Israel at War Lesson Plans
SEE ALL CHANUKAH RESOURCES

Is There a “Right” Way to Light on Chanukah?
Makhloket Hillel and Shammai, Makhloket l’Sheim Shamayim

Grade Level: 7-12
Time:  40-80 minutes, depending on the number of sources, amount of discussion minutes

Rationale

Lighting Chanukah candles is one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals. We seldom stop to think about it anymore; we take it as a “given” that the way we do it is the way it has always been done: we light one candle the first night and then increase the number of candles each night. 

This lesson looks at the evolution of this ritual and how it emerged from a makhloket (debate) around “best practice” for lighting Chanukah candles and a subsequent makhloket between the great sages Hillel and Shammai and their students. The focus of the lesson is this second makhloket and the broader concept of makhloket l’sheim Shamayim (debate for the sake of Heaven), and the ramifications of this concept. 

The lesson will look at sources from the Torah, Talmud, and commentaries that deal with the debate around lighting Chanukah lights and the concept of makhloket l’sheim Shamayim. Through primary sources and discussion questions, students can deepen their understanding of how halakha emerges, how debate can be constructive and a force for growth, and how “unity” and “uniformity” are not synonymous. Ideally, these understandings will lead to more meaningful practice, an appreciation of the Jewish value of considering multiple opinions and perspectives with respect and open-mindedness, as well as guidance for how to carry out constructive discussion and debate. 

This approach has multiple strengths: 

  1. It supports engagement and meaning-making by opening several portals to understand a practice that is iconic in Judaism—lighting Chanukah candles. 
  2. It encourages both reflective and critical thinking. 
  3. It can be done with Hebrew texts and/or English translations. 
  4. It builds textual skills. 
  5. It can accommodate either teacher-directed or student-centered learning or a combination of the two. 
  6. It supports social-emotional learning and interpersonal skills. 

Driving Questions:

  • How do (Jewish) observances and reinforce (Jewish) philosophy?
  • What are the parameters of makhloket l’shem shamayim?
  • How do we deal with contradictory viewpoints in Halakha?
  • How do we deal with different, even contradictory, opinions in life?
  • How do we arrive at consensus/unity?What is the difference between unity and conformity?

Lesson Overview:

The lesson options depend on the age, academic level, and background knowledge of the students, as well as the pedagogical approach the teacher wants to take (more teacher-directed or more student-centered).

The students begin with a “trigger question” and then progress through the sources and the comprehension questions. Each source also has accompanying thought questions, which teachers can choose to have students complete independently, in hevrutah, in small groups, or as a whole class. These thought questions can be done source-by-source throughout the lesson, or saved for the end of the lesson. In the final part of the lesson, students will engage in discussion among themselves or as a group, guided by the teacher, around the driving questions. 

There are various debate and discussion protocols; teachers can choose whichever works best for them and their students. Since this lesson focuses on makhloket l’sheim Shamayim, the discussion protocol and process are not only important but intrinsic to the lesson itself; the lesson is really about respectful debate. Therefore, certain ground rules need to be made clear to the students as part of the lesson. These include:

  • In a group (large or small) discussion, one person speaks at a time. There should be a “moderator” or a process (e.g. a list of names on the board) to facilitate this.
  • If a student disagrees with another student or with the teacher, that student should reference the other student or teacher by name. In addition, the disagreement should be with the idea, the logic, the statement, etc., and not with the person. For example, “I disagree with what Leah said because…” or “The problem with David’s reasoning is…” or “I agree with Rabbi Meyer’s opinion because…” 
  • Even in the most Socratic or student-centered classroom, the teacher needs to be “the adult in the room” and ensure a respectful and safe environment for all students. 

Teachers can add to this list of ground rules as pertinent to their classrooms.

Objectives:

  • Either independently or in small groups/hevrutah, students will read primary sources dealing with lighting candles on Chanukah and the wider topic of makhloket l’sheim Shamayim.
  • Either independently or in small groups/hevrutah, students will record their responses to comprehension questions based on the primary texts. 
  • Students will generate and record analytical questions that arise from comparing and contrasting the texts.
  • Students will reflect on and discuss the purpose and role of commemorative practice in social and religious spheres. 
  • Students will reflect on and record their responses to the driving questions.

Materials needed:

Lesson Sequence:

1. Teachers can begin with one of the following “trigger” questions:

  • Ask students to answer the prompt: How many candles (or lights) do we light on the 3rd night of Chanukah? Compare answers.
  • Ask students to define the word “unity.” Compare answers.
  • Ask students what they do in their homes regarding lighting Chanukah candles and (whether they know) why they do it that way. Compare answers.
  • Present students with the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (in the source packet, linked above) and ask them: What is the problem with this parallelism? Compare answers.
  • Present students with the text from Shabbat 21b (in the source packet, linked above) and ask them: What is thought-provoking to you about this text? Compare answers.

2. Teachers hand out and/or share links to the source packet (linked above) and the comprehension questions (linked above) associated with each source.

3. Students read through the sources and answer the comprehension questions (linked above). This can be done individually, in hevrutah pairs, or in small groups. 

Reading through the material and answering questions can be done in one of two ways:

(a) all students read all the sources and answer questions

(b) Jigsaw protocol – different students/pairs/groups read through and answer questions on one source and then “teach” the source/review the answers with the whole group.

4. Students will analyze, compare, contrast, and reflect on the sources. This can be done with:

    1. Open questions raised by students
    2. Guided questions in hevrutah or small groups
    3. Guided questions in groups made up of two or more hevrutah pairs AFTER the pairs consider the questions first (Turn and Talk protocol)
    4. As a whole class discussion (using the thought questions, linked above)

5. Wrap-Up/Assessment

Depending on the nature of the lesson—a stand-alone, special-for-Chanukah lesson, or a part of a larger unit—the lesson can be concluded either with a wrap-up discussion, an exit ticket, or an assessment (sample questions linked above).