why there is no mesechta chanukah
why there is no mesechta chanukah
This you have to understand without drashos. There have been drashos said on that but the plain pshat is this: You must realize that the mishnah was completed by the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah in the times of Ezra. This was explained by the Doros Harishonim, the greatest authority on Jewish history. The entire mishnah was already drawn up at that time in an abbreviated form. Later they added things. But it was impossible for them to make a mesichta on Chanukah because Chanukah hadn't taken place yet.
That's all. Purim had taken place. That's why you have a Mesichta Megillah. But there couldn’t be a Mesichta Chanukah.
However, some mentions of Chanukah did get into the mishnah. There are mishnayos about Chanukah, sure, but there's not a Mesichta Chanukah. It was too late.
And that's the plain reason despite the drashos that are being said on the subject.
That's all. Purim had taken place. That's why you have a Mesichta Megillah. But there couldn’t be a Mesichta Chanukah.
However, some mentions of Chanukah did get into the mishnah. There are mishnayos about Chanukah, sure, but there's not a Mesichta Chanukah. It was too late.
And that's the plain reason despite the drashos that are being said on the subject.
Toras Avigdor Q&A With Rabbi Avigdor Miller
TAPE # 249 (December 1978)
TAPE # 249 (December 1978)
another explanation:
Chanukah is the beginning of the miracles that were not [given permission to be] written, because [Megillas] Esther (the Story of Purim) is the end of the miracles that were given to be written (as it is written in Yoma 29a). Chanukah is the beginning of the Torah She'baal Peh (the Oral Torah). It is the beginning of the Rabbinic mitzvos, which has its root in the Written Torah. It is based on the Torah commandment of following the Sages of the Torah, the mitzvah of Lo Sasur, as it is written in the Gemara about the blessing of the Chanukah candle; and where is the commandment? The commandment of Lo Sasur, “According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left.” [Devarim 17:11].
Sefer Pri Tzaddik - Rav Tzadok Hakohen
another perspective
The events of the festival of Chanukah warrant special attention because they reflect a critical aspect of Jewish identity that transcends the Written Torah. The unique self-sacrifice associated with Chanukah highlights Israel's distinctiveness among the nations. This distinctiveness is emphasized by the decision not to write down what was traditionally transmitted orally.
Although the Mishnah—originally composed due to a decline in oral memory among the Jewish people during exile—was written down, it does not specifically address the laws regarding the Chanukah candle. Instead, it only mentions it in relation to other topics. As our Rabbis have explained, even after the Mishnah was compiled, they intentionally left space for aspects of the Oral Tradition. This allowed for the deduction of laws from the omissions in the Written Torah.
The laws concerning the Chanukah candle are entirely absent from the text because the light it represents symbolizes the illumination achieved through the self-sacrifice of the Jewish people to preserve what is meant to remain in oral tradition.
This decision to maintain the Oral Law as a strictly oral tradition effectively countered the Yevanim’s efforts to undermine Jewish faith by translating the Written Torah into Greek. Such translations could distort the meaning of the Torah's words. However, through their dedication (mesirat nefesh) to upholding the Oral Law, the Jewish people were able to retain the true Light of the Torah.
Although the Mishnah—originally composed due to a decline in oral memory among the Jewish people during exile—was written down, it does not specifically address the laws regarding the Chanukah candle. Instead, it only mentions it in relation to other topics. As our Rabbis have explained, even after the Mishnah was compiled, they intentionally left space for aspects of the Oral Tradition. This allowed for the deduction of laws from the omissions in the Written Torah.
The laws concerning the Chanukah candle are entirely absent from the text because the light it represents symbolizes the illumination achieved through the self-sacrifice of the Jewish people to preserve what is meant to remain in oral tradition.
This decision to maintain the Oral Law as a strictly oral tradition effectively countered the Yevanim’s efforts to undermine Jewish faith by translating the Written Torah into Greek. Such translations could distort the meaning of the Torah's words. However, through their dedication (mesirat nefesh) to upholding the Oral Law, the Jewish people were able to retain the true Light of the Torah.
Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt’l in Pachad Yitzchak – Chanukah: Essay 1