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Hanukkah חנוכה

The holiday isn’t in the Torah. Its light is.

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Torah readings

Light the lamps

Numbers 8:1-4

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

8:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת׃

8:2 ’Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.’

וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן אַהֲרֹן אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה הֶעֱלָה נֵרֹתֶיהָ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

8:3 And Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

וְזֶה מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה מִקְשָׁה זָהָב עַד־יְרֵכָהּ עַד־פִּרְחָהּ מִקְשָׁה הִוא כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשָׂה אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה׃

8:4 And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.

JPS 1917 and Tanach with Nikkud, public domain, via Sefaria

The Hanukkah story happened long after the Torah was written. But on the holiday, the Torah reading covers the dedication of the Tabernacle (Numbers 7), and on the eighth day it ends here, with Aaron lighting the menorah.

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Dates and readings: Hebcal (CC BY 4.0). Jewish days begin at sundown.

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