#but it's called the shamash

[ljf613]

Alright, Chanukah starts tonight, which means it's time for me to finally make a post about different kinds of menorahs.

This right here? This is the Temple Menorah:

There's some debate over whether the branches were straight or curved, but here's a few things we do know:

It had seven branches of equal length.

It was made of one solid piece of gold

It was at least five feet tall.

It used pure olive oil.

The Temple Menorah is what people mean when they talk about The Menorah. It's what you'll see on historical or commemorative artifacts such as the Arch of Titus in Rome or Israeli currency:

During the time when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the High Priest lit all seven flames on this Menorah every day (using the aforementioned pure olive oil):

No one lights this on Chanukah.

This is a Chanukah menorah:

There are countless variations, but here are the important things:

It has eight branches of equal length, plus a ninth "helper" branch, known as the shamash, which is set apart from the rest of the branches and used to light the others.

It can be made of any material.

It is usually used with wax candles or oil, but, if necessary, one can use anything that burns.

In Hebrew, this kind of menorah is called a chanukiah.

Some Chanukah menorahs, like the one shown above, have the shamash in the middle. Others have it on the side:

Regardless, this kind of menorah is the one that has been lit by Jews on Chanukah for thousands of years. It's the menorah you'll seen in photographs of Jewish households, including this famous picture taken in Germany in 1931:

(The message written on the back of the photo reads: "Death to Judah"/ So the flag says/ "Judah will live forever"/ So the light answers)

On Chanukah, whoever is lighting the menorah will first light the shamash, then the number of candles corresponding to whichever night of Chanukah it is. The first night, only the rightmost candle is lit, the second night the two rightmost, etc. (The newest candle is always lit first):

Again, a valid Chanukah menorah has eight branches of equal length, along with a shamash. There is no such thing as a Chanukah menorah with six branches of equal length and a longer seventh branch, and no valid Chanukah menorah has eight branches of completely different lengths.

If you see either of the above designs (or anything similar) on Chanukah-themed decor, it tells you the creator has absolutely no idea what they're doing and couldn't be bothered to do more than two seconds of research to make sure their product was accurate. Anyone who knows anything about the holiday will laugh at these. (They may buy them anyway, especially if that's all that's available-- my new Chanukah sweater has an invalid menorah pattern, but it's adorable, so I'm still going to wear it. But I am also laughing about it and invite you all to do the same.)

Anyway, have a happy Chanukah, everyone!

#real life #jumblr #thoughts #menorah #chanukah #hanukkah #arch of titus #history lesson #the more you know #all queued up

[eulalielatibule]

Light the Meow-rah

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff (Mistress) x Black Cat!Hybrid!Reader (Kitten)

Word Count: ~1k

Summary: You and Wanda celebrate Hanukkah together.

Warnings: Fluff, religion, bd/sm dynamics, uses of honorifics: Mistress and Kitten, mentions of familial loss.

A/N: This is a rewrite from my old blog and I knew I had to change it to fit this AU. I hope you all enjoy! Part of my The Purrfect Pair AU. Asks and requests open.

“Yes! I get all of them!” Wanda cheered, the pile of various chocolate candy that was once in between you two now in front of just her. Meanwhile, you groaned and looked at the single chocolate coin you had- called gelt- and pouted, ears drooping down. With the way the game of dreidel works, if someone wins the whole pile in the middle everyone playing has to add one piece of their own personal pile to replenish it. Once someone had nothing left in their personal pile, they were out of the game. The last person in was the winner. It was basically a gambling game, whether you used actual money or not was up to you; you and Wanda decided chocolate was the way to go.

“You won the last five games!” You playfully swatted at her arm. It was fun for you to learn about Wanda’s traditions and religion. You had no knowledge of the way humans worked or what religions even were. Wanda enjoyed explaining the history of Judaism to you, as well as other religions and other holidays in general. She planned on showing you Christmas, as she thought it was something you'd enjoy.

Yes it was all rather confusing, but humans were so fascinating that you didn't really mind.

Wanda was ecstatic that you wanted to learn about the holiday and her family traditions, but mostly that she wasn’t going to be alone this year. She had always found it difficult to find it in her to celebrate due to not having any family around, but now she wasn't alone anymore. She had her sweet little Kitten to keep her company.

“Aww sweetheart, you know I’ll share my candy with you.” She cooed, leaning over to press a soft kiss to your lips. Your cheeks got warm as you returned the kiss, smiling against her lips. When you two parted, Wanda took one of the warm latkes from a plate beside her and dipped it into some sour cream. She blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot before feeding you a bite, which you happily took.

“Thank you Mistress, but I'd still like to win.” You said, a little pout on your lips after you swallowed. She giggled and wiped her thumb against your chin lightly. When she pulled back you saw a little bit of white on it.

“Such a messy eater,” she teased, licking the sour cream off. You watched as her tongue swiped against her digit, almost in awe from how beautiful your Mistress was. It was easy getting lost and just simply watching her.

“Kitten,” you heard Wanda whisper in a teasing sing-song voice. As you snapped out of your thoughts you saw her green eyes sparkling with affection. “It’s getting close to sunset, let’s get lit,” she grinned at her joke and you giggled along with her. It was time to light the Hanukkah menorah- the hanukkiah.

You followed her over to the hanukkiah that was sitting on the fireplace mantle. The candle sticks were laid out in front of her and she used her magic to light up the shamash- the candle in the middle that is used to light up all the others. You took the other candles, and since it was the eighth and final day of Hanukkah, you placed them all in, going from right to left as instructed. She then started to recite the prayers that went along with the lighting of the menorah, lighting them from left to right. You recited along with her, watching as the flames danced around and gently illuminated the room.

Wanda turned and went to the closet and pulled out a small box wrapped in shiny blue paper. For the previous nights she had gotten you things like fuzzy socks, matching pajamas, a book you were wanting. Just simple, small things that showed you how much she loved you. You had gotten her things like recipe books, a cute sweater that you thought she’d enjoy (and she did,) a box of various tea flavors. You reached into your bag and got out a small box as well, wrapped in the same paper.

