Upcoming Events Parenting Without Fear - By Paul J. Donahue, Ph.D. Book Discussion Group • Sundays @ 8:00pm 2nd Meeting • December 20th Join two community mental health experts: Dr. Michelle Jasper-Brody and Dr. Hillary Lewin Tuvia for a book discussion group about Dr. Donahue's book "Parenting Without Fear." Click here to learn more. Click here or dial-in audio at +1 646 558 8656; Meeting ID: 613 613 3700.
Today's Way to Help If you would like to suggest a way to help please email yael@thebayit.org.
Coats & Bicycle Drive Donation Accepted Until Tuesday • December 22nd • 9am-noon Donate new or gently used coats, scarves, gloves and bicycles for our children and youth. Drop off on Tuesdays from 9:00am - noon or call to make special dropoff arrangements.
Location: Bronx Christian Fellowship Church, 1015 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469. Ph: 718-231-1033. Email: pt@bcfcathedral.org.
Closing Message - Rabbanit Bracha View video version here.
Tonight we light eight candles for the last day of Chanukah. Did you know that this day has a special name? It is called “Zot Chanukah” - This is Chanukah!
Why would this particular day have a unique name?
A straightforward and simple explanation relates to the Torah reading for the eighth day. Throughout Chanukah, we read about the gifts brought by the tribal princes for the dedication of the mishkan - the Tabernacle. After describing all the gifts, the Torah proclaims: [Num 7:84] זֹאת חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַzot chanukat hamizbe’ach: "This was the dedication of the altar."
These three words zot chanukt hamizbe’ach are the source of the name zot chanukah.
I think that we can learn something even deeper from this name and from this Torah portion. “Zot chanukah” - “this is Chanukah” proclaims that the eighth day embodies the essence of Chanukah.
For twelve days, the tribal princes brought gifts to the mishkan - a different tribe each day. We read about the gifts brought on the first day - on the first day of Chanukah, the gifts brought on the second day - on the second day of Chanukah and so on. That happens on days one to seven but when we get to the eighth day - we don’t read about the gifts brought on the eighth day. Rather, we read about the gifts that the princes brought on days eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve!
On Chanukah we celebrate and thank God for the military victory of the Maccabees over the Greek-Syrian army, as well as for providing the one cruse of oil for the Menorah that lasted eight days.
But as we see from the Torah reading on the eighth day, our celebration is incomplete and Chanukah is not over until we acknowledge the contributions of those last four tribes. Herein lies the essence of Chanukah: our joy, our celebration, our festival, can only be fully realized when everyone is recognized and included.
Wishing you a joyous Zot Chanukah! Reminder to all to take good care of ourselves and each other. Try to do something specific today that strengthens you, and something else that strengthens someone else.
Hebrew Institute of Riverdale - The Bayit 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway Bronx, NY 10463
