Shabbat 42

אין זקוק לה ומותר להשתמש לאורה א"ר זירא אמר רב מתנה ואמרי לה א"ר זירא אמר רב פתילות ושמנים שאמרו חכמים אין מדליקין בהן בשבת מדליקין בהן בחנוכה בין בחול בין בשבת א"ר ירמיה מאי טעמא דרב קסבר כבתה אין זקוק לה ואסור להשתמש לאורה

it does not require attention, and one may make use of its light. R. Zera said in R. Mattenah's name — others state, R. Zera said in Rab's name—: Regarding the wicks and oils which the Sages said, One must not light therewith on the Sabbath, one may light therewith on Hanukkah, either on weekdays or on the Sabbath. Said R. Jeremiah, What is Rab's reason? He holds, If it goes out, it does not require attention, and one may not make use of its light.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To show that it was lit in celebration of Hanukkah, not merely for illumination. ');">¹</span> The Rabbis stated this before Abaye in R. Jeremiah's name, but he did not accept it. [But] when Rabin came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 12, n. 9. ');">²</span>

אמרוה רבנן קמיה דאביי משמיה דר' ירמיה ולא קיבלה כי אתא רבין אמרוה רבנן קמיה דאביי משמיה דר' יוחנן וקיבלה אמר אי זכאי גמירתיה לשמעתיה מעיקרא והא גמרה נפקא מינה לגירסא דינקותא

the Rabbis stated it before Abaye in R. Johanan's name, whereupon he accepted it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Johanan being a greater authority than R. Jeremiah. ');">³</span> Had I, he observed, merited the great fortune,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The verb denotes both to be fortunate and to merit. ');">⁴</span>

וכבתה אין זקוק לה ורמינהו מצותה משתשקע החמה עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק מאי לאו דאי כבתה הדר מדליק לה לא דאי לא אדליק מדליק וא"נ לשיעורה:

I would have learnt this dictum originally. But he learnt it [now]? — The difference is in respect of the studies of one's youth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These are more abiding. Abaye felt that he would have had a surer hold upon it had he learned it earlier. ');">⁵</span> Now, if it goes out, does it not require attention? But the following contradicts it: Its observance is from sunset until there is no wayfarer in<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'Until the foot ceases from'. ');">⁶</span>

עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק ועד כמה אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן עד דכליא ריגלא דתרמודאי:

the street. Does that not mean that if it goes out [within that period] it must be relit? — No: if one has not yet lit, he must light it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Anytime within that period. ');">⁷</span> or, in respect of the statutory period.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the lamp must contain sufficient oil to burn for that period. Nevertheless, if it goes out sooner, it need not be rekindled. ');">⁸</span>

ת"ר מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו והמהדרין נר לכל אחד ואחד והמהדרין מן המהדרין ב"ש אומרים יום ראשון מדליק שמנה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך וב"ה אומרים יום ראשון מדליק אחת מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך

'Until there is no wayfarer in the street.' Until when [is that]? — Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in R. Johanan's name: Until the Palmyreans have departed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'until the feet of the Tarmodians have ceased'. Tarmod or Tadmor is Palmyra, an oasis of the Syrian desert. They sold lighting materials and went about in the streets later than the general populace as their wares might be needed. ');">⁹</span> Our Rabbis taught: The precept of Hanukkah [demands] one light for a man and his household;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one light is lit every evening of the eight days (v.infra) for the entire household. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר עולא פליגי בה תרי אמוראי במערבא ר' יוסי בר אבין ור' יוסי בר זבידא חד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד ימים הנכנסין וטעמא דב"ה כנגד ימים היוצאין וחד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד פרי החג וטעמא דבית הלל דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין

the zealous [kindle] a light for each member [of the household]; and the extremely zealous, — Beth Shammai maintain: On the first day eight lights are lit and thereafter they are gradually reduced;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One less each day. ');">¹¹</span> but Beth Hillel say: On the first day one is lit and thereafter they are progressively increased.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Up to eight. ');">¹²</span>

אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן שני זקנים היו בצידן אחד עשה כב"ש ואחד עשה כדברי ב"ה זה נותן טעם לדבריו כנגד פרי החג וזה נותן טעם לדבריו דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין

'Ulla said: In the West [Palestine] two amoraim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">¹³</span> R. Jose b. Abin and R. Jose b. Zebida, differ therein: one maintains, The reason of Beth Shammai is that it shall correspond to the days still to come,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., each evening one must kindle as many lights as the number of days of Hanukkah yet to come. ');">¹⁴</span>

ת"ר נר חנוכה מצוה להניחה על פתח ביתו מבחוץ אם היה דר בעלייה מניחה בחלון הסמוכה לרה"ר ובשעת הסכנה מניחה על שלחנו ודיו

and that of Beth Hillel is that it shall correspond to the days that are gone; but another maintains: Beth Shammai's reason is that it shall correspond to the bullocks of the Festival;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'The Festival', without a determinate, always refers to Tabernacles (Sukkoth). Thirteen bullocks were sacrificed on the first day, twelve on the second, and so on, one less each succeeding day; v, Num. XXIX, 12 seqq. ');">¹⁵</span> whilst Beth Hillel's reason is that we promote in [matters of] sanctity but do not reduce.

