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I hope you all had a joyous and happy Thanksgiving. As the holiday of Hanukkah rapidly approaches, I wanted to include some questions that I received related to the Hanukkah festival. I hope that you have a bright and festive Hanukkah holiday, and remind you to share your gifts with those in need. Keep those questions coming and wishing you a hag urim same'ach!

What is the origin of our Hanukkah songs?

Unlike the music of other Jewish holidays, most Hanukkah songs are no more than a century old, says Velvel Pasternak, editor of more than 150 books on Jewish music. This can be explained by the fact that the elaborate celebration of Hanukkah is a post-biblical phenomenon, a creation of the 20th century. The general rule of thumb is that if a song is in Yiddish it comes from Europe and, if it is in Hebrew, its origin is Israel. Most Hanukkah songs have been adapted from folk melodies and usually have more than one set of lyrics. For example, Hanukkah's popular "I had a little dreidel" was originally written in Yiddish. The opening line was "I made it out of lead," not "I made it out of clay." The English lyrics were said to have been penned by Samuel Grossman, while the melody for the English version is attributed to Sam Goldfarb.

Rock of Ages (Ma'oz Tzur) has the longest documented history of any Hanukkah song. Its Hebrew words are linked to a 13th century poet known only as Mordecai.

How did the Maccabees get their name?

The word "maccabee" is an acrostic created by joining the first letter of the Hebrew words "Mi kamocha ba'elim Adonai" which means "Who among the mighty is like You, God?" According to one theory, maccabee was the battle cry of the Jewish patriots who fought against the Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E. According to another explanation, maccabee is the Hebrew for "hammer," derived from the root "makav". Judah, the leader of the revolt against the Syrian-Greeks was given the name of "the Hammer" because of his great strength.

Where can I find the Bible book called The Maccabees?

The Book of Maccabees is part of the Apocrypha, a group of 14 books of the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Bible), which Judaism did not deem worthy of inclusion in the Tanakh. I am told that the Protestants do not consider the Apocrypha as part of the Bible, but that Catholics accept 11 of the books.

What do Israelis eat on Hanukkah?

Called sufganiyot, the Israeli custom is to eat donuts, especially jelly-filled ones during Hanukkah. They do this because they are fried in oil and oil is symbolic of the miracle of the holiday.

Do all dreidels have the same Hebrew letters on them?

You ask a very good question. Before Israel gained its statehood, dreidels had the Hebrew letters, nun, gimel, hey, and shin on them, standing for the Hebrew words nes gadol hayah sham (a great miracle happened there). After the state of Israel was established in 1948, the shin was changed on the dreidel to the Hebrew letter pay standing for the Hebrew word po, meaning "here." And the four letters on Israeli dreidels today are nun, gimel, hay, pay (a great miracle happened here).

Why are the candles of the hanukkiah lit from left to right?

Over the centuries various candle-lighting practices have evolved. The practice generally accepted today follows the tradition of giving equal importance to the right and left side of the hanukkiah, indicating that God's presence is everywhere. The candles are therefore customarily inserted from right to left (the newest addition on the left), but they are kindled from left to right (the newest addition to be kindled first).

Why is it permissible to perform work on Hanukkah but not on other Jewish holidays according to Jewish law?

Hanukkah is a post-biblical holiday. With the exception of Purim, only those holy days mentioned specifically in the Bible became full holidays, with restrictions on secular activities. Special synagogue services similar to those held on Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot are not held to celebrate Hanukkah, although the liturgy has been supplemented by the recitation of "Al Hanissim" (for the miracles"), the Hallel Psalms of praise, and the reading of Torah every morning for the duration of the festival.

Why is the ninth candle used to light the other candles in the hanukkiah?

This is a continuation of the practice followed when the seven-branched candelabrum of the Tabernacle and the Temple was lit. The seventh branch in each of these menorahs was called the "shammash," meaning "servant." Used to light the others, it was not counted as one of the lights. A ninth candle is also used because the eight primary candles of the hanukkiah may not be used for practical purposes. By having a ninth candle to light the others, one will not be tempted to use any of the eight primary candles for such purposes.

I once heard that goose is a traditional Hanukkah dish served on the holiday. Is this true?

Chicken fat and the fat of other fowl was needed to prepare some of the favorite Hanukkah delicacies. Being a fatty fowl, it became traditional to serve goose on Hanukkah and to render its fat, which was then set aside and saved until Passover. Some of the fat was used to prepare gribenes - the crisp fried fat of a fowl served with latkes on Hanukkah.