“Happy Hanukkah, Kitten.” She grinned and you exchanged your gifts and you returned the smile.

“Happy Hanukkah, Mistress.” Wanda sat on the couch and you at her feet. You watched as she tore the paper off with an excited smile. When she opened the little black box, she pulled out a gold locket. Inside was a picture of the two of you that you had conjured up. Wanda was quiet for a moment as she looked over the necklace fondly before pulling you close so she could kiss you. It was a sweet, loving kiss, one that made your belly flutter. She pulled back and rubbed her nose against yours.

“This is beautiful, thank you my Kitten. My sweet little kitten.” She whispered- the hand that held your head close petted over your hair. It made you purr.

“Open your gift now baby.” Wanda gently nudged at you before putting her locket on. As you snuggled up to her legs you tore open the gift to reveal a slim rectangular box. Inside was a beautiful scarlet red collar with a bow and gold chain embellishments. Hanging from the bow in the center was a gold tag that read “kitten” on one side and on the other it said “property of Wanda Maximoff”.

Your breath caught in your throat as Wanda took the collar and fastened it around your neck. “Is my girl happy?” You heard your Mistress whisper, to which you could only nod. You were forever Wanda's and now you had a collar to wear as proof of your devotion to her.

Needily you nuzzled into Wanda's legs, mewling softly.

“Come here my love- you may sit with me.” At her permission you climbed onto the couch and curled up beside her, your head in her lap.

Wanda's heart was very full of love as you purred. It was the best Hanukkah she had in years. All she wanted to do was cuddle with you while the fireplace roared, but Wanda knew you'd be getting hungry soon.

Normally she'd have you pop up into the nearest village and get some food, but she wanted to spoil you. So using her ever-handy magic, she conjured up some pizza in the oven as well as some fresh baked brownies. The TV played The Dick Van Dyke show and Wanda draped a fuzzy blanket over your body.

It was a picture perfect evening, one she would remember for years to come.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x female reader #Wanda Maximoff x woc!reader #Wanda Maximoff fluff #my writing #au: the purrfect pair

[talonabraxas]

Babylonian prayer to the Gods of the Night pullulū rubû wašrū sikkūrū šīrētum šaknā ḫabrātum nišū šaqummā petûtum uddulū bābū ilī mātim ištarāt mātim Šamaš Sîn Adad Ištar īterbū ana utul šamê ul idinnū dīnam ul iparrasū awātim pussumat mušītim ēkallum šaḫūrša kummu adrū ālik urḫim ilam išassi u ša dīnim ušteberre šittam dayyān kinātim abi ekiātim Šamaš īterub ana kummīšu rabûtum ilī mušītim nawrum Girra qurādum Erra qaštum nīrum šitaddarum mušḫuššum ereqqum inzum kusarikkum bašmum lizzizū-ma ina têrti eppušu ina puḫād akarrabu kittam šuknān šumūšu ikrib mušītim (TRANSLATION) The princes are closely guarded, The locking-bolts lowered, the locking rings placed, (Though previously) noisy, the people are silent, (Though previously) open, the doors are locked. The gods of the land (and) the goddesses of the land, Shamash, Sin, Adad and Ishtar Have entered into the lap of heaven. They do not render judgment, they do not decide a case. The night is veiled. The palace, its chapel, the cella are obscured. The traveler invokes god, but the one (who offers) a decision remains asleep. The judge of truth, father of the impoverished girl, Shamash has entered his cella. The great ones, the gods of the night, Bright Girra, Warrior Erra, The Bow, the Yoke, Orion, the Furious Serpent, The Wagon, the Goat, The Bison, the Horned Serpent, May they stand by so that, In the extispicy I am performing, In the lamb I am offering, You may place the truth Alan Lenzi. Reading Akkadian Prayers & Hymns: an Introduction. Society of Biblical Literature. pp. 71-82. Plate with Cuneiform Script: Pray to the Night Gods. Place of origin: Ancient East, Babylonia Date: Early 2nd millennium B.C. Medium: Clay

This is an extispicy prayer that used to be recited when performing divination at night. Its logic follows that, as the city’s activity declines for the night, the main gods retire as well, which makes sense as nighttime was probably very dangerous in ancient times. So instead one ought to seek the guidance of the ilī mušītim “gods of the night”. Here the term refers to the stars and constellations, plus fire god Girra (also called Gibil) and the fierce war-and-plague god Erra (syncretized with Nergal).

The constellation the Babylonians called the Bow, qaštum, is probably part of Canis Major, and the Yoke is Boötes. Orion was called Šitadarrum, Šitadallum or Šidallum, often spelled using the Sumerian logograms SIPA.ZI.AN.AN, meaning “the true shepherd of heaven”. The serpent is Mušḫuššum, one of the 11 chaos monsters reared by Tiamat, but tamed by Marduk and made into his pet in the Enuma Elish. It possibly referred to the Hydra constellation. The Wagon is famously Ursa Major and the Goat is Lyra. The Bison and Bašmum, “horned serpent”, however, are still unidentified.

The appellation “gods of the night” also appears in another prayer as part of the Maqlû (burning) rituals, a series of exorcisms and uncrossings performed in the small hours all the way until dawn.

This prayer unfortunately isn’t that useful for the modern pagan, as it’s a bit too specific, but one may find some use still in the lines rabûtum ilī mušītim / nawrum Girra / qurādum Erra / qaštum nīrum / šitaddarum mušḫuššum / ereqqum inzum / kusarikkum bašmum/ lizzizū (“The great ones” down to “may they stand by”) in nightly stellar invocations for whatever maybe-not-quite-licit matters you may want to perform.

(If you plan on singing or reciting this, please remember that “š” sounds like the English “sh” and “ḫ” is guttural)

May the gods be praised!

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 DIKKE - General Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis on Dikke as a character and other related things.

as promised, here's the Dikke post where I go deranged talking about her, since it was one of the two with the most votes in the poll <3

the other popular result was to talk about the parallels and use of racial issues within the story, how the game replaces actual racism for fantasy racism (arcanists vs humans) - so that one will deffo take me some time!

