Why Are Women Obligated in the Time-Bound Commandment of Lighting Chanukah Lights?
According to Jewish law, women are not obligated in time-bound positive commandments- for example- they are not obligated in the commandment of hearing the Shofar or sitting in the Sukkah.
However, they are obligated in some time-bound positive commandments such as the commandment of lighting Chanukah lights on Chanukah and reading Megillat Esther on Purim.
The reason given for these exceptions is that the women were involved in the miracles just as the men were.
How so? In the case of the Purim story, the women, together with the men and children, were in mortal danger of being exterminated by Haman, the viceroy to King Achashverosh of Persia.
Therefore, the miracle that G-d performed in the over-throwing of Haman affected the women just as much as it affected the men.
Furthermore, the one that G-d chose to perform his miracles through was none other than a woman by the name of Esther! It was through Esther's bravery of approaching the King without having been summoned, an act that would usually mean immediate execution, that the Jewish people were saved.
In the case of the Chanukah story, women too were threatened by the Greek and Hellenistic attacks on the Jewish people.
The Greeks tried to force their culture on the Jewish people and forbade Jewish practices that they typically viewed as irrational and unnecessary but that are considered by Jewish people as essential to their continuation- circumcision, keeping the Sabbath day, worshipping one G-d.
The women too were affected by these and other similar decrees but were even more affected in other ways.
For example, Jewish brides would have to submit themselves to a Greek military governor before the wedding.
Also in this case, there was a Jewish heroine- Yehudit- fed such a governor a large amount of cheese, making him sleepy, followed by lots of wine, making him drunk, and then proceeded to cut off his head.
She placed his head on platter and brought it to Jerusalem and when his troops saw this spectacle they panicked and ran.
Therefore, it is understood that women too benefited directly from the famous miracle of the oil and, as a matter of fact, contributed directly to the victory of the Hasmoneans.
The victory of the Hasmoneans meant that the Jewish people could rededicate the Temple which was the spiritual centre and as a result the purity of Jewish family life was restored.
However, they are obligated in some time-bound positive commandments such as the commandment of lighting Chanukah lights on Chanukah and reading Megillat Esther on Purim.
The reason given for these exceptions is that the women were involved in the miracles just as the men were.
How so? In the case of the Purim story, the women, together with the men and children, were in mortal danger of being exterminated by Haman, the viceroy to King Achashverosh of Persia.
Therefore, the miracle that G-d performed in the over-throwing of Haman affected the women just as much as it affected the men.
Furthermore, the one that G-d chose to perform his miracles through was none other than a woman by the name of Esther! It was through Esther's bravery of approaching the King without having been summoned, an act that would usually mean immediate execution, that the Jewish people were saved.
In the case of the Chanukah story, women too were threatened by the Greek and Hellenistic attacks on the Jewish people.
The Greeks tried to force their culture on the Jewish people and forbade Jewish practices that they typically viewed as irrational and unnecessary but that are considered by Jewish people as essential to their continuation- circumcision, keeping the Sabbath day, worshipping one G-d.
The women too were affected by these and other similar decrees but were even more affected in other ways.
For example, Jewish brides would have to submit themselves to a Greek military governor before the wedding.
Also in this case, there was a Jewish heroine- Yehudit- fed such a governor a large amount of cheese, making him sleepy, followed by lots of wine, making him drunk, and then proceeded to cut off his head.
She placed his head on platter and brought it to Jerusalem and when his troops saw this spectacle they panicked and ran.
Therefore, it is understood that women too benefited directly from the famous miracle of the oil and, as a matter of fact, contributed directly to the victory of the Hasmoneans.
The victory of the Hasmoneans meant that the Jewish people could rededicate the Temple which was the spiritual centre and as a result the purity of Jewish family life was restored.
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