents a mitzvah and the Torah is like light. R’Auerbach firstly shows how there is a powerful
correlation between the lights of the Chanukah and the Torah itself.
Every day we recite 2 blessings. The first lehadlik ner shel-chanuka (counted as one word) contains 13
words. So does sheasa nissim, the second blessing. 26 words over 8 days = 208 words. In addition, on the
first day we recite the bracha of shehechiyanu – which contains 11 words. Giving us a total of 219.
After the lighting of the lights we recite the prayer of hanierot halalu which has some 49 words. 49 x 8
days = 392. 392 + 219 = 611. The number 611 is the exact numerical value of the word Torah.
(400+200+6=5). In addition, he found a beautiful numeric support for this idea. There are of course 613
Biblical commandments. However in addition to the Torah's mitzvot, there are 7 Rabbinic mitzvot. This
brings the total number of mitzvot to 620, a number also indicative of Torah and Mitzvot. The number 620
is also the numeric value of the word Keter, crown. We constantly refer to the Crown of Torah. And by
the way, the numeric value of Keter Torah is 620 + 611 = 1231.
The number happens to be the Gematria of Aseret Hadevarim (the Ten Commandments) =
70+300+200+400 (970) + 5+4+2+200+10+40 (261) = 1231. And for the record, the Ten Commandments
in the Sedra of Yitro, are made up of ….. 620 letters!
Finally and by no less amazingly, R’Auerbach points out that in the sedra of Teruma where the command
to make the Menorah is found, the passage dealing with the Menorah consists of 483 letters. So far this is
insignificant.
However in the beginning of Parshat Tetzaveh, the sedra begins with the instructions about what to do
with the Menorah. The opening verses of Tetzaveh continue the discussion of the Menorah. These verses
contain…. 137 letters.
Total letters on the topic of Menorah? 620. Go figure!
Happy Chanukah to all!
Rabbi Raphael Garson – Ohr Yisrael Synagogue, Elstree
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