Eight to One; Understanding Beit Shamai
Parsha Halacha - Parshat Miketz – Shabbat Chanukah – Mevorchim Chodesh Tevet
Eight to One; Understanding Beit Shamai
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The Talmud says[1] that there are three levels as to how one may fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles. The first is to light one light per household. The next
higher level is to light candle (or lamp) per family member each night. The highest level, which is referred to as Mehadrin min HaMehadrin (the best of the best), is to light a different number of candles each night (as explained below). The standard practice today is for everyone to light at the “best of the best” level.[2]
According to Beit Hillel,[3] which is the final halacha, one should light one light on the first night and then increase each night until lighting eight on the last night. According to Beit Shammai, on the other hand, one should start by lighting eight and then decreasing until they light one on the last night.
The Talmud gives two explanations for these opinions: The first is that Beit Hillel says to light according to the number of days that have passed whereas Beit Shammai says to light according to the days that are to come. The second explanation is that Beit Hillel says one must always increase (and never decrease) in holy matters whereas Beit Shammai says that we decrease one per night just as the number of bulls sacrificed in the Beit HaMikdash on Sukkot decreased one per day.[4]
Why Mehadrin?
The first Gerrer Rebbe explained[5] that the sages established the Mehadrin and Mehadrin min HaMehadrin methods of fulfilling the mitzvah of the Chanukah lights because the original Chanukah enabled us to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in a Mehadrin (i.e., exceptional) manner, as follows;
When the Hasmoneans found only one flask of pure oil, they didn’t rely on a miracle that it would last eight days and use it all up on the first night. Instead, they divided the oil into eight portions[6] and used very thin wicks to enable the small amount of oil to burn throughout the night with a thin flame. Miraculously, however, a standard flame burned on the thin wicks, yet the oil wasn’t used up. Thus, the miracle enabled them to fulfill the mitzvah behiddur – in the best possible way. We commemorate this by having varying levels of fulfilling the mitzvah of the Chanukah menorah yet fulfilling it in the best possible way.
Ascending in Holiness
The Talmud[7] derives the concept of “ascending in holiness” from the fact that the firepans used by Korach’s group were made into a plating for the mizbe’ach (altar) thus being elevated from firepans to becoming part of the altar itself.[8]
Not Descending
The concept of “not descending in holiness” is derived (there) from the fact that only Moshe (the holiest of the Jewish people) set up the Mishkan without the assistance of anyone else.[9] This is because once Moshe started to assemble it, having someone else assist would have been a “descent in holiness.”
The Two Sages
The Talmud says that there were two sages in Tzidon, one of whom followed the opinion of Beit Shammai while the other that of Beit Hillel. They each explained their opinions as above – to increase in holiness or to correspond to the offerings on Sukkot.
The Ritva questions how one of the sages could have followed the opinion of Beit Shammai since the halacha (Jewish law) follows Beit Hillel[10] in almost every dispute and the Talmud says[11] that one who follows the opinion of Beit Shammai deserves to be punished severely or that, at the very least, hasn’t fulfilled their obligation.[12]
He explains that in this case the dispute is only about the best way to fulfill the mitzvah (Mehadrin min HaMehadrin) but that, in any case, one will have fulfilled the basic mitzvah of lighting one candle per night. In such a case, it wasn’t improper of that sage to follow the opinion of Beit Shammai.
According to Rabbi Yaakov Emden,[13] these sages lived before the halacha was decided in favor of Beit Hillel.
Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel – Potential vs. Actual
The Lubavitcher Rebbe cites[14] several arguments in the Talmud between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel which are based on their different perspectives, with Beit Shammai seeing things from the perspective of their potential whereas Beit Hillel looking at matters in terms of how they exist in real terms.
In this case too, Beit Shammai says we should commemorate the days that are yet to come (i.e., they exist in potential) while Beit Hillel says we should commemorate the days that have actually occurred.
These different perspectives can be traced back to the original miracle of Chanukah – when the oil lasted for eight nights. On the first of those nights, the oil had the potential to burn for eight nights while in actuality it was burning for the first time. While on the last night it only had the potential of burning for that night but it had been burning the previous seven days as well. So Beit Shammai says that we should commemorates the “miracle power” in the oil of each night while Beit Hillel says we commemorate the miracle that had already occurred.
What Does Sukkot Have to Do with Chanukah?
The commentaries question why Beit Shammai derives the method of lighting the Chanukah candles from the sacrifices of Sukkot which are an exception (in that they descend in number) rather than following the general rule of increasing in holiness.
