We who live in the United States can’t help but associate the month of December with gift giving. From brochures that come in the mail to internet ads, billboards, and radio jingles – we are constantly reminded to buy gifts.
We Jews also give gifts on Chanukah. Is this a reflection of what we see around us? Are we caught up in the “spirit of the season” and just copying the goyim?
No. Giving Chanuaka gelt (money) and, by extension, gifts is a very old tradition, not related to the month of December.
In his book Inside Chanukah (Feldheim), Aryeh Pinchas Strickoff gives three reasons for Chanukah gift giving, as well as other interesting Chanukah information:
First, the Yevonim (Greeks) did not want to destroy the Jewish people physically, instead they wanted to destroy them spiritually. As every school child knows, the Greeks said, “No more Shabbos, no more learning Torah, and no more bris milah.” People were not killed, but they had to stop keeping mitzvas and learning Torah.
Because of this decree, we celebrate Chanukah by doing the opposite: increasing Torah learning and spirituality and encouraging children, who had stopped learning because of the Greeks, to come back to our traditions. We want our children to love Torah and to love our holidays. One way to do that is to give them rewards either in the form of Chanukah gelt or presents.
A second reason for gift giving is to encourage Torah learning by giving presents to the rebbeim and teachers. That was the custom on Chanukah. Children were often sent to give the money to their teachers, and this tradition evolved into giving gifts to the children themselves. The idea was to show children how much their parents valued Torah learning and to build up the study of Torah, which the Greeks had tried to eradicate.
A third reason to give gifts has to do with the mitzva of tzedakah. Giving charity is mitzva that is emphasized on Chanukah. The Belzer Rebbe suggests that, giving money to children blurs the distinction between those who need charity and our children, and saves the poor from embarrassment.
It was also interesting to read that helping children enjoy Torah learning and other aspects of Judaism by rewarding them is a very old tradition. It is not a modern invention. As the Rambam writes in Peirush HaMishnayos, Sanhedrin 10:1, when a young child comes to learn Torah, he may not understand the value of the learning, so the teacher should reward him with things that he can appreciate, like nuts, figs, or a bit of sugar. When the child gets older, the teacher can reward him with things that an older child values, like new shoes or special clothing. And as he gets even older, the teacher should reward him with money, and later on by appealing to his desire for honor and prestige.
But one thing is for sure: Giving gelt on Chanuka has been the tradition for a long time, and even gedolim follow this custom. The Lubavitcher Rebbes, the Steipler, Reb Yaakov Kamenetzky, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, and the Chasam Sofer all gave Chanukah gelt to their children on Chanukah.
Today’s Traditions
Of course, each family has developed its own special family rituals. Some families give lots of presents, and some give only one. Some give only gelt, and some give only gifts. Here’s how one Bubby described her Chanukah memories and how she has continued the traditions with her own family:
“I have beautiful memories of Chanukah as a child. In our house we used to give gifts, but the gifts would be the entertainment for the evening. For example, we would play a game where someone is blindfolded and they have to find the pot on the floor by banging a spoon and under the pot would be a present. Or we would pass around a package wrapped in layers of newspaper to music, and hurriedly tear off the wrappings when the music stopped. Or we had the ‘heilige’ treasure hunt. My mother would set it up. You got a piece of paper with a clue on it, and you had to follow the trail of clues until you finally found your present. The presents were usually small, fun things, and the emphasis was more on the activity, which we did after candle lighting. I don’t remember being given Chanukah gelt, other than the chocolate kind, and I don’t think we ever gave it to our children either.”
Toys for Today
Toys are, of course, the top present for children. Every year new ones are popular, so I spoke to some of our local vendors to hear what they recommend. Here are their suggestions of gifts appropriate to different age children.
A to Z’s Picks
1) Cholent, the Game! This is the slow cooking, fast-moving strategy card game that that everyone in the family will love.
2) Shopping for Shabbos:Be the first to fill your cart with the items on your shopping list for Shabbos. For 2 to 4 players, ages 3 to 7.
3) Shmear: The build-a-bagel card game with a twist. Sure to satisfy everyone’s appetite for family fun.
The Seforim Nook’s Picks
1) Uncle Moishy Plush Doll: The official plush doll of kids’ all-time favorite uncle. He comes holding a microphone, in a nice box and is a made of high-quality material and an approved Child Safe Design. For ages 1 to 5.
2) Jbrick: These are Jewish-themed building sets made with real LEGO® bricks that integrate with your other Lego sets, as opposed to knock-off brands that don’t connect and are not high quality. We have menorah sets, dreidels, tzedaka boxes, and mezuzah cases, among many other sets. For ages 5-12
3) Leather Chanukah gelt and tzedakah pouches: An exclusive line, with a zipper, made with different embossed leathers and colors and beautifully embroidered. Can be customized with your name. For ages 10-plus.
Shabsi’s Picks
1) Fidget spinner dreidel game: The popular fidget spinner is now a unique and exciting Chanukah game.
2) Jerusalem Monopoly: This is the classic game with an Israeli twist. Buy and sell real Jerusalem landmarks and tourist destinations and collect rent from visitors. The richest player at the end of the game wins. Learn about the Holy Land. Includes fact sheets about destinations and a game guide. Game text is in both English and Hebrew.
3) Judah Maccabot: The amazing Judah Maccabot dances to the famous “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel” song as he twirls and flashes for endless entertainment and fun! Featuring a self-correcting direction component that keeps Judah dancing all night long!
Shenanigans’ Picks
1) Playmobil: This is always great for imaginative play for ages 4-plus. We have the largest selection in the area. Lots of themes to choose from. We also carry Playmobil 1.2.3., a line for age 18 months-plus. It includes people, animals, vehicles, and accessories for lots of fun play.
2) Tumble Maze: A wonderful single-player logic game for ages 8-plus. Place the walls strategically and guide the balls to the right spots to complete the challenge.
3) Waboba Wingman Silicone Discs: These are perfect for indoors and outdoors. They are foldable (fits in your pocket), and you can fly it anywhere!
