Menorah Lighting: Day Five

Yesterday I spoke of the holy play given to us in holiday.. and what better extension of this than the Hanukkah dreidel!  "Dreidel" is the Yiddish word for what is called a "sevivon" in Hebrew, also the word for "to turn."  A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top used to play a popular game in which children take turns spinning the top in order to acquire coins, sometimes, chocolate coins.  But there is a wonderful symbolism to this little game.  According to some historians, Jews first played with a spinning top during the rule of the Greek King Antiochus'. In Judea, Antiochus had outlawed Jewish worship, so if guards came by when they were studying Torah, Jews would pull out a little top and pretend they were playing a game.  This little dreidel is a symbol religious freedom.. the ability of a people not let others determine their ability to lead a faithful life.

Today's song is the traditional "Sevivon Sov Sov Sov."  Here is the translation of the lyrics...

Dreidel spin spin spin

Chanukah is a nice holiday

Chanukah is a nice holiday

Dreidel spin spin spin

It's a joyous holiday for the nation

A great miracle happened there

A great miracle happened there
It's a joyous holiday for the people

On the fourth day of Hanukkah, the following blessings are recited:

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe,

Who sanctified us by His commandments,

and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe,

Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

♫

And my apologies for putting one of my Hebrew letters upside down in the video!   I misread a pattern for a dreidel I had found!