Chanukah Gifts and

Gelt
By Rabbi Joshua Flug

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I. Introduction- For children, one of the most anticipated aspects of Chanukah is the gifts.
While some might argue that gift giving seems to be based on Christian or pagan winter,
customs in this shiur outline, we will show a number of sources for the idea of giving
children money or gifts on Chanukah.
II. Does Simchas Yom Tov apply to Chanukah?
a. Perhaps the most straightforward explanation of the practice would exist if there were
a concept of simchas Yom Tov on Chanukah. The Gemara states that simchas Yom
Tov is fulfilled for children when they receive treats. {}. However, it is not clear that
the concept of simchas Yom Tov is applicable on Chanukah.
i. The Gemara writes that Chanukah is an eight day holiday and it is prohibited
to eulogize or fast on these days. The Gemara also states that Chanukah was
established as a Yom Tov of hallel and hoda'ah. {}
ii. Rambam (1138-1204) writes that the days of Chanukah are days of simcha
and hallel. {} This is in contrast to Yom Tov, where there is an obligation to
be "happy and good-hearted." {} What is the difference between the two
ideas?
1. R. Simcha Elberg (1915-1995) suggests that they are two separate
ideas. On Yom Tov there is an obligation to actively participate in
activities that make one happy. By contrast, the days of Chanukah are
only "days of happiness." There is no obligation to rejoice, rather it is
prohibited to partake of activities that would hamper one's ability to
rejoice. For this reason, one may not eulogize or fast, but there is no
obligation to rejoice. {}
2. R. Avraham Yitzchak Sorotzkin writes that the days of Chanukah are
days of simcha and therefore, there is an obligation to be "happy and
good-hearted" the entire day. However, there is no obligation to use
physical items to bring about that simcha. Nevertheless, if one does so
in order to elicit simcha, it is a fulfillment of the obligation to be happy
on Chanukah. {}
iii. Maharam MiRutenberg (1215-1293), in giving examples of meals that are
considered seudas reshus, given a meal on Chanukah as an example. {}
1. R. Ya'akov ben Asher (1269-1343) explains that these are days of
hallel and hoda'ah, not mishteh and simcha. {}
2. R. Shlomo Luria (1510-1574) writes that Rambam does call it days of
simcha. Furthermore, the Gemara calls the days of Chanukah days of
Yom Tov. Therefore, he concludes that there is a mitzvah to be festive
on Chanukah. {}
iv. Shulchan Aruch rules that there is no mitzvah to have a seudah on Chanukah.
Rama rules that there is some fulfillment of a mitzvah. {}
 v. If one accepts the concept of simcha on Chanukah, it is arguable that one
should give treats to the children, similar to all other yamim tovim. If simcha
is optional, perhaps giving them gifts would be a fulfillment of simcha.
1. R. Yisrael P. Feinhandler follows the approach that giving gifts on
Chanukah is at least a partial fulfillment of simchas Yom Tov. He also
writes that it cannot be considered chukas akum because it has a
known purpose. {}
III. The Idea of Distributing Money on Chanukah
a. R. Avraham Gombiner (c.1633-1683) writes that it is customary for the poor children
to collect tzedakah on Chanukah. {}
i. The source for this minhag is R. Shaul ben David's Chanukas HaBayis. He
writes that children are compared to pachim ketanim and through their
collection, we publicize the miracle. {} This implies that the minhag focuses
specifically on children and not on all poor people.
ii. R. Yissachar Dov Rokeach (The Third Belzer Rebbe 1851-1926) is quoted as
saying that the practice developed to give money to all children so as not to
embarrass those who are poor. {}
iii. R. Ya'akov Kamenetzky (1891-1986) suggests that children were used to
distribute tzedakah to their teachers and the practice developed that the
children were given some money as well to keep. R. Ya'akov further suggests
that there is no influence from other religions or cultures and if anything, they
took this idea from us. {}
1. R. Ya'akov's personal practice was to distribute money on the fifth
night of Chanukah.
2. R. Ya'akov Yisrael Kanievski (the Steipler Rav 1899-1985) also had
the practice of distributing Chanukah gelt on the fifth night. He
explained that he distributes on the fifth night because this is the only
night that cannot occur on Shabbos. {}
IV. Giving Gifts/Gelt as a Method of Chinuch
a. R. Chaim Friedlander (1923-1986) quotes from R. Yosef Kahaneman (1886-1969)
that the basis for the practice of Chanukah gelt is that at the time of the story of
Chanukah, there was a decree against learning Torah. After the war, they needed to
"bribe" the children to resume learning Torah. Therefore, we also give Chanukah gelt
as a means of encouraging children to learn Torah. {}
b. R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe)
writes that Chanukah is the holiday of chinuch (they have the same root). Therefore,
we pay special attention to chinuch on this holiday. Since providing children with
treats to encourage them to learn is an important aspect of chinuch, we put a special
 stress on this on Chanukah. This is why it is arguable that one should give a gift
every day of Chanukah. {}
i. R. Eliyahu Kitov (1912-1976) presents the same reason for giving Chanukah
gelt. {}
V. Other Reasons for Giving Gifts/Gelt
a. R. Yisrael (ben Chaim Meir Yechiel) Spira (1874-1942) suggests that the expense of
observing Jewish holidays contributes to the love of the holiday. Since Chanukah
doesn't have any major expenses, a minhag developed to spend money on children so
that we have a greater appreciation of Chanukah. {}
b. An academic approach is presented in an article by Marvin Tameanko (available
here). He suggests two reasons for the minhag of distributing Chanukah gelt:
i. After a war it was traditional for the winners to distribute the loot among the
soldiers and the poor. Distributing gelt on Chanukah is a way of
commemorating the victory of the war.
ii. The Book of Maccabees records that when the Jews finally made peace with
the Seleucids, Antiochus VII allowed them to mint their own coins.
Archaeological discoveries show that these coins were low value coins and
had a lily on the back, which represented Yerushalayim. Tameanko suggests
that these coins were distributed to children in the early years of celebrating
Chanukah because they were a memento of the defeat of the Seleucids. This
practice continued and is now known as the practice of distributing Chanukah
gelt.
1. In 1958, the Bank of Israel started to mint commemorative coins for
Chanukah. Based on Tameanko, perhaps it is a greater fulfillment of
this minhag to use coins that actually commemorate the miracle.
2. Similarly, perhaps it is preferable to choose chocolate coins that have
Chanukah related material over coins that are replicas of US money.
 ‫‪ .5‬הפרדס שנה נד‬ ‫‪ .1‬פסחים קט‪.‬‬

