Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka

Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Why is "Sugyat Chanuka" the only place in the Bavli where a Mitzva is presented with a tiered system of fulfillment? (BT Shabbat 21b)

Most students are familiar with the Beraitot defining the Mitzvah of Ner Chanuka, found near the beginning of the 2nd chapter of Masekhet Shabbat - including the tri-level performance schedule (basic, 'Mehadrin' and 'Mehadrin min haMehadrin'). We analyze this Beraita and the attendant discussion, identifying difficulties in the text along the way and then share the approach taken by several contemporary scholars as to the background of the discussion and thereby arriving at a solution to the conundrum of this multi-layered Sugya.

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