אמר רבא צריך נר אחרת להשתמש לאורה ואי איכא מדורה לא צריך ואי אדם חשוב הוא אע"ג דאיכא מדורה צריך נר אחרת:

Rabbah b. Bar Hana said: There were two old men<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Heb. zaken, pl. zekenim, frequently means learned men, without particular reference to age (Kid. 32b), and may connote this here. ');">¹⁶</span> in Sidon:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the coast of Phoenicia. ');">¹⁷</span>

מאי חנוכה דתנו רבנן בכ"ה בכסליו יומי דחנוכה תמניא אינון דלא למספד בהון ודלא להתענות בהון שכשנכנסו יוונים להיכל טמאו כל השמנים שבהיכל וכשגברה מלכות בית חשמונאי ונצחום בדקו ולא מצאו אלא פך אחד של שמן שהיה מונח בחותמו של כהן גדול ולא היה בו אלא להדליק יום אחד נעשה בו נס והדליקו ממנו שמונה ימים לשנה אחרת קבעום ועשאום ימים טובים בהלל והודאה

one did as Beth Shammai and the other as Beth Hillel: the former gave the reason of his action that it should correspond to the bullocks of the Festival, while the latter stated his reason because we promote in [matters of] sanctity but do not reduce. Our Rabbis taught: It is incumbent to place the Hanukkah lamp by the door of one's house on the outside;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To advertise the miracle. Their houses did not open directly on to the street but into a courtyard, and there the lamp was to be placed (Rashi); v., however, Tosaf, a.l. ');">¹⁸</span>

תנן התם גץ היוצא מתחת הפטיש ויצא והזיק חייב גמל שטעון פשתן והוא עובר ברשות הרבים ונכנסה פשתנו לתוך החנות ודלקה בנרו של חנוני והדליק את הבירה בעל הגמל חייב הניח חנוני את נרו מבחוץ חנוני חייב

if one dwells in an upper chamber, he places it at the window nearest the street. But in times of danger<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When there is religious persecution. ');">¹⁹</span> it is sufficient to place it on the table. Raba said: Another lamp is required for its light to be used;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Agreeing with the view supra that the light of the Hanukkah lamp may not be used. ');">²⁰</span>

רבי יהודה אומר בנר חנוכה פטור אמר רבינא (משום דרבה) זאת אומרת נר חנוכה מצוה להניחה בתוך עשרה דאי ס"ד למעלה מעשרה לימא ליה היה לך להניח למעלה מגמל ורוכבו ודילמא אי מיטרחא ליה טובא אתי לאימנועי ממצוה:

yet if there is a blazing fire it is unnecessary. But in the case of an important person,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who is not accustomed to work at the light of a blazing fire. ');">²¹</span> even if there is a blazing fire another lamp is required.

אמר רב כהנא דרש רב נתן בר מניומי משמיה דרבי תנחום

What is [the reason of] Hanukkah? For our Rabbis taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislew<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ninth month of the Jewish year, corresponding to about December. ');">²²</span> [commence] the days of Hanukkah, which are eight on which a lamentation for the dead and fasting are forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is an extract of the Megillath Ta'anith, lit., 'the scroll of fasting'. ');">²³</span> For when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the High Priest,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence untouched and undefiled. ');">²⁴</span> but which contained sufficient for one day's lighting only; yet a miracle was wrought therein and they lit [the lamp] therewith for eight days. The following year these [days] were appointed a Festival with [the recital of] Hallel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Praise', Ps. CXIII-CXVIII, recited on all Festivals; v. Weiss, Dor, I, p. 108, n. 1. ');">²⁵</span> and thanksgiving.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This lighting took place in 165 B.C.E. Exactly three years before, on the same day, Antiochus Epiphanes had a pagan altar erected in the Temple, upon which sacrifices were offered (I Macc. I, 41-64). Apart from the Talmudic reason stated here, Judas Maccabeus chose 25th of Kislew as the anniversary of the Temple's defilement, and the dedication of the new altar was celebrated with lights for eight days, similarly to the Feast of Tabernacles, which lasted eight days and was celebrated by illuminations (I Macc. IV, 36; II Macc. X, 6; supra a, p. 90, n. 3). Actually the revolt was against the Syrians, of whom Antiochus Epiphanes was king, but the term 'Greeks' is used loosely, because the Seleucid Empire was part of the older Empire founded by Alexander the Great of Macedon, and because it was a reaction against the attempted Hellenization of Judea. The historic data are contained in the First Book of the Maccabees. ');">²⁶</span> We learnt elsewhere: If a spark which flies from the anvil goes forth and causes damage, he [the smith] is liable. If a camel laden with flax passes through a street, and the flax overflows into a shop, catches fire at the shopkeeper's lamp, and sets the building alight, the camel owner is liable; but if the shopkeeper placed the light outside, the shopkeeper is liable.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the loss of the flax. ');">²⁷</span> R. Judah said: In the case of a Hanukkah lamp he is exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because, as stated above, it should be placed outside; the onus then lies upon the camel driver. ');">²⁸</span> Rabina said in Rab's name: This proves that the Hanukkah lamp should [in the first instance] be placed within ten.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Handbreadths from the ground. ');">²⁹</span> For should you think, above ten, let him say to him, 'You ought to have placed it higher than a camel and his rider.' 'Yet perhaps if he is put to too much trouble, he may refrain from the [observance of the] precept'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Possibly the lamp may be placed at the outset higher, yet the Rabbis did not wish to make the precept too burdensome. ');">³⁰</span> R. Kahana said, R. Nathan b. Minyomi expounded in R. Tanhum's name: