On Monday evening, Jews worldwide will light the fifth Chanukah flame, the night that HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky is noheig to distribute damei Chanukah to children. The weekly pamphlet ‘דברי שי”ח,’ which publishes HaRav Chaim’s Torah, explains why HaRav Chaim distributes damei Chanukah, Kikar H’Shabbos reported. The pamphlet states that the source is that it’s brought in the pessukim to give tzedaka to poor people on Chanukah. But since poor people are embarrassed to request tzedaka, they would send their children. In order not to embarrass the children, people were noheig to distribute money to all the children and this is how HaRav Chaim’s father, the Steipler, z’tl, was noheig. And the reason why HaRav Chaim davka distributes money on the fifth night is because it never comes out on Shabbos. It’s said that HaRav Chaim has mentioned that he used to receive damei Chanukah on the fifth night of Chanukah from his Savta, the mother of the Chazon Ish. (The Steipler, z’tl, was married to the Chazon Ish’s sister, Miriam.) HaRav Chaim is noheig to speak to each child as he distributes the money. When someone once inquired of the Gadol why he dedicates so much time to distributing damei Chanukah, he responded that it’s order to l’kareiv the family (to engender a feeling of family closeness). On one Chanukah, when Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky, a’h, was still alive, HaRav Chaim said jokingly to her after distributing damei Chanukah to their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren: “We’ve become impoverished.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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