WORD ON THE STREET

DO YOU GIVE GELT OR PRESENTS ON CHANUKAH?

Well, considering that my child is only two years old, I think she would appreciate a toy over cash, and besides, gold coins are a choking hazard for her.

Lily E.

Neither. Why do they need gifts or money? Kids today are spoiled and get too much stuff already. They have vacation from school and that should be enough of a gift. 

Mikhail V.

Both. We usually give gifts, but because this past year has been so hard for them, we feel that gelt is deserved as well.

Kurtz

Both. We give gelt because that’s our family minhag, but we also like to give presents to further enhance the chag.  As my son cleverly pointed out to me one year, it is written in Gemara, Pesachim (109a), that the chiyuv to be b’simchah on every Yom Tov is partly fulfilled by giving out gifts, and Chanukah should be no exception.  I can’t argue with that!

M.B.

It is our family custom not to engage in gift giving on Chanukah because we don’t want to emulate other cultures in this practice. The concept of giving or exchanging gifts has been popularized largely due to Chanukah’s proximity to the X-mas holiday therefore we only give gelt. In addition, as the kids get older and it becomes harder for parents to figure out what to get them, money is the best option; let them choose what they want.

A.H

There is no mekor anywhere in Chazal or Shulchan Aruch for Chanukah gifts; however, there is a mekor for gelt, which is why we should only be giving out gelt.

Avi G.

This debate was already covered by Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt”l, when he wrote about the origins of gelt giving in Emet L’Yaakov, Orach Chaim (670). He explained that this practice started in the alter heim when parents gave their kids money for them to give to their rebbeim.  The rebbeim would then use this money to cover cheder tuition of families who could not afford it. Over time, the practice became to let the kids keep some gelt too. 

Eli H.