why do we give chanukah gelt?

youngmom

Tue, Dec 13 2005, 11:03 pm

I know that it's a custom to give chanukah gelt on chanukah. but why? I'm teaching this to my students and need an answer asap. if someone can help me I'd really appreciate it. answers with sources would be the best.
thanx in advance.

mammam

Tue, Dec 13 2005, 11:43 pm

I belive it actually started people giving the melamid gelt on chanucka and it turned into everybody getting gelt.

youngmom

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 12:05 am

I might be wrong but I think it started out with giving kids gelt and then it became about giving others including melamdim too.

sarahd

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 3:48 am

It was the custom to test children on their Torah-knowledge on Chanukah (appropriate as the chag in which we celebrate victory over those who tried to make us forget the Torah) and to reward them with money for their knowledge.

TzenaRena

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 7:56 am

the Rebbe* always mentions it as a reward for the children learning Torah, as sarahd said. The word Chanukah is connected to Chinuch, Torah education.
A time to focus on Chinuch. The Chanukah gelt is an incentive for learning Torah.

In sefer haTodaah, by Rabbi Elia-hu KiTov:

In many kehillos during Chanukah the leaders of the Kahal would gather to formulate ordinances designed to draw the youth, and the masses to Torah since Chanukah is from the root of Chinuch, and the main thrust of Chinuch is children's Torah education.

Also, in many kehillos during Chanukah, the Rabbonim would leave their towns and go out to the villages to teach the local Jews Torah and Fear of G-d, and this Torah would carry the rural Jews through for the whole year.

*Lubavitcher Rebbe

happyone

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 9:04 am

and I thought it started with the custom of playing dreidel. Parents gave their children money to play and it turned into giving money.
As a matter of fact, my husband thinks that gift giving started with x-mas gifts, and he doesnt believe in buying the kids chanuka presents. Don't worrry they're not deprived... they get tons from grandparents, aunts etc...

TzenaRena

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 9:19 am

Here are some beautiful "Torahs"from the Sefer Bnei Yissachar (by the Tzaddik R. Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, a talmid of the Chozeh of Lublin):

The reason we play dreidel on chanukah, and Purim we use a gragger, on Chanukah,the awakening wasn't from below, but from above, because they didn't do proper teshuva, just Hashem Yis. in his kindness (delivered them). Therefore we hold onto the dreidel from above. On Purim, when fasting was decreed, and they wore sackcloth and ashes, the awakening was from below, so we hold the gragger from below.

Another reason we play with the dreidel, since the ways of nature were overturned, in that mighty were given in to the hands of the weak, et. and many into the hands of the few.

A dreidel is a square block of wood, on its four sides are the lettters Gimmel Shin, Nun, Heh (which spell Goshenah), whith the letters separated one for each side. This block revolves on a central point, to show, that the kingdoms that are alluded to in the word GoSHNaH, which are Rome, Bavel, Yavan, Modai, which are in opposition to the four powers in man, the power of Guf, the power of Sechel, the power of Nefesh, and the fourth kingdom includes Hakol - everything,

All these powers are revolving on one central point, that is the Jewish nation, that unites all the surfaces, therefore all the sides revolve around the center, and are all nullified to it, and then the nations will all be turned over to one clear language (the language of serving Hashem, during the time of the Geulah).

Another reason we play dreidel, since usually Chanukah comes out in Parshas Miketz, but also part of it comes out in VaYigash. In the haftarah of vayigash (Yechezkel 36:16) it says "and you ben-Adam take a stick... and bring them one to the other etc." This is the hint in the block of wood, that on it says GSHNaH, to hint to the pasuk(in Vayigash) "and Yehudah, he sent before him GOSHNAH', and this is Melech HaMoshiach. GSHNH is the gimatria of MOSHIACH. and this is the Gimatria of Hashem Malach, Hashem Melech, Hashem Yimloch.( Hashem was,is, and will be King)

youngmom

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 10:51 am

sara yehudis, thank you so much. I really appreciate your help with an answer and a source.

TzenaRena

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 11:03 am

You're welcome Smile

gryp

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 2:14 pm

remember this?
http://imamother.com/forum/vie.....94dbb

in YomTov/Holidays Section page 3 "Chanukah Gelt vs Gifts" by Motek

TzenaRena

Wed, Dec 14 2005, 3:43 pm

why we give chanukah gelt the fifth night of chanukah was discussed in that thread, and just to add, that the tradition by Chassidim is also to celebrate with a "latkes ovent", Hayom Yom 28 Kislev:

It was customary for the Tzemach Tzedek to have a sort of farbrengen on one of the evenings of Chanukah with his family, including his daughters-in-law. this was called "latkes evening". this was also the practice of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. Among the stories the Rebbes told at this meal were some which were widely talked about every Chanuka, though they had been discussed the year before.