On the subject of justice and Dikke's inspirations.

I've seen some people say that Dikke is based on Joan of Arc, given her righteousness and religious themes - but there are so many more details about her design that point toward other figures!

Like, really. A lot of references to law and deities of justice all throughout history and different cultures.

The most obvious one is Dike, "goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement". In Dikke's interview with Pandora Wilson, they literally address her as "the goddess of justice". And a small statue of Lady Justice, the personification of justice that originates from Justitia (roman equivalent of Dike) can be seen in her insight 2 garment.

It goes without saying that Dikke's sword is another symbol representative of the previously mentioned figures - but to have only the sword and not the scales could have some implications about her way of imparting justice.

I would like to point out that Dikke's sword has these two dangling pieces that allude to the scales she's missing in her design. And sure, it might be a reach, but given how much detail and thought goes into the characters of the game and their designs, I really believe this is the case!

On Dikke's items, we also get the name and description for the sword.

The name alone leads me to believe that Dikke's weapon and its design represents both the sword and the scales of Lady Justice, it's the totality of justice itself. Dikke WIELDS justice, she ENFORCES justice, she IS justice. You're going to get really tired of me repeating the word justice in this post, but bear with me!

On the subject of swords, there are two swords mentioned all throughout Dikke's in-game profile and information. Her insight 2 garment is titled "Sword of Hamurabi".

This is evocative of something called the "Code of Hammurabi", one of the longest legal texts dating back to the first dynasty of Babylon. According to wikipedia, this stele it also depicts yet another deity of justice, Shamash. Wikipedia also makes note of the prologue within the Code of Hammurabi, in which the author - Hammurabi - claims to have been given these rules "to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak". This is extremely relevant to Dikke, as someone who fought hard for the rights of arcanists.

Pandora Wilson: I have heard many legends about you. The violent ghost of punishment, the crime-slaying sword of execution, the goddess of justice, the people's savior... Dikke: The desperate always need hope.

The stele of the Code of Hammurabi is ALSO relevant, because the artifact that follows Dikke around explicitly "belongs to some ancient stele". Yet another object that embodies justice and law.

I won't pretend I know anything about Babylonian culture or history in general, so anyone with more insight on this is welcome to add on to details and corrections!

The second sword mentioned can be found in the title for her 02 Story - "The Sword of Damocles".

This excerpt seems to be written by one of Dikke's coworkers, perhaps someone in a higher position of power since they mention being able to give others a day off. Overall, we're reading the thoughts of someone who is abusing their power and who does not think highly of Dikke.

"The story of Damocles is but a story" is something that Dikke herself says. At the end, there's a different phrase written and crossed out - "But the story of justice is not just a story".

Now, the anecdote of Damocles talks about how positions of authority and power are double-edged swords - a king may have all the riches and fortune in the world, but also be burdened with the anxiety of knowing there might be someone plotting against him. In the story, Damocles switches places with king Dionysus, to know what it's like to be a king, but to really make Damocles understand the position of king, a sword is placed above him - one that can fall and kill him at any moment.

With this in mind, Dikke's 02 Story becomes more clear - the first phrase is a warning given by Dikke herself to those in positions of power. The story of Damocles is a story, because not everyone will understand the consequences of being in a position of power. Not everyone will be given the opportunity to even reach such a position.

The author of the 02 Story is not a good person, only considering the idea of giving people HALF a day off, excluding those who work on the fields who will get nothing, refusing to lower taxes for the poor, and imprisoning someone who "interfered with the lord's land acquisition".

The sword of Damocles is also used to allude to the impending tragedy for those in positions of power, caused by the smallest of catalysts. So it makes sense to me that the final phrase, the one crossed out at the end, was either written by Dikke or alludes to the demise of this author at her hand.

And while we're at it, might as well talk about the last remaining item - her robes. Judges are required to wear these when working on trials, but Dikke is specifically stated to wear them outside of them - because she's always imparting justice. She's the opposite of Oliver Fog, she's always on the clock.

We haven't even gotten to another big aspect of Dikke's character - the fact that she's part of the Inquisition.

Without getting too much into actual historical events, the Inquisition as we know it focused on heresy and the conversion and persecution of Jews and Muslims. Within the game, this is recontextualized as a focus for arcanists instead. It's worth noting that her 01 and 02 Stories are written from the perspective of those who are in support of the Inquisition and its practices, or who profit from abusing their own power - hence the wording of "the Inquisition has been abused and considered evil by the ignorant."

There is an emphasis on how the Inquisition seeks power, while Dikke's final goal is justice.

This whole thing and yet another part from her interview with Pandora Wilson, is related to how Dikke associates herself with the corrupt and allows people to view her as a needlessly violent person for the sake of setting things right. On one hand, she could associate with the Inquisition and become a bishop to destroy corruption from inside out - on the other, she could acknowledge that to impart justice, one needs power because they're things that go hand in hand. The Inquisition is only able to have this much influence over trials for arcanists because of the common hatred towards arcanists throughout history.

The interview revolves around all the rumours surrounding Dikke, and we can see her showing distaste at the idea of cooperating with "what [she] shouldn't allow for the sake of justice" while at the same time, not denying her involvement with them. All the things she does are a means to an end.

Pandora Wilson: Does that mean you will cooperate with what you shouldn't allow for the sake of "justice"? Dikke: Fie. Pandora Wilson: Is that supposed to be a secret? Dikke: It sounds like we are talking about a conspiracy, yet it is but a means.

As for Dikke's own relationship with justice and her personal views outside of all the historical references used to create her character, I think this voiceline she has pretty much sums things up nicely.

Everything I doth… is so I may enjoy this calm wind on nights like this, rather than hear the sorrowful cries and moans of unhappiness.

She's a character that is strict in her ways and doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of life, such as the injustice arcanists have been subjected to for centuries. This extreme focus she has for upholding justice does cause Dikke to appear cold, and yet her ideals are almost childish, pure even - a world in which all misdeeds are punished and all good people are heard. Hell, her Ultimate literally purifies all negative statuses.

