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The Mysterious Date of Chanuka
The Mysterious Date of Chanuka, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
Why does Chanuka begin on the 25th of Kislev?
Every other day that is marked in our calendar for celebration has a clear source as to why that date was chosen. In the case of festivals marked in the Torah - that is the source. In the case of Purim, the text records that the Jews of the Persian Empire celebrated on the 14th (and, in Shushan, on the 15th) of Adar and declared that those days will be kept for generations. There is, however, no clear source as to why Hanukkah begins on the 25th. Suggestions, such as that that was the day…
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