Another reason for the custom of eating sufganiyos, doughnuts, on Chanukah
HaRav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach zt'l teaches that after ousting the Greek forces from the Beis HaMikdash, the Chashmonaim were able to be me’taher--to purify--everything--except for stones of the Mizbe’ach which the Greeks had ruined and which accordingly had to be put away into genizah, and replaced with new stones.
In order for us to remember what happened to the Mizbe’ach, the custom was to eat something which required an after-bracha of Me’Ein Shalosh, such as Al HaMichya, for this is the only bracha which specifically asks Hashem to have Rachamim “Al Mizbaichecha”--on Your Mizbe’ach. Indeed, even Birkas HaMazon (in the third bracha), when asking Hashem to have Rachamim upon Yisrael, Yerushalayim, Zion and the Beis HaMikdash does not specifically request His Mercy for the Mizbe’ach as we do in Al HaMichya.
It is for this reason that we eat those wonderful doughnuts--so that we can remember what happened to the Mizbe’ach--and ask for Hashem’s Mercy in bringing the Geulah Shleimah--BeKarov Bimheira V’Yameinu!
In order for us to remember what happened to the Mizbe’ach, the custom was to eat something which required an after-bracha of Me’Ein Shalosh, such as Al HaMichya, for this is the only bracha which specifically asks Hashem to have Rachamim “Al Mizbaichecha”--on Your Mizbe’ach. Indeed, even Birkas HaMazon (in the third bracha), when asking Hashem to have Rachamim upon Yisrael, Yerushalayim, Zion and the Beis HaMikdash does not specifically request His Mercy for the Mizbe’ach as we do in Al HaMichya.
It is for this reason that we eat those wonderful doughnuts--so that we can remember what happened to the Mizbe’ach--and ask for Hashem’s Mercy in bringing the Geulah Shleimah--BeKarov Bimheira V’Yameinu!
