  10 minutes, 8 nights of Chanukah |
 Hadlakos Neros Chanukah/ |
 The lighting of Chanukah is one of the seven Rabbinic Mitzvos. At the time of the Second Temple, during the reign of the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus, decrees were issued against the nation of Israel, annulling the practice of the Jewish religion. The Jews were not permitted to study Torah or perform Mitzvos. Their money was confiscated and Jewish daughters were violated. They broke into and defiled the Temple. Hashem eventually saved them through the hands of the priestly warriors, the Hasmoneans. This miracle came to a completion on the 25th day of Kislev, when only one flask of pure oil, which was needed to light the Temple Menorah, was found intact. Hashem performed a miracle, and this flask, which should only have lasted for one day, was able to be used for eight days, at which time new oil had been produced. Our sages therfore ordained eight days on which we praise and give thanks to Hashem, by putting a light in our windows each of the eight nights of Chanukah to advertise the miracle. We are required to follow the custom by which we light the number of candles corresponding to which night of Chanukah it is (i.e. one candle the first night, two the second night, etc.). The menorah should be made so that the candles stand in a straight and even line so that the proper number of candles lit is easily determined. Since the purpose of this mitzvah is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah, the menorah should be placed in a window that faces the street, if possible.
  Talmud, Shabbos (21b)
 The Hebrew word for light is, "Ohr," is a cognate of "Torah." Indeed, the Torah if often compared to light. It is therefore fitting that our sages instituted the celebration of the miracle of Chanukah with the kindling of the Chanukah lights, in that it was our holy Torah and the performance of its mitzvos that were threatened by the Syrian-Greeks. As long as the Jewish nation followed in the ways and beliefs if its Greek overlords they were in no danger; it was the Torah that was threatened. This is compared to the other Rabbinic holiday, Purim, in which the Jewish nation was physically threatened by Haman. Our sages, therefore, enacted the celebration of our redemption from Haman by instituting very physical forms of mitzvos, such as the giving of gifts and the partaking of a festive meal.
 Though the use of candles fully fulfills the mitzvah of Chanukah, a widespread custom is to use pure olive oil and wicks, since the evokes the original miracle. It is also a higher level of performing the mitzvah (mehudar) for every member of the household to light his or her own menorah.
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