Dikke could easily lean towards righteous characters who exclusively see things as black or white, yet many of her voicelines and the origin of her devotion, show a very gentle heart. This is made clear by the fact that she's a healer.

Her two attacks and their names speak volumes about her own ways of thinking. Power is violent, power is not something that a judge should have so carelessly, but it is allowed in the name of "justice". Justice in quotations.

And then, actual justice is a rare occurrence, being merciful is not something that rules and the law take into account, but it's needed for those who cannot defend themselves.

On the subject of Dikke's backstory.

There's no resolution to this point, it just came up randomly while writing the previous one, because it just hit me that Dikke's Cover profile does not list where she was born. And that got me thinking about the fact that before settling down, she traveled all around Europe.

First of all, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pamiers is an extremely specific location - one that has ties to the Inquisition, as a very important document regarding the Inquisition's procedures during a very specific trial was found there, as far as I know with my surface level research into history references. This document also talked about how, within this trial, the inquisitor and the bishop had "almost equal responsibility".

We can assume that this is the place where Dikke became bishop officially, if this was her final destination.

This starts to fall within headcanon territory, since it's mostly speculation, but I feel that the 02 Story takes place before she becomes bishop and settles in Pamiers - as a member of the inquisiton, she must've traveled all over Europe to do her job.

There might also be something related to the name mentioned, "Murville", but I don't have time nor the brain to start connecting the dots with actual french history. All in all, I like to think that Dikke was given the position of bishop as an attempt to distance her from, you know, killing every single corrupt person in a position of power by keeping her in a single place.

None of her voicelines give away anything about her life prior her entire journey of justice, as far as I can tell.

If we take Dikke's ties with Joan of Arc, maybe she was a common girl roped into things beyond her control. But I personally don't like the interpretation of Dikke's ideals being born from divine intervention instead of her own experiences, seeing the crimes committed against arcanists and realizing that she would like to do something about it.

Another option I'd like to explore about her background - maybe Dikke did have a relatively safe and normal childhood, away from the stigma and persecution. A nice, gentle life that she willingly gave up after she was confronted with the reality of the state of the world, without Jean of Arc's holy realization. To me, there needs to be an emphasis on Dikke's choice and decision to fight corruption. Making this dedication a result of "God told me to do this" would render her a little shallow - not to say religion cannot be part of her character, but in my opinion, Dikke is best when the focus of her moral compass is a genuinely care for the weak and the defenseless.

On the subject of Dikke and the loss of humanity.

Yes, that's THREE characters in a row that I analyze and that have themes of loss of humanity. There's just so many characters who've lost or given up their own humanity for the sake of something greater or something wicked.

Pavia's was a result of how he was mistreated and as a way to reclaim power, Forget Me Not's was a self-imposed torture originating from his inability to take responsibility. Dikke's seems to be self-imposed as well, but unlike the previous two, her loss of humanity is more of a sacrifice she makes for the greater good.

In her voicelines, we see that she leads a very strict schedule - she's straightforward and curt (but never impolite!) with Vertin, alluding to how simple justice is (if one commits a crime or abuses power, they shall be dealt with regardless of their social status) and how her body is "a representation of justice". Dikke has become a symbol for an idea, the concept of a fair system - she is no longer an individual but a savior, an executioner, a violent ghost, a witch, a threat, etc etc.

The loss of humanity is obvious in the way we do not get to know Dikke outside of any themes regarding justice. It's extremely hard to gleam any information about her childhood, her family, her interests and so on because they've all been displaced by this identity as justice itself. To me, this speaks about how power and responsibility on this scale will inevitably separate you from the people, THIS is the Sword of Damocles, now applied to Dikke as much as it applies to those in line for her judgement.

And yet, there are still very small hints of humanity left within her (still related, in a way, to her goals) in her care for the weak. Dikke's quote on her hobbies in a way reminds me of Sonetto.

The idle chatter of the people is entertaining, but 'tis more entertaining that they are always the first to know about the corrupt behavior of nobles.

Sonetto is a character that is similar to Dikke, in the sense that they both became the embodiment of concepts that ultimately stripped them off their individuality. Sonetto by fulfilling her training at the Foundation and becoming the PERFECT example of a military dog, a child martyr who struggles to connect with others because she was only taught how to exist FOR the Foundation. And Dikke, by all the things mentioned before.

But both of them have very endearing hobbies. Sonetto reads newspapers and collects them to find TYPOS IN THEM. Dikke's hobby is to listen to people talk as they go on about their day, not gossiping but to just listen to people exist.

In the main story, Sonetto's upbringing causes her to have a barrier with the people she truly wants to connect to (Vertin, namely) and Dikke's goal causes her life to revolve around a single thing, now only able to engage in mundane things from an outsider's perspective. She listens to people, she doesn't talk to them. She protects people, she doesn't live among them.

I like to think that, even so, this is when Dikke is most at peace. That she enjoys people watching, knowing they're safe and sound - because it validates all her efforts, it means that what she's doing is, in the end, worth it. This might also be why Dikke tells Vertin that they might be on the same path - Vertin, slowly figuring out the truth behind the Foundation and Manus Vindictae and acting as a saviour for those stuck in the middle.

As for headcanons, here's a couple I have!

Dikke has such a dry and deadpan sense of humour that only Vertin can understand it.

Sometimes, very rarely, Dikke will chime in with the most outlandish reply - straight out of the blue, spoken in the most serious and monotone voice. Those who aren't close to her will most likely brush it off as yet another intimidating thing they can't understand about her, but those close to her like Vertin?

It's THE funniest shit in the world and Dikke, who is very aware of the image and respect she commands, knows it.

Dikke and the artifact that follows her are friends.

Quite literally, that thing is the hand of justice. I like to think that Dikke can communicate with it non-verbally, even though it's implied that the artifact is not created by her arcanum.

