A Chanukah Quiz
Siegel, Richard
A Chanukah Quiz Richard Siegel "As a rule, the holiday (Chanukah) is chiefly a children's celebration." So ends the article on the historical, religious and cultural aspects of Chanukah in the...
...a. liberator b. hammer c. it is an acrostic of the Hebrew phrase "Who is like unto You, O Lord...
...e. The first references to Chanukah appear in the Apocrypha...
...True, except for the word "also...
...a. the "master" of the house b. the eldest male c. the women, because candle lighting is one of the few commandments which they were given d. the children e. everyone who wants to 6. Give three names for the top/toy used on Chanukah...
...a. to light the other candles b. in the Middle Ages, the Jews were not allowed to begin celebrating a holiday but if they could manage to evade the authorities and begin, they were allowed to continue...
...2. 36 (l+2+3+4+5 + 6+7+8)The eight shammes candles do not count towards fulfilling the precept...
...9. What was the year in which Chanukah occurred...
...True or false...
...True or false...
...b. 165 B.C.E...
...c. 53 B.C.E...
...True...
...If you live in an apartment it is to be placed on a window to the left of the door so that with the m'zuzah on the right, you will walk through two positive precepts on entering and leaving...
...There is no doubt, however, that the scale and centrality of this custom today is very much influenced by Christmas...
...Candles are put in the menorah starting from the right and proceeding to the left...
...What was the name of the father...
...In what book of the Hebrew Bible is the holiday of Chanukah first mentioned...
...I have prepared a quiz — multiple choice, true-or-false, fill-in-the-blanks — similar to the one my third grade Hebrew school teacher would have given...
...a. the first letters of the Hebrew phrase, "a great miracle happened there...
...How many can you recall...
...The candles are put in the menorah from left to right...
...by lighting the shammes they could say on the first day that it was actually the second day and therefore continue to celebrate the holiday for its full nine days c. to give illumination, since it is forbidden to use any other candles for functional light d. to symbolize the true, supernal light that stands above all miracles and all acts of human beings — the light of God and Torah 22...
...Who were the Maccabees fighting...
...True, cf...
...True or false...
...21...
...It is believed that the Messiah will appear on Chanukah because the numerical value of the letters on the toy/top equals the numerical value of the Hebrew word for Messiah...
...7. What do the four Hebrew letters on this toy stand for...
...What was the name of this empire's emperor...
...The extra candle on the menorah is called the "shammes" (servant...
...b and/or c, depending on which historical text is read, e did not occur until much later...
...For how many days is Chanukah celebrated...
...Yohanan, Simon, Eleazar, Jonathan...
...4. b, c. Although no one can determine for certain, these are the two most generally accepted opinions...
...According to the First Book of Maccabees, the Maccabean revolt began when Judah's father (see above) killed another Jew who was in the process of sacrificing on a pagan altar...
...True...
...a. the Talmud was written in Babylonia and the victory happened in Palestine b. the Talmud only deals with law and legal discussion, not with stories c. although the Maccabees were the leaders, the real victory belonged to the people d. the Maccabees appropriated the throne which according to Jewish tradition must only go to a descendant of David e. the miracle was more significant religiously than the victory 26...
...Eight...
...While the candles are burning low, try stumping your friends, your children, yourself, with some of these probing questions...
...What was dedicated...
...True or false...
...It is possible to win more than one point on some questions...
...4. If you get bored, sing some songs and/or 5. play games, engage in general merriment and frivolity and/or 6. eat some fried foods in remembrance of the oil miracle and/or 7. give out money, candy, gifts...
...The custom of giving gifts is borrowed from the Christian celebration of Christmas...
...2. How many total candles are lit for the purpose of fulfilling the precept to "light lights...
...The giving of Chanukah gelt (money) is a long-established custom, perhaps having to do with the gambling that went on during the holiday...
...False...
...This column derives its title - and its editor - from THE JEWISH CATALOG, the best-selling guide to Jewish living, published by the Jewish Publication Society...
...Good luck...
...9. b. 10...
...The victory of the Maccabees is not mentioned in the Talmudic section dealing with Chanukah (Shabbat 21 b...
...The candles are lit also from left to right...
...However, I won't let you off the hook so easily, even though most people think they already know all there is to know about Chanukah...
...3. Watch the flames for awhile...
...The Shabbat lights are always lit last because once they are lit, Shabbat has begun and no more light can be kindled...
...Antiochus Epiphanes...
