Hamas War

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Where do You Light Your Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah?

The light of our Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah, is supposed to be a sign to the world that we, the small Jewish People, cannot be defeated by big, strong armies. It's not supposed to be a light that physically illuminates. The Light of the Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah is not to be used for any practical purpose, like reading or navigating and certainly not to light up a room.

We've always set up our chanukiyot on window sills facing the main street. Since our custom has always been that everyone old enough to have some understanding of the mitzvah should light their very own chanukiya, there have been years when both our meter plus window sills were full of chanukiyot.

Nowadays, there are rarely more than just the two of us rattling around this empty nest. Our big family Chanuka celebrations are generally at the kids.

Many of our neighbors light their chanukiyot outside, by their doors or right on the sidewalk. The mitzvah of פרסום הנס pirsum haness, publicizing the miracle, is taken very seriously.






What are your family and community chanukiya-lighting customs?

2 comments:

Mr. Cohen said...

Batya, may your "empty nest" soon be filled
with grandchildren, playing nicely and
studying Torah. And obviously, happy Chanukah!

===================================

Winston Churchill said this in a
parliamentary debate 1921 June 14:


“The Wahabis*, Churchill noted, “profess
a life of exceeding austerity, and what
they practice themselves they rigorously
enforce on others.

They hold it as an article of duty,
as well as of faith, to kill all who
do not share their opinions and make
slaves of their wives and children.

Women have been put to death in Wahabi
villages for simply appearing in the streets.

It is a penal offense to wear a silk garment.

Men have been killed for smoking a cigarette…”

* HISTORY NOTE: In July 2004,
the 9/11 Commission identified Wahabism
as a cause of Islamic Terrorism.

SOURCE: Churchill and the Jews
(chapter 7, page 67) by Martin Gilbert, 2007 CE

CHRONOLOGY:

Winston Churchill was British Prime Minister
from 1940 to 1945 CE and from 1951 to 1955 CE.

===================================

Daniel Byman said:

“Members of AQI [Al Qaeda in Iraq] broke
the fingers of cigarette smokers and murdered
women who refused to wear the niqab [an Islamic
face covering that leaves only the eyes exposed].”

SOURCE: Al Qaeda, the Islamic State,
and the Global Jihadist Movement: What Everyone
Needs to Know
(chapter 6, page 118)
by Daniel Byman, Oxford University Press, year 2015,
ISBN: 019021726X (paperback) ISBN: 9780190217266
(paperback) ISBN: 0190217251 ISBN: 9780190217259

PERSONAL COMMENT:

This quote is only about Al Qaeda, but should
we believe that other radical Islamic terrorist
organizations would behave much differently?

===================================

Daniel Byman said:

“...roughly half of Palestinians say it
[suicide bombing] is at least sometimes justified...”

SOURCE: Al Qaeda, the Islamic State,
and the Global Jihadist Movement: What Everyone
Needs to Know
(chapter 3, page 56)
by Daniel Byman, Oxford University Press, year 2015,
ISBN: 019021726X (paperback) ISBN: 9780190217266
(paperback) ISBN: 0190217251 ISBN: 9780190217259

===================================

Dennis Prager said:

“According to Pew Research, approximately
10 percent of world Muslims have a favorable
opinion of the Islamic State and terror against
civilians. That's more than 100 million people.”

SOURCE: The World Is Getting Worse
But This Time America Won't Save It

by Dennis Prager, 2016 March 8,
seen in Jewish World Review

===================================
NEW: Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre Aftermath:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/11/massacre-aftermath.html
https://israel-thrives.blogspot.com/2018/11/pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre-aftermath.html

===================================
Time Magazine vs Truth:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/08/time-magazine-vs-truth.html

===================================
Who are the Palestinians?

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/06/who-are-palestinians.html

===================================
How Torah Can Defeat Terrorism:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/08/defeat-terror-with-torah.html

===================================
Did Captain Kirk believe in negotiating with terrorists?

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/08/can-jews-learn-from-captain-kirk.html

===================================
How to Pray for Tzahal-IDF:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-pray-for-tzahal-idf.html

===================================
Rambam Rejected Childless Messiah:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/08/rambam-rejected-childless-messiah-by-mr.html

===================================
Was Daniel an Orthodox Jew?

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2018/03/if-daniel-were-alive-today.html

Batya said...

Gd willing