Part of me likes to think that Dikke insists on said artifact being just her partner in her long journey of bringing justice to the world, but due to all the years spent together and all, the artifact itself (and whatever entity that shows up in her Ultimate) have come to see Dikke as their protégé.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #reverse 1999 headcanons #reverse 1999 dikke #dikke #yes im flexing my 100% bond with her in that screenshot #i only have 3 characters at max bond and its pavia zima and dikke LMFAO

[yamayuandadu]

Funny or interesting Epic of Gilgamesh tidbits

Nobody actually says Enkidu’s name before Shamhat shows up. His creation is essentially impersonal, and this is something that is brought up by Humbaba during the fight. There’s a pretty sound theory that Enkidu urges Gilgamesh to ignore his pleas specifically because Humbaba mocked his lack of biological parents. Note that at this point in the narrative Enkidu does not lack parents altogether, though, since Ninsun outright calls him a member of her family and de facto her foster child before he embarks on the journey to the cedar forest with Gilgamesh.

When Enkidu curses Shamhat on his deathbed for setting off the chain of events which lead to his incoming death, Shamash appears to him to inform him this was rude and uncalled for and urges him to bless her instead because he wouldn’t met Gilgamesh without her. Enkidu actually does listen and promptly does so... expressing the wish for her to supplant the wife of someone affluent. While the passage also has Enkidu curse the anonymous hunter, Shamash is not concerned about him, so he does not get an apology.

Speaking of the hunter - his name is only preserved in the Hittite adaptation of the epic, though it is Akkadian nonetheless. He is named Shangashu, which means “murderer”. His parents must have hated him.

Utnapishtim actually curses the ferryman who brought Gilgamesh to his realm, Urshanabi, presumably specifically because he did that. Urshanabi due to being out of job then tags along with Gilgamesh for the rest of the story, and the final words are addressed to him. He’s probably the most major character in the epic with virtually no presence in adaptations.

In the Hittite adaptation of the epic, Gilgamesh visits the personified sea, something virtually unheard of in Mesopotamia for the most part, and not exactly common in Hittite religion either, presumably a reflection of the popularity of the sea among Hurrians (his Hurrian sidekick Impaluri is there too). The sea promptly curses him, as far as the surviving fragments go just because.

The Hurrian version, which is too fragmentary for a proper translation, in addition to replacing Ishtar and Shamash with their Hurrian counterparts, Shaushka and Shimige, apparently inserts the de facto main character of most surviving Hurrian myths, Teshub, into the narrative.

It is also possible that there was a Hurrian rewrite of the epic focused on Humbaba, in which he either survived or was portrayed as a tragic figure. Granted, the latter is not really unusual, since the gods’ anger at Humbaba’s death does appear to reflect the opinion of the epic’s compilers, and Humbaba is well attested as a protective apotropaic figure.

For sources on all of the above and more, see my recently finished rewrite of the article on EoG characters on wikipedia. Most are open access!

#epic of gilgamesh #mesopotamian mythology #mythology #mesopotamian miscellanea

[jewishpositivity18]

What is Chanukah?

I'm glad you asked, hypothetical audience member!

Chanukah (or Hanukkah) is a minor Jewish holiday that takes place in winter and lasts for eight days.

How is Chanukah celebrated?

People who observe Chanukah typically use a menorah (also known as a chanukiyah), a lamp with nine lights.

Each night a new light is kindled, until the eighth night when all the lights are burning.

Menorahs can be any shape, as long as there are eight lights plus one separated from the others. The ninth light is called a shamash, or leader, and is used to light the other candles.

Menorahs typically are lit with candles or oil, but electric ones work in a pinch!

Traditionally, lit menorahs are places at a window so it can be seen from outside, reminding the public that it's Chanukah.

Why is Chanukah celebrated?

The story of Chanukah took place in ancient Judea (modern day Israel). The ancient Greeks invaded Judea and attempted to impose their own culture on the inhabitants while destroying Jewish practices.

A small group of Jewish priests called the Maccabees (also called as the Hasmoneim) fought back against the massive Greek army, and miraculously succeeded in driving them from Judea.

The Maccabees found that the Greeks had trashed their sacred temple, and there was not even enough oil to light the ritual menorah. But a miracle occured, and the little bit of oil they had burned continuously for eight days.

What else do you do on Chanukah?

In the centuries since the Maccabees, many customs and traditions around Chanukah have popped up in Jewish communities all over the world. Here's some of the ones I'm most familiar with:

Fried food like jelly donuts (sufganiot) and potato pancakes (latkes) to honor oil

Dairy food to honor the story of Yehudit

Chocolate coins (gelt) for the kids

Dreidels!! These are spinning tops with Hebrew letters on them! The letters are an acronym for a Hebrew phrase that means "A Great Miracle Happened There", referring to the miracle of the oil

Fun fact: In Israel the last letter on the dreidel is changed so that the phrase goes "A Great Miracle Happened Here".

Happy Chanukah everyone!

#jewish positivity #jewblr #jewish #jewish culture #judaism #chanukah #i finally rewrote the long ass post

[altschmerzes]

happy hanukkah, chag sameach everyone!!! here's a clip from far, far ahead in wriggle up on dry land, my ted lasso au where jamie's 15 and the groundsman's assistant when the story begins. at this point of the story he is 17 and he lives with ted - for. reasons. - and ted and roy have essentially ended up co-parenting him, which has been a learning process for everyone. this is their first real holiday season together, and the first time roy has decided to celebrate hanukkah of his own initiative (not with phoebe and his sister) in a long time.

The mulish determination that had carried Roy all the way through talking to Sarah and going to the little judaica store she’d given him the address of and getting everything set up disappears as soon as there’s someone else in the house. He hovers awkwardly near the doorway and watches while Ted and Jamie shuck off their coats and Ted nudges the kid to remind him to take his shoes off inside. They’ve both been in his house before, more times than he can count by this point, but somehow the experience feels new and unpredictable. Neither Ted nor Jamie seem to notice, chattering to each other about whatever they’d been talking about before they got here, but Roy can’t escape it. The feeling is loud and cloying and he can’t turn it off.