...6. Here are five: dreidel, trendel, s'vivon, teetotum, galgalon...
...It is probable that the Christmas custom of lighting lights was borrowed from the celebration of Chanukah...
...Answers 1. Kislev25...
...Scoring: Score one point for each correct answer...
...True or false...
...a. 587 B.C.E...
...True or false...
...Mattathias ben Yohanan...
...The Maccabees were as concerned with purifying the Jews who leaned towards Hellenism (killing is an effective way of purifying) as with removing the Syrian Hellenists from control of the Temple...
...0-3 points: Have a happy holiday season 4-9 points: The Greek influence is showing 10- 18 points: Take another course, or buy an Israeli bond 19-25 points: This is already impressive over 25: A true Maccabee...
...The kids will love it...
...Chanukah means "dedication...
...Epiphanes only means "Manifest God...
...Questions 1. In what month and on what day does Chanukah fall, according to the Hebrew calendar...
...So ends the article on the historical, religious and cultural aspects of Chanukah in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (1969...
...d. 1948 C.E...
...Judah Maccabee was the son...
...False...
...a. the Greeks b. the Romans c. the Syrians d. the Philistines e. the Babylonians 20...
...The first name is sufficient...
...True...
...You have until the candles burn out to finish the game...
...3. b, e, a, in this order, although credit will be given for as many of these as you answered correctly...
...28...
...I warn you that (1) some are not as superficial as they seem (although some are more so), (2) multiple choice questions may have more than one correct answer, and (3) there will be some tricks thrown in...
...2. Let everyone play with the generally forbidden fire by lighting candles...
...Anyone will tell you that Chanukah is for children, and, from that perspective, this month's column could simply advise as follows: 1. Get some kids together...
...In America, the common Chanukah food is potato pancakes (latkes...
...In question 21, b. was a trick...
...On Friday nieht during Chanukah (there is at least one), first light the Shabbat candles to inaugurate the new day and then the Chanukah lights for that day, since it is forbidden to light Chanukah candles before the new day has begun...
...There were four other sons...
...3. Where should the menorah be placed after lighting...
...In the First Book of Maccabees it is stated that originally Chanukah was celebrated almost exactly like what other holiday...
...c. Originally Chanukah was celebrated as "Sukkot in Kislev" either because the holiday had not been celebrated during the rebellion and was being "made up," or to bring out the parallels with the First and Second Temples, both of which were dedicated on Sukkot...
...The numerical value is 358...
...b. the first letters of the German gambling words for "put in," "half," "nothing," "all" c. the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet, here used as numbers to differentiate the sides of the top d. the four letters of the Hebrew word for Maccabee 8. What are the four letters...
...c. To be precise, the Hellenized Syrians...
...True or false...
...5. e. Although one person can light for an entire household, ideally everyone should have a menorah and light his/her own candles regardless of age and sex...
...Originally, the menorah was to be placed outside the house...
...Doughnuts...
...And so, I propose a game, appropriate to the spirit of the holiday...
...True or false...
...a. the Second Temple b. the altar c. the Hasmonean Temple d. the hearts of the formerly wayward Jews e. the Judah Maccabee Library, which is now on the campus of Tel Aviv University 12...
...In time of danger, you are permitted to place it on a table...
...The first name is sufficient...
...a. Rosh Hashanah b. Passover c. Sukkot d. Purim e. none of these 11...
...a. on a table b. outside c. next to the Chanukah Bush d. in a window to the right of the door as one enters e. in a window to the left of the door as one enters f. it should not be moved or even touched once lit 4. What does Maccabee mean...
...It is forbidden to fast on Chanukah...
...What is it in Israel...
...a, c. 22...
...What purpose(s) does it serve...
...d, e. The Rabbis did not want to immortalize the human element, but rather to show that it was the hand of God, particularly when there was a misappropriation of the throne, and, even more, when there was a fear lest the State authorities feel that the Rabbis were endorsing rebellion...
...a. Leviticus b. Kings c. Ruth d. Chronicles e. none of the above 19...
...Julian Morgenstern, "Ancient Semitic Fire-Festivals and Fire-Ceremonies," UAHC Annual, 1941...
...7. a, b. 8. Nun, Gimmel, Heh, Shin...
...False...
...d. it is simply a family name e. a person who comes from the town of Maccab (Mokave in present-day Israel) 5. Who should light the candles...
Vol. 1 • December 1975 • No. 5
