Shabbos 21: The Two Zkeinim From Tzidon

Ahhhhhhhhh sweet friends!!:-) We return to daf yoiiiimiiiii!!!

The gemara has a FAMOUS-FAMOUS-FAMOUS machlokes between Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel with respect to the question how we are to light Chanuka candles. Beis Shammai says to light them with an electric menorah in a storefront window to attract Jewish customers and to show the goyim the Christmas trees are NOT where it's at. Beis Hillel holds that you should light menorahs in public squares and on mitzva tanks because they were Lubavitch.

I of course made that up and am being silly.

Sorry.

As I write I keep singing the Purim niggun of "arurim kol hareshaim uvruchim kol hatzadikim" so I have a little Purim to permit me to be silly coupled with a little bit of Chanuka allowing me to buy ten thousand stocks in an oil company.

Back to business.

Beis Shammai really says that we light in descending order - 8 the first night, 7 the second etc. Beis Hillel says that we light in ascending order, 1 the first night, 2 the second etc.

The gemara relates that there were two elders in Tzidon [why does the gemara find it necessary to tell us where they lived?]. One followed Beis Shammai and the other followed Beis Hillel.

The Rif quotes this statement. That is odd because the Rif is a codifier of halacha and there is no halachic lesson that emerges from this story. The halacha is always like Beis Hillel. 

That triggers another question - Since the halacha is like Beis Hillel how can one elder follow Beis Shammai??

The Biur Halacha offers a huge chidush. Since here we are talking not about strict halacha [which is to light one candle] but hiddur mitzva, the opinion of Beis Shammai is valid. The practical difference is that if there are other compelling reasons under certain circumstances one would be allowed to follow Beis Shammai. [He didn't know that he was זוכה to say what the Ritva already said many hundreds of years ago, as we have now printed in the Mossad HaRav Kook edition]. 

I would like to suggest that maybe there is an explanation על דרך הדרוש. We know that לעתיד לבוא the halacha will follow Beis Shammai. Chanuka is 8 days which is higher than the 7 days that so often characterizes this world. 8 is above nature and relates to the end of days. The gemara in Erchin [13] says that the violin in the Beis Hamikdash at the end of days will have EIGHT strings while in this world it only had 7. 8 is yemos hamoshiach. Maybe that is why specifically regarding Chanuka we find an amora who follows Beis Shammai. Maybe.  

There is a lot more to say so maybe in a future post.... 

Bye now:-)