Just as Roy is about to conclude this entire thing had been a mistake and he should call it off right now, he realizes that the new arrivals have left him behind in his own entryway, moving on into the dining room where-

Well. Roy hurries after them and comes to an abrupt stop in the doorway. Ted’s got his hands tucked into his pockets and he looks at Roy with a warm, knowing smile that Roy resents on principle. Jamie is staring at the table, stopped in place like he can’t quite comprehend what he’s seeing. It’s an understandable reaction. A menorah was to be expected. Three of them is… Three of them is something else.

They’re lined up in a neat little row on the table, candles already placed in the farthest corners and the middles, a lighter laying nearby in anticipation of what’s coming next. The one on the left end is simple and traditional, the first one that Roy had grabbed. It reminded him of the one his grandparents had, the one that is probably in the window at Sarah’s house right now, already lit. In the middle sits a short menorah, a flat row of silver candle holders with the shamash slightly raised at the centre of them, and a colourful pattern on a panel behind them. Red pomegranates are set against a blue background and the whole thing had reminded him of Richmond. The last, on the right, is elegantly shaped silver metal, a trunk and the reaching branches of a little tree. It had taken Roy a long time to choose it. Dissatisfied with the options, he’d been about to give up and choose one at random when he’d spotted it, tucked away at the back of the shelf. As soon as he’d seen it, he’d known it was the one he wanted - on the way out of the store he’d thought to himself Do they even have trees in fucking Kansas? And then he’d been so irritated at what an insane thing that was to worry about that he’d nearly tripped over a crack in the pavement.

Finally tearing his eyes away from the table, Jamie glances over this shoulder at Roy. He looks confused, a little uncertain, like he’s got a question but he doesn’t want to ask it. The story he’d told about spending Hanukkah with his friend Ash’s family pops into Roy’s mind and he wonders if this is a setup Jamie recognizes, if he’s counted the menorahs on the table and done the simple math and realized what that meant. Then again, this is Jamie. That kind of conclusion is not one he can be relied on to reach himself, and so Roy is going to have to explain.

“That’s what we did,” Roy forces out eventually. His voice sounds thick and stony even to his own ears and he stops, swallowing hard before he tries again. The last thing he wants is to sound resentful, or angry, or any of the other things he knows he sounds when he’s emotional - embarrassed, this time. Anxious for their reactions, for this display of the thinness of his own life, his lack of substance that he’d needed to go out and buy these new and Googled it three times before he was sure he’d put the candles in the right end.

“In my family,” he says, faintly pleased that it comes out softer than before, gentler and less intense. “And in a lot of families. Don’t know about your friend Ash, but… But that’s what we did, and a lot of people do. Have one for… For everyone in the…” Roy waves a hand around, a vague circle indicating the room. His cheeks feel hot and he doesn’t know why this is so fucking hard to say. “In the immediate family. So. Y’know. Three.”

There. He’s said it and he’s explained and he didn’t pass out or die and nobody immediately laughs either so that has to be some kind of a good sign. Roy stares resolutely at the grain of the kitchen table. He can feel the eyes of the other two people in the room on him but he can’t bring himself to look over at them. Not quite yet.

#gav gab #ted lasso #roy kent #jamie tartt #fic: wriggle up on dry land #happy hanukkah besties here's: this #roy is trying to navigate reconnecting with jewish traditions at the same time as he is navigating Parenting A Traumatized Teenager #it's a lot #writing liveblog #this is from WAAAAAY down the line

[genshinarchives]

𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇. 𝟎

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 : 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Although you had refused the Dendro Archon’s request, you knew that deep inside, you didn’t want to leave the humans under her rule completely defenceless against the threats of the Abyss.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 : Al-Haitham, Kaveh; hints of Cyno x reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 : Romance, adventure, isekai

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : N/A

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 : N/A

𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

In the middle of a perpetual desert proudly stood an ancient palace sparkling with the monarch's wealth. The archway behind the throne allowed the light of Teyvat to filter inside, crowning the king's seat with a pair of parhelions. The god that had requested an audience with the ruling deity of the desert's treasure promptly lowered herself on one knee as she bowed her head.

"High King Ea, please grant Sumeru your protection," she implored.

"I refuse."

Rukkhadevata flinched at your curt answer. While she did step into Gilgamesh Palace expecting your rejection, the fact that you had answered her without a moment's hesitation still took her by surprise. Daring herself to lift her head, she met your condescending gaze as you sat upon your gold throne that was built from your bloody reign, with your trusted guards - Shamash and Ereshkigal - flanking your sides.

Shamash immediately assumed a battle stance with his staff. "How impudent! You dare to raise your head-"

"Shamash, do not make any unnecessary comments!" you bellowed, effectively pacifying him. He quickly bowed in your direction.

"Forgive me, Your Highness!"

"(Y/n)," Rukkhadevata began, calling you by your real name this time, "even with the bountiful treasures that I have offered to you and me kneeling, you still won't accept my only request? Do I have to go as far as making my forehead touch your feet?"

You tapped your fingers on the armrest as you hummed pensively. "What exactly will I gain from defending a territory that is not my own?" When the Dendro Archon didn't give you an answer fast enough, you leaned forward with your elbows atop your knees. "Have you forgotten that I am High King Ea, Guardian of Ka-dingirra? It is my eternal duty to defend this land."

"I-"

You cut her off with a dismissive wave of your hand.

"Enough. This is a complete waste of time," you murmured, holding your hand out towards Ereshkigal who then handed you a clay tablet, "Shamash, escort Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to Ishtar Gate."

"I will do as you say," Shamash said. As your guard escorted the dispirited Dendro Archon out of the palace, you subtly beckoned to Ereshkigal and lifted the clay tablet slightly to cover your face. When she leaned towards you, you tilted your head in her direction.

"Infiltrate Sumeru's military and pose as one of their soldiers. If the city is in danger, report back to me immediately," you ordered in a hushed whisper. She looked surprised upon hearing your words.

"If I may be so bold to inquire, are you actually going to step in as regent when the Dendro Archon disappears?" she questioned, knitting her eyebrows together.

"The God of Woods is destined to perish during the Cataclysm, and her death will act as a catalyst for the new god's birth. She'll be too young to lead a nation that has lost its god in the upcoming catastrophe," you solemnly replied, "and will subsequently live a life of seclusion until another shooting star illuminates the sky."