My father* would give Chanuka gelt on the evening of the fourth or fifth light.
*the Rebbe Rashab
_____________________________________________________

Also, the 27th of kislev, the third Light of Chanukah is when the Alter Rebbe was released from prison from his second arrest that took place on Isru Chag of Sukkos in the year תקס"א . (But since there were still some Chassidim in jail until the fifth night, the Alter Rebbe did not want to celebrate until the fifth night) This is one of the reasons behind the celebration of especially the fifth day of Chanukah by Chassidim.

.

TzenaRena

Tue, Dec 27 2005, 7:16 pm

Here are some beautiful "vertelach" about the connection between Parshas Miketz, which Chanukah falls out on every year and Chanukah:

**We eat a festive meal on Chanukah because chanukah always comes out in Parshas Miketz. There (Ch. 43:16)the passuk says "Utevoach TevaCH V'HaCheN (to prepare a meal for the shevatim). (letters Ches, Vov, Hei, Chof, Nun - spells CHaNUKaH)meforshim

** Why we put the Shamash higher than the other flames because it says (Yishayah 6:2) "Serofim oimdim mimaal L"OI ( fiery angels stand above Him) - letters Lamed Vov - which allude to the 36 lights of Chanukah.

**Why Chanukah always comes out in Parshas Miketz, since we say on Chanukah (in v'Al HaNissim) you have given the mighty into the HAND of the weak, the many into the HAND of the few, the impure into the HAND of the pure, the wicked into the HAND of the righteous, and the evildoers into the HAND of those occupied in your Torah FIVE TIMES B'YAD and also in Parshas miketz it says five times yad in connection with Binyamin.(43:34) (Avodas Yisrael)

Chanukah also comes out most of the time in Parshas VaYigash. in the haftarah of VaYiGash it says " and you, Ben Adam take for yourself a (stick) of wood, etc. and bring one to the other etc. This is the allusion which is in the block of wood, upon which is written Gimmel, Shin, Nun, Hei spelling GoSHNaH, to allude to the verse(in Vyigash) And Yehudah he sent before him to Goshen (Goshnah), and this is Melech HaMoshiach. Goshnah is b'gimatria Moshiach. and it is the same gimatria as Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach, Hashem yimloch.
(B'nei Yissachar)
( I posted that one before, but am re-posting in connection with Chanukah)

Another reason Chanukah falls out in Miketz, since it says in this Parsha "Pharoh called Yosef "Tzofnas Paaneach"(Revealer of Secrets) and gave him Osnas etc." He called him this name because of his wisdom. In Targum on "and he gave him Osnas": it is the gimatria of 7 times chochma to show that yosef merited to have seven chochmos, "And Yosef ( trans.added) went out upon the land of Mitzrayim," that an additional chochma was added to him extra over the chochma of Mitzrayim. And therefore Osnas became his wife, to show that all the chochmos receive from the Torah.
(b'nei Yissachar) [I.e. there are eight chochmas corresponding to the eight days/ lights of Chanukah?]

Another connection between Miketz and Chanukah:

It says in Miketz "V'CHiMeiSH es eretz mitzrayim" - which is the Roshei Teivos (acrostic) for the words CHodesh, SHabbos, Milah. The decree of the Yevanim was on these three things. Already in the first Galus, Yosef stood as a support to strengthen these three mitzvos. (B'nei Yissachar).

adorable

Wed, Dec 28 2005, 11:27 am

my husband just told me last night that he read somehwere that the Lubavitcher Rebbe davka encourages giving chnanukah gelt that the Rebbe says (not his exact words): one should not replace the gelt with presents but should give the kids davka money. I think it is also an inyan of tzedakah
I also think thet presents is a bit X-masy, although I do accept cash and plastic LOL

He*Sings*To*Me

Thu, Feb 09 2006, 3:56 am

I was taught that the reason for the gelt is that when medieval scholars had to study Torah in secret, they'd have dreidels and gelt handy, so that if they heard anyone approaching, they'd hide the Torah and if the authorities discovered them, it would simply appear they were gambling!
It's actually probably ALL of our answers put together!

ektsm

Sun, Feb 12 2006, 6:12 pm

I thought we don't give gifts because it is a goysha thing that non jews do on x-mas.