CHANUKAH AND THE JEWISH WOMAN

One of the customs of Chanukah is that women do not engage in work (housework) for at least one half hour from the time that the Chanukah lights are kindled and throughout the period that they are burning.

The primary reason is that the decrees against the Jews were harshest with regard to women for the Syrian-Greeks rulers would appoint officers in the Jewish towns in Eretz Yisrael to ravish all the Jewish brides. Only after submitting to the officers were the women permitted to marry their intended husbands.

The heroism of the Jewish women at the time was most significant.  Their sacrifices brought about the spiritual and physical victories that are associated with Chanukah. The triumph of the spirit came about through Chanah and her seven sons. (Link to Chanah and her sons.) The physical victory came about through the Yehudis. (See the story here.)

This custom is not practiced by men. Why?

Since men are required to perform all mitzvos and women are exempt from performing time-related mitzvos (such as blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah), why should this custom pertain only to women and not men?

The main part of the mitzvah, publicizing the Chanukah miracle, is fulfilled by men with the kindling of the Chanukah lights. Once lit the ceremony is completed. The entire time that the candles are lit is an ongoing fulfillment of the mitzvah to publicize the miracle, so woman are able to fulfill the mitzvah by observing the lit candles.

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