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THE DAFYOMI DISCUSSION LIST brought to you by Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld [EMAIL PROTECTED] [REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE TO DISCUSS THE DAF WITH THE KOLLEL] ________________________________________________________________ Re: GENERAL : Fifth Night of Chanukah Barry Epstein asked: >>I heard a speech that the 5th day of Hanukah is the darkest day >>because it is the only day that can't fall on a Shabbos. The venue >>was a bris and therefore the point was that the bris brought light >>to this day. Since Hanukah doesn't have any rules regarding >>specific days, is this fact correct? If so, is it because of other >>Hagim that don't can't fall on certain days (and therefore it leads >>the 5th day of Hanukah to always miss Shabbos? The Kollel replied: >>If Cheshvan is 30 days and the 29th of Kislev is a Shabbos, that >>means that the Rosh Hashanah of that year was a Tuesday. When Rosh >>Hashanah is Tuesday and the year is a leap year, the Rambam writes >>(Hilchos Kidush ha'Chodesh 8:10) that the year must be k'Sidran, >>and not Malei (i.e. Cheshvan will only have 29 days). Thus, 29 >>Kislev will not be Shabbos. ---------- Barry Epstein responded: Thank you for your answer. That answers half of my question. You have proven that the fifthe night of Hanukah cannot fall on a Shabbos. This is due to other rules not following on certain days. Because of that other reason, do you consider the fifth night of Hanukah either "dark" or lacking? Barry ---------------------------- The Kollel replies: Hoshana Raba can never fall on Shabbos (as I mentioned in our previous correspondence), yet I wouldn't consider it to be "lacking." On the other hand, the Midrash does equate light with Shabbos (see Bereishis Raba 82:15) and darkness or concealment with "Din", i.e. strict justice or punishment (see Bamidbar Raba 1:1). Hoshana Raba is certainly a day of Din (see Rabeinu Bachye to Bamidbar 14:9). Maybe that applies to the fifth day of Chanukah also. Be well, Mordecai Kornfeld -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.2/559 - Release Date: 11/30/2006 _______________________________________________ Daf-discuss mailing list Daf-discuss@shemayisrael.co.il http://mailman.shemayisrael.com/mailman/listinfo/daf-discuss_shemayisrael.co.il