Bulls and Chanuka/ Nachum  Stone

Tractate Shabbat (page 21B) states:

“תנו רבנן מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו … והמהדרין מן המהדרין בית שמאי אומרים יום ראשון מדליק שמנה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך ובית הלל אומרים יום ראשון מדליק אחת מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך…. טעמא דבית שמאי כנגד פרי החג וטעמא דבית הלל דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין”

“The sages taught in a braita: the basic mitzva of Chanuka is each day to have a light kindled by a person … and the mehadrin min hamehadrin, Beit Shammai say: On the first day one kindles eights lights and from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights until, on the last day of Chanuka, he kindles one light. And Beit Hillel say: on the first one kindles one light and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights until, on the last day, he kindles eight lights.

How many Chanuka candles do we light and why? Beit Hillel say we increase the number and Beit Shammai say we decrease. The Gemara asks why? Beit Shammai: The number of lights corresponds to the bulls of the Festival. Beit Hillel: he gave a reason for his actions, one elevates to higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade.

As we all know that the halacha is according to Beit Hillel.

But we must understand the reason presented by Beit Shammai. Which bulls? Which Festival?

According to the sages, Festival (Chag) is Sukkot. The bulls of the festival are the sacrifices that were sacrificed on every day of Sukkot, as described in Parashat Pinchas. On every day of Sukkot the number of bulls decreased by one, and the number of rams and sheep remained the same.

So, the number of bulls was decreased and Beit Shammai claim that we should decrease the number of candles that we light each night to correspond to the number of bulls?

What connection did Beit Shammai find between the sacrifices of Sukkot and Chanuka?

In the tefillot on Sukkot, the festival is referred to as “the time of our rejoicing” “שמחתנו”  and the Torah states (Devarim 16:14) “And you shall rejoice in your Festival. “והיית אך שמח”, Tractate Sukka (chapter 5, Mishna 1) states: that whoever has not seen Simchat Beit Hashoeva, has not seen rejoicing in his life”.

On Sukkot Am Yisrael is celebrating a Festival of Rejoicing, which, among others, includes many sacrifices that symbolize the Harvest Festival חג האסיף.

It seems that Beit Shammai is emphasizing the fact that Chanuka is also a festival of rejoicing, just like Sukkot, so it seems appropriate that the Chanuka candles, like the bulls, will begin with a full number and decrease every day.

On the other hand, Beit Hillel emphasizes the holiness of the candles, like we sing “הנרות הללו קודש הם – These candles are holy.

Fortunately, we do not have to choose.

As usual in such matters, the halacha follows Beit Hillel (Tractate Eruvin, 13B). But, in fact, we can combine. It is clear that for Beit Hillel Chanuka is also a time of rejoicing (Rambam, Hilchot Chanuka, Chapter 3, Halacha 3):

“וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הִתְקִינוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁתְּחִלָּתָן כ”ה בְּכִסְלֵו יְמֵי שִׂמְחָה וְהַלֵּל וּמַדְלִיקִין בָּהֶן הַנֵּרוֹת”

“For this reason our sages ruled that in that generation, those eight days that start on the 25^th of Kislev should be days of happiness and rejoicing when we light candles”

On the other hand, Beit Shammai also agree that the Chanuka candles are holy.

We can follow both opinions, in holiness and in happiness!