‫‪ .2‬שבת כא‪:‬‬

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‫‪ .4‬רמב"ם הל' יו"ט ו‪:‬יז‬

 ‫אבני ישפה או"ח א‪:‬קכט‬ ‫‪.11‬‬ ‫‪ .7‬שו"ת מהר"ם ס' תרה‬

‫‪ .8‬טור או"ח ס' תרע‬

‫‪ .9‬ים של שלמה ב"ק ז‪:‬לז‬

‫מגן אברהם ריש סימן תרע‬ ‫‪.12‬‬

‫חנוכת הבית ד"ה לשמך הגדול‬ ‫‪.13‬‬

‫חיים שיש בהם‪ ,‬מועדי השנה עמ' רמח‬ ‫‪.14‬‬

‫שלחן ערוך או"ח תרע‪:‬ב‬ ‫‪.10‬‬
 ‫ספר התודעה כסלו עמ' קעב‬ ‫‪.19‬‬ ‫אמת ליעקב או"ח ס' תרע‬ ‫‪.15‬‬

‫בינת ישראל עמ' ‪125‬‬ ‫‪.20‬‬

‫ארחות רבנו חלק ג' עמ' א‬ ‫‪.16‬‬

‫שפתי חיים מועדים ב' עמ' קלד‬ ‫‪.17‬‬

‫שערי המועדים חג החנוכה עמ' שנט‬ ‫‪.18‬‬

‫ספר החשמונאים )המכבים( חלק א' טו‪:‬א‪-‬ה‬ ‫‪.21‬‬