Siyyum on Berakhot – True Happiness

Today I made a siyyum on Berakhot, dedicated in memory of my paternal grandfather, Mort Miller, אברהם מאיר בן נחמן אלתר ע״ה, who passed away on א׳ חנוכה ה׳תשס״ז; and my maternal grandmother, Tillie Hasson, מזלטוב בת משה ע״ה, who passed away on א׳ טבת ה׳תשנ״ט. Because the custom on my mother’s side is to say kaddish from the Shabbat before the anniversary, both my parents are saying kaddish today.

Here’s the speech I gave this morning at Yeshivat Hakotel.

Both of my grandparents I’m remembering today were known for their optimism. They grew up during the Great Depression, and both lost their fathers at a young age, but they worked hard and looked for the best in life. My grandmother had the motto, “Always be happy.” Even when life seems tough or unfair, we have no excuse not to be happy with all our blessings.

A number of passages in Berakhot teach the lesson of optimism. In particular, the Mishnah on 54a says we must bless God for both the good and the bad that He gives us. The Gemara on 60b gives the example of Rabbi Akiva, who demonstrated his faith that “all God does is for good.”

But I want to talk about a gemara that seems to have an opposing message.

The extra Hanukkah candle

Hanukkah time! Now that it gets dark around 5pm, it feels like the holiday is just around the corner, even though it's over six weeks away. But if you learn Daf Yomi, it's already here! It starts on Shabbat 21!

This post is based on shi'urim that Rav Reuven Taragin gave at Camp Moshava IO during the summer of 2010.

Rava on 21b says that you need "another lamp" in addition to the Hanukkah nerot:

אמר רבא: צריך נר אחרת להשתמש לאורה.

The continuation (by Rava himself?) discusses exceptions:

ואי איכא מדורה - לא צריך, ואי אדם חשוב הוא, אף על גב דאיכא מדורה - צריך נר אחרת.

What is the purpose of this ner aheret?