1. A Festive Meal? 2. How Many Lights Should Be Lit? 3.
Refraining from Labors While Candles Burn 4. Chanukah Candles
and Oils 5. Placing the Chanukiah A FESTIVE MEAL? When
discussing the festival of Chanukah, it is very important to
relate to the unique character of the holiday. The halachah that
will perhaps help us best accomplish this is the law that deals
with the issue of meals on Chanukah - i.e. is there an
obligation to serve a festive Chanukah meal or not? The Rishonim
were divided on this issue. According to the Maharam of
Rotenburg, there is no mitzvah to serve a special Chanukah meal
since the holiday was not established as one of feasting and
drinking - but rather one of Thanksgiving and Praise alone. This
is also how the Shulchan Aruch rules. In contrast, both Rambam
(Maimonedes) and Maharshal maintain that there is a positive
rabbinic obligation to serve festive meals on Chanukah.
According to all opinions, there is clearly not the obligation
on Chanukah to eat and drink in the same manner as w