As usual, I enjoyed your SHIUR. A number of comments: See 'כל ספרי מהרי"ץ חיות' חלק א' - דף קנ"ג ד"ה ' ומגילת תענית' where he expounds on an interesting observation why the GEMARRA introduces MEGILAT TAANIT sometimes with תנו רבנן, and sometimes כדכתיב. Dr.Vered Noam pointed this out in one of her articles on MEGILLAT TAANIT. If you read Josephus carefully re: CHANUKA he hesitates about the origin of "festival of lights" and says that "probably" its linked to the "lights". A professor of classical languages in Bar Ilan pointed out to me that the correct translation of the greek word should be " freedom" not "lights". Either way you look at it Josephus should not have said "probably" if the custom is his time was to light CHANNUKA CANDLES". In the notes of the Rav in הררי קדם and in the Mesorah journal - the Rav references the אבני נזר. I had searched the אבני נזר ' with the help of Rav Shelomo Pick from the Bar Ilan Kolell and couldn't find the reference. He had thought that the reference was a "typo" error. Is the reference to the אבני נזר that you mentioned what the Rav had in mind? Where is the exact reference? Subsequently Rav Pick found a more definitive reference in ר' יהושע מקוטנא ) ישראל יהושע טרונק מקוטנא** – 'חסדי אבות' , יבין דעת, סימן י"ז: ". . . א"כ לא רחוק הדבר להחליט שבאמת כ"ז שבית המקדש היה קיים לא התקינו חז"ל מצוות הדלקת נ"ח, כיון דאז היתה המנורה דולקת בביהמ"ק . . .ורק משחרב בית המקדש . . . התקינו חז"ל מצוות נר חנוכה להדליק בפתחי הבתים. ... ". A general question. I was surprised that the Rav didn't mention that all the sources that we know of prior to the HURBAN (Maccabeess 1 & 2' Josephus, The Aramaic Megillat Taanit)' that document the story of Channuka have no mention of the custom of lighting Channuka candles. The Rav, I'm sure knew these sources. I also notice that you also shy away from these historical sources - WHY is that? כל טוב חיים הופמן מושב בית גמליאל

As usual, I enjoyed your SHIUR. A number of comments: See 'כל ספרי מהרי"ץ חיות' חלק א' - דף קנ"ג ד"ה ' ומגילת תענית' where he expounds on an interesting observation why the GEMARRA introduces MEGILAT TAANIT sometimes with תנו רבנן, and sometimes כדכתיב. Dr.Vered Noam pointed this out in one of her articles on MEGILLAT TAANIT. If you read Josephus carefully re: CHANUKA he hesitates about the origin of "festival of lights" and says that "probably" its linked to the "lights". A professor of classical languages in Bar Ilan pointed out to me that the correct translation of the greek word should be " freedom" not "lights". Either way you look at it Josephus should not have said "probably" if the custom is his time was to light CHANNUKA CANDLES". In the notes of the Rav in הררי קדם and in the Mesorah journal - the Rav references the אבני נזר. I had searched the אבני נזר ' with the help of Rav Shelomo Pick from the Bar Ilan Kolell and couldn't find the reference. He had thought that the reference was a "typo" error. Is the reference to the אבני נזר that you mentioned what the Rav had in mind? Where is the exact reference? Subsequently Rav Pick found a more definitive reference in ר' יהושע מקוטנא ) ישראל יהושע טרונק מקוטנא** – 'חסדי אבות' , יבין דעת, סימן י"ז: ". . . א"כ לא רחוק הדבר להחליט שבאמת כ"ז שבית המקדש היה קיים לא התקינו חז"ל מצוות הדלקת נ"ח, כיון דאז היתה המנורה דולקת בביהמ"ק . . .ורק משחרב בית המקדש . . . התקינו חז"ל מצוות נר חנוכה להדליק בפתחי הבתים. ... ". A general question. I was surprised that the Rav didn't mention that all the sources that we know of prior to the HURBAN (Maccabeess 1 & 2' Josephus, The Aramaic Megillat Taanit)' that document the story of Channuka have no mention of the custom of lighting Channuka candles. The Rav, I'm sure knew these sources. I also notice that you also shy away from these historical sources - WHY is that? כל טוב חיים הופמן מושב בית גמליאל