Here are some of the explanations given for this matter:
· The Oil Decreased
The Maharsha explains that (as mentioned above), some say the oil was divided into eight parts and that one part was used each night and it miraculously lasted (with a normal flame) throughout the night. Beit Shammai’s opinion is that we should commemorate this diminishment of the oil by lighting in a diminishing manner. He draws the parallel from the sacrifices of Sukkot to prove that the rule of “ascending in holiness” isn’t universal and that there are exceptions to that rule.[15]
· Day One Is the Main Day
The Maharal explains[16] that the main reason of Beit Shammai is that on every Yom Tov (Jewish holiday) the first day is the most significant compared to the others, just as the beginning of every matter is the most significant. We can learn this from the fact that, on the first day of Sukkot, we bring the most sacrifices. Similarly, we should demonstrate the importance of the first day of Chanukah by lighting the largest number of candles on that night.
o First Is Most Significant
Here are two examples given by the Maharal and the Gaon of Vilna where we find that the beginning of something is very significant.[17]
1. Adam HaRishon, as the first man, included all of mankind within himself.
2. The first verse in the Torah includes within it the entire Torah. More precisely, the first word (Bereishit) [and, especially the dot of the letter beit,] includes the entire Torah within it.
This goes well with the opinion of the Rambam[18] that the Hasmoneans defeated the Greeks in battle on the first day of Chanukah and that this day is a commemoration of both the victory as well as the miracle of the oil.[19]
· Defeat of the Enemies or Salvation of the Jewish People
According to the Chatam Sofer,[20] Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel are arguing as to whether the focus of the celebration is on the defeat of the enemies of the Jewish people or on the salvation of the Jewish nation.
According to Beit Shammai, our survival is guaranteed since G-d has promised us that we will not be forsaken. As such, the main celebration is about the fact that we defeated our enemies (which is less obvious). Therefore, we light in a descending order, symbolizing the demise of those enemies just as on Sukkot we sacrifice 70 bulls in a decreasing number to symbolize the diminishment of the 70 nations of the world.[21]
Beit Hillel, however says that the defeat of the enemy isn’t the final objective[22] and isn’t worth celebrating. Rather we should focus on our salvation and on the future revelations in the Messianic era. We do so by lighting and adding to these lights every night to symbolize that those future revelations will be ever increasing.
This argument corresponds to the argument in tractate Megillah[23] as to whether the blessing after reading the Megillah should be HoKeil Hamoshi’a – “G-d who delivers” (focusing on our salvation) or Hanifra lanu mikol tzorei’hem – Who exacts payment on behalf of His people Israel from all their oppressors (focusing on the punishment of the enemies). In practice, a compromise is made and the blessing incorporates both expressions; Hanifra lanu mikol tzorei’hem HoKeil Hamoshi’a – “Who exacts payment on behalf of His people Israel from all their oppressors, G-d who delivers.”
As mentioned above, there were two sages in Siddon who would light the menorah, one would follow Beit Shammai and the other would follow Beit Hillel, According to the Chatam Sofer they would light in the same place so that, between the two of them, both concepts were expressed – that G-d saves us from our enemies and that He punishes those enemies.
May this take place speedily in our days!
[3] Beit Hillel means “the House of Hillel.” This refers to Hillel’s students (and their students) who are considered to be members of his household (Tosfot Yeshanim).
[4] See Numbers 29:12 - 34.
[5] Torat Chidushei HaRim, Chanukah page 52.
[6] See Beit Yosef Orach Chaim 670 D.H. Mai Chanukah.
[13] Hagahot Yavetz. But see Bi’ur Halacha (671 D.H. Veyesh Omrim) that, from the language in the Talmud it seems that these sages were contemporaries of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yochanan who lived after the halacha had been established like Beit Hillel.
[14] Sefer HaSichot 5748 vol. 2 page 647 and on. See Beit Ha’Otzar, Aleph:27, Le’ohr Hahalacha article titled Leshitot Beit Shammai uBeit Hillel, Uktzin 3: 8 and 11 and in several other cases cited in the sources.
[15] Maharsha.
[16] Ner Mitzvah vol. 2 D.H. Keneged Yamim Hanichnasim.
[17] The sources for these are given in the footnotes on ibid. in the Hartman edition of the Maharal.
[18] Hilchot Megillah VeChanukah 3:2.
[19] See Likutei Sichot vo. 30 page 204 and on.
[20] Chidushei Chatam Sofer on Shabbat ibid.
[21] See Rashi on Numbers 29:18.
[22] See Brachot 10a that one shouldn’t pray for the destruction of the sinners but rather that they do teshuvah(repentance).
[23] Megillah 21b and the Chatam Sofer there.
Wishing you a Happy Chanukah, a Shabbat Shalom Umevorach, and a Chodesh Tov!
Wed, April 30 2025
2 Iyyar 5785
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