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6 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J
N

opinion

This Chanukah: A Different Kind of Miracle
C

hanukah feels dif-
ferent this year. The 
vanquishing of our 
enemies that occurred in 
the days of the Maccabees 
during their 
war against the 
Greeks seems 
distant this 
Chanukah. 
As we light 
our flickering 
candles, still 
shrouded in the 
darkness of the 
murderous pogrom on the 
seventh of October, with 136 
hostages from 10 months to 
83 years old still being held 
in Gaza, and the tragic after-
math of so many fallen, how 
can we possibly rejoice and 
celebrate this year?
Unlike many other rituals, 
the lighting of the Chanukah 

candles is accompanied by 
two blessings (three on the 
first night). Following the 
standard blessing for per-
forming a mitzvah, a com-
mandment, one recites the 
blessing of She’asa Nissim, 
giving thanks to God for 
the miracles performed “in 
those days, at this time.” 
Yet, if we carefully examine 
the formulation appear-

ing in Rambam’s Mishneh 
Torah (Hilchot Megillah 
v’Chanuka 3:1), we will 
notice that some of 
the manuscripts have a 
slightly different version, 
which reads “bayamim 
hahem uvizman hazeh,” 
which translates as “in those 
days and at this time.” With 
the addition of a single let-
ter vav, these editions of 

Rambam offer an entirely 
new meaning to this bless-
ing: that just as miracles took 
place long ago, miracles con-
tinue to surround us in every 
generation to the present day.
This year, inspired by 
the miracles to which we 
have all been witnesses, I 
will be adopting the alter-
nate version of the text, to 
give thanks for the wonders 
all around us, “bayamim 
hahem uvizman hazeh,” “in 
those days and at this time.”
Indeed, these have been 
unimaginably difficult weeks 
for the families of the mur-
dered and the kidnapped, for 
the fallen, wounded and the 
displaced, for the soldiers 
serving in every corner of 
this country, and for all of 
Am Yisrael. But even within 
this darkness, the light of 

PURELY COMMENTARY

Rabbi 
Dr. Kenneth 
Brander
Times of 
Israel

