- Q. See question above. I also heard that there is a tradition to eat on Chanuka cheese, why?
A. The Book of Yehudit. (A Sefer not considered part of the 24 Books of our Bible, as also the Book of Maccabees containing the Hanukah story— both include Yehudit—the daughter of Yohanan the Kohen Gadol, and brother therefore of Matityahu in our Al HaNisim prayer on the holiday—a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen for not trusting G-d to deliver them from their foreign conquerors.
She goes with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy General Holofernes, to whom she slowly ingratiates herself, promising him information on the Israelites. Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night and feeds him salty cheese.
To quench his thirst she plies him with wine, and as he lies in a drunken stupor, she decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is saved.
So in her merit, we too may eat cheese.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman Horav, Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a)
Important Numbers