Ereshkigal took a step back and then knelt down before you with one arm crossed over her chest.

"You have bestowed esoteric knowledge upon the people of Ka-dingirra, and your visions have shaped the reality we are witnessing today. This servant has received your orders and will see them through," she said, raising her head with a confident smile, "If it is truly your wish, then I will watch over Sumeru's safety for you."

You nodded at her whilst lowering the clay tablet on your lap. "Wonderful, as expected of my guard. Now go. We don't know when exactly Rukkhadevata will disappear, and we must be prepared to fight against the forces of the Abyss."

"I'll get ready immediately."

As Ereshkigal left Gilgamesh Palace to make the necessary preparations for her undercover mission, your courtier, Enki, stepped towards you with another clay tablet for you to review. With a muted sigh, you took it from his hands and tried to read what was written on it, only for your expression to turn completely blank. The tablet Enki had given you was a report about some materials, but you didn't understand much of it.

It's been roughly a year since the establishment of Ka-dingirra. You lack the knowledge to lead a governing body, and it's quite impossible for a university student like you to run an entire country - even though Enki is always there to help you. You would have asked him or your ministers for more guidance if they weren't so obsessed with the delusion that you're some supreme being with unfathomable wisdom, and their intelligence only made it harder for you to be honest with them.

Enki noticed the way your eyebrows furrowed and worriedly asked, "Is something the matter, Your Highness?"

"N-no, it's nothing," you quickly replied, "I was just preoccupied with something else."

"Is it concerning the Sumerians?"

You didn't answer him.

Although the Sumerians are not your people, you didn't have the heart to leave them defenceless as you too, were once human like them.

...

Before you came to Teyvat and were forced to establish your own territory to survive the Archon War, you were an ordinary human back in your world.

As the hands of time rotated in a full circle, the God of Woods perished during the Cataclysm - and as you had predicted, a new god was born to replace her.

The God of Wisdom, also known as the Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Her gnosis was promptly taken away by the arrogant scholars who deemed her unfit to be the Dendro Archon, and she was instead made the nominal leader of Sumeru. Those same scholars then came knocking on Ishtar Gate, imploring that you protect Sumeru from the darkness of the Abyss in exchange for the new Dendro Archon's gnosis.

Enki urged you to accept the deal as it would mean that you'll gain more power at the same time Ereshkigal returned with the report that a large group of unknown enemies are approaching Sumeru quickly. With the sands of time descending upon you, you decided to set the deal aside for later consideration and declared Sumeru as Ka-dingirra's vassal state; at least, until the darkness that had spewed forth as a result of Khaenri'ah's destruction has been quelled.

You stood on top of the protective walls you had summoned around Sumeru with a multitude of portals glowing above you in the firmament, ready to rain countless chains upon the malevolent invaders. When the first wave came into view, you immediately extended a hand, prompting golden spearheads attached to chains to emerge from the portals.

As your eyes glowed, you exclaimed, "Nergal, let us restrain misfortune's fury!"

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 : 𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒 ; 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 : @flowwerpot​ / @myevergarden​ /

#✍️ : alice writes #genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #nahida #cyno #alhaitham #alhaitham x reader #kaveh #kaveh x reader #fem reader #god of heroes

[gaycowboyism]

lighting a bowl with my shamash call that baruch atah adon-high

#chanukkah posting #jumblr #weed mention #how do i tag this

[howlingday]

RU-JA-GUN-CON

Video Games:

(1) 2

- Final Fantasy: Gunblade /

- Halo: BR55 / ARC-920 / M6 / Carolina /

- Mass Effect: Thresher Maws / M-920 Cain / Phaeston / Blood Pack Punisher / Pistol Set / Hahne-Kedar /

- Devil May Cry: Blue Rose /Blue Rose II / Red Queen / Chevaliere / Ebony & Ivory / Yamato / Nevan / Balrog /

- Destiny: Red Death / Thorn / A Single Clap / The Dead Man's Tale /

- Warframe: The Phage /

- Borderlands: Tactical Shotgun 1340 / Morningstar /

- Doom: Super Shotgun /

- Battlefield: Chompi /

- Team Fortress 2: The Ambassador /Demoman /

- Call of Duty: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / FN SCAR H 7.62X51MM Assault Rifle /

- Xenoblade: Pyra & KOS-MOS / KOS-MOS / T-Elos / Nia & Dromach / Dahlia / Floren / Siren /

- Cyberpunk: Mantis Blade / Skippy / Skippy / Malorian Arms 3516 / DB-2 Satara / Breakthrough /Guts / Erebus / Erebus II /

- Rage: Firestorm /

- Far Cry: Sawblade Launcher /

- The Legend of Zelda: The Master Sword /

- Honkai Impact: The Judgement of Shamash /

- Infinity Ops: Requiem / Requiem /

- Megaman X: Buster / Biometal Model P /

- Titanfall: MK6 /

- Monster Hunter: Gunlance /

- Metroid: Power Suit /

- Disco Elysium: The Expression /

- Dead Space: Hand Cannon /

- Pokémon: Pecharunt /

#rwby #rwby au #ruby rose #jaune arc #ru ja gun con #ru ja gun con au #final fantasy #halo #mass effect #devil may cry #destiny #warframe #borderlands #doom #battlefield #team fortress 2 #call of duty #cyberpunk 2077 #rage #far cry #the legend of zelda #honkai impact #infinity ops #megaman #megaman x #titanfall #monster hunter #metroid #disco elysium #dead space

[koshercosplay]

i'm sorry for my lack of information but, can you explain why the menorah in the i-spy aladdin lamp thing isn't kosher? What are the guidelines? /genq

chanukah menorahs need to have 8 level candles, and 1 candle that is separated from the rest, called a shamash, which is typically higher than the others or offset to the side. this menorah has all candles on the same level!

(here's the post if you'd like to see my original ratings)

#asks #chanukah #menorah #anons

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

A few Hanukkah PSAs for fic writers!

