Chanukah - December 18, 2025

This evening we explore the clash on this Friday afternoon of the Chanukah Menorah and the Shabbat lights. While outwardly similar, the reasons for each are different, and so too the directions. But which takes priority, and why? We trace insights from Rashi, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Jancee Dunn, Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz (the Shaloh), the Slonimer Rebbe, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Wishing you a peaceful, calm, and harmonious Friday afternoon preparing for Shabbat which is Chanukah (and Rosh Chodesh)! Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.