Read the story then click on the links below it to do the exercises.
CHANUKAH - LIGHTING THE CANDLES
Chanukah menorah (Chanukiah)
A menorah is the type of candelabra we see in synagogues today, just like those that used to be kept in the Temple. A normal menorah has seven candleholders, usually all the same height.
The special candelabra we use for Chanukah is called a ‘chanukiah’. It has nine candleholders, but they are not all the same height. One of them is different from the rest: it is either taller, or sits in front or to the side of the others. This different candleholder is called the shamash or ‘servant’ and is used to light the other eight candles.
The reason the chanukiah has nine candleholders is to represent the eight days of Chanukah (plus the shamash). We light one more candle every night of Chanukah.
Lighting the Chanukiah
When we light the Chanukiah we say a blessing.
Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu Melech ha-olam
Asher Kidshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu lehadlik
ner shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Hashem. Ruler of the universe
Who has made us holy with His mitzvot and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles.
What is a dreidel?
The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top that is used for a fun spinning game. In Hebrew the word for dreidel is sevivon.
On each side of the top is a Hebrew letter, either a nun, a gimmel, a hey or a shin. These letters represent the Hebrew words Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means ‘A great miracle happened there’.
The dreidel game reminds us of the Chanukah miracle.
How do we play the dreidel game?
Everyone in the game starts with 10 or 15 coins (or nuts, raisins, matchsticks etc.)
Each player puts one of these in the middle (called the pot).
The dreidel is spun by one player at a time.
Whether the player wins or loses depends on which face of the dreidel is up when it falls:
Nun means “nicht” or “nothing”. The player does nothing
Gimel means “gantz” or “all”. The player takes everything in the pot.
Hay means “halb” or “half”. The player takes half of what is in the pot.
Shin means “shtel” or “put in”. The player adds two objects to the pot. When only one object or none is left in the pot, every player adds one.
When an odd number of objects is in the pot, the player rolling the heh takes half the total plus one.
When one person has won everything, the game is over.
The Talking Dreidel - A story
Once upon a time, there was a jolly dreidelmaker named Mr. Doodle. He made all kinds of wonderful dreidels. Dreidels big and dreidels small; dreidels fat and dreidels tall; dreidels of gold, and wood, and tin; and painted them with “Nun, Gimmel, Hay, Shin.”
Every day, on his way to and from school, little Joel stopped to watch the happy dreidelmaker as he worked. Joel wanted very much to talk to Mr. Doodle but he was too shy. He wanted to know what the letters painted on the sides of the dreidel meant.
One afternoon – it happened to be the afternoon of Chanukah – Joel made up his mind. Straight into the dreidelmaker’s shop he marched. Joel found Mr. Doodle at his desk painting letters on the dreidels.
“Mr. Dreidelmaker,” said Joel. “Can you tell me what the letters painted on the dreidel mean?” Mr. Doodle put his paintbrush down. “Well,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “if you really want to know, here’s a dreidel. Ask it!”
Joel’s eyes widened in wonder as Mr. Doodle handed him a dreidel. “You mean, “ exclaimed Joel “that this dreidel can really talk? I never heard of such a thing. It’s impossible! This looks like any ordinary dreidel.”
Just then, Joel heard a tiny wheezy voice. “Hello young man,” said the voice from nowhere. “I just heard you ask the dreidelmaker a question. If anyone should know the answer to your question it’s a dreidel.”
Joel was so excited he almost dropped the little top. Sure enough the voice seemed to come from the inside of the dreidel. “My letters,” continued the talking top “are a Nun, Gimmel, Hay, Shin – which means, A great miracle happened there!”
“Long, long ago, the land of Palestine was conquered by the Syrians. They captured the city of Jerusalem and its holy temple. Under the leadership of Judah the Maccabee, the Jews fought back. After years of fighting, the Maccabean army recaptured the city of Jerusalem. Judah and his army marched right back into the holy temple.
But, alas! Every spot in the temple was filled with dirt. The altar and the holy vessels were broken. Even the light in the everburning chanukiah was out. Without resting, the Maccabean army set to work. They cleaned and scrubbed the temple. They hammered and sawed till the altar and its holy vessels were rebuilt.
And then, the great moment arrived – to rekindle the chanukiah. The high priest could only find only one flask of Holy Oil with which to light the chanukiah. Just enough oil for only one day.
But – NESS GADOL HAYAH SHAM – a great miracle happened there! That tiny bit of oil in the chanukiah burned for eight days and nights. And that is the story my letters tell,” said the out of breath dreidel.
“That is why, “ continued the now panting dreidel, “you light your chanukiah for eight wonderful days. And because Chanukah is such a happy time everyone exchanges presents, eats latkes, and sings Chanukah songs.”
Joel thanked Mr. Doodle for his wonderful present and hurried home. As soon as Joel turned the corner he asked the magic top a question, but the dreidel just didn’t answer.
“This is really a mystery,” said Joel to himself. “In the shop, the dreidel could talk. Outside, it cannot.” Suddenly Joel had an idea. He ran back to the dreidelmaker. When Mr. Doodle saw Joel he started to laugh. “How’s the talking dreidel?” he asked. “The dreidel won’t talk” answered Joel. “But I saw you talk to the dreidel myself,” said Mr. Doodle. “I even heard the dreidel tell you the story of Chanukah.”
“That wasn’t the dreidel,” answered Joel. “It was really you who did the talking.
You’re one of those people who can throw his voice anywhere he wants to. You’re a ventriloquist!”
“ You threw your voice into the dreidel and you’re the one who really told me the story of Chanukah.”
“That’s exactly what I am” laughed Mr. Doodle.
That night after Joel lit his little chanukiah, he spun his magic dreidel. Round and round the dreidel spun. As the top danced around the shiny chanukiah, Joel sang:
“Nun Gimel Hay Shin
Now I know
What your letters mean.”
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| Last updated 2008/12/08 10:22:02 AEDT | Hits 2594 |
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