The holiday season is upon us, and that means lots of holiday-themed fics! I'm really hoping to see more fics this year of Ed celebrating Hanukkah, so I wanted to share a few tips for non-Jewish writers!

Hanukkah is not "Jewish Christmas." The holidays have very little in common and have different traditions - Hanukkah celebrations have no trees, no Santa Claus, etc. Some Jews in culturally Christian countries will celebrate Christmas (even if only to fit in with goyische family/friends) but that's by no means all of us. You can't just slap a star of David on Christmas stuff and call it Hanukkah.

There are different ways to spell Hanukkah in the Latin alphabet and there's no one correct way because they're just transliterations of the Hebrew, חנוכה. Hanukkah and Chanukkah are common spellings and they're both fine!

To wish someone a happy Hanukkah, say "Hanukkah sameach!" or "chag urim sameach!" A simple "happy Hanukkah!" is also always appreciated.

Hanukkah starts at different times in the Gregorian calendar every year because it's based on the Hebrew calendar. It starts every year on the 25th of Kislev and ends on 2nd or 3rd Tevet (Kislev has 29 or 30 days depending on the year). This year, 2023, Hanukkah in the Gregorian calendar starts on December 7 and ends December 15th. Jewish holidays begin at nightfall, so it doesn't begin until sundown on December 7! Hanukkah does not always overlap with Christmas...which can be really frustrating when shopping for Hanukkah supplies and major chain stores only stock them during Christmas time, so Hanukkah is already over by the time they're on sale!

The big thing we do on Hanukkah is light the menorah! Candles are placed on the menorah from right to left and are lit from left to right using the candle in the middle - that's called the shamash. One candle is placed (in addition to the shamash) on the first night, with another candle added each night. It's tradition to place the menorah in a window and the candles should be allowed to burn out, not be blown out.

Dreidel is a common game played during Hanukkah! Learn how to play it here.

During Hanukkah, it's traditional to eat fried foods. Latkes are common (as is discussion of The Great Debate: does applesauce or sour cream go better with latkes?) but sufganiyot, fried jelly-filled donuts, are also frequently eaten.

Hanukkah is not a major Jewish holiday, it's really just a minor festival, but in culturally Christian places like the US a lot of Jewish individuals and communities find celebrating it loudly and publicly to be very important. Some Jews are jaded by how commercialized it's become, how it's just seen as "Jewish Christmas," and how it overshadows our most important holidays in the mainstream consciousness.

Traditionally only small gifts are given on Hanukkah, but especially recently it's become way more common to give bigger gifts, more in line with Christmas gifts. Some families give Hanukkah gifts on one night or one on every night! In my family, we give smaller gifts on the first nights and work up to big gifts on the last night.

The Jewish way to celebrate Christmas? Going to the movies and eating at a Chinese buffet (they're the only places open on Christmas).

The single most important thing: please don't write stories about Jewish characters discovering "the magic of Christmas" or call us "Grinches" for not celebrating! I promise, Christmas isn't that special, we've got our own things, and we really don't need it. We're often happy to celebrate with you, but if someone doesn't celebrate for themselves, that's not a character flaw!

Other Jewish OFMD folks, please share some other things you'd like to see in Hanukkah fics! And fic writers, if you write Hanukkah fics, please tag me so I can read it and love it and give you kudos!!

#ofmd #our flag means death

[numinousmysteries]

Something to Celebrate

@eightnightsofmulder

@today-in-fic

Eight Nights of Mulder Day Three: Celebration

[on Ao3]

December 1995

The case was one dead end after another. They would’ve been back with time to spare, too, if Mulder hadn’t insisted on tracking down and interrogating the missing teenage boy’s estranged father. Unfortunately, he’d been ice fishing off the grid for days with his buddies, an airtight alibi with the walleye to prove it. Once they made it back to Detroit from Billy Graff’s father’s cabin on Lake St. Clair, Billy had been found holed up in a cheap motel with his girlfriend. It turned out his younger sister had caught him sneaking out of the house a week earlier and he’d bribed her to make up a story about witnessing him being taken by a bright light in the sky for their gullible, UFO-obsessed mother.

By the time Billy was safely returned home, the snow that had been teasing the area all week began to fall in earnest. And now they’ve missed their original flight and are stuck in the Detroit Metro Airport for the foreseeable future. 

Even with all the weather delays, the airport is mostly empty. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is already where they need to be. Officially off the clock, he’s convinced her to have a drink with him at the airport bar. 

“If we get out tomorrow morning you’ll likely make it back for Christmas dinner,” he says, carrying two beer bottles back from the bar to their table. 

She just nods and, fortunately, he doesn’t push it. Last year was her first Christmas without her father and this would be her first without her sister. She feels guilty about leaving her mother with another empty place at the table, but she doesn’t miss facing Bill’s interrogation about her work or having to tell Maggie there are no new leads on Melissa’s murder. 

“I’m sorry I brought us out here for nothing,” he says.

“You didn’t know he made it up,” she replies, staring down at her beer bottle. She understands by now that a sibling gone missing under mysterious circumstances is enough to send them halfway across the country no matter how flimsy the evidence may be. And she knows it’s too sensitive of a point to call him out on.

“Hey,” he says, his eyes lighting up. “Why don’t we have our own little celebration right here?” 

“What are we celebrating, Mulder?”

“Billy Graff is home for the holidays with his family. We both made it through the case unscathed. And I think it’s still Hanukkah.” He gestures over the little battery-powered, flameless candle flickering on their high-top table. “Let’s get eight more of these and we can have our own little festival of lights.” 

She doesn’t have time to protest before he’s off his bar stool, gathering fake candles from the surrounding empty tables. He comes back with both hands full and moves their beer bottles around to make room to line up nine candles in a row.

“Aren’t there supposed to be eight? One for each night?” she asks.

“Oh, Scully, you forget the shamash.”

“The what?” 

“The shamash,” he repeats, acting surprised this isn’t common knowledge for his Irish Catholic partner. “The middle helper candle? The one we use to light the rest?”

“When was the last time you did this Mulder?”

“I’m pretty sure Nixon was in office,” he says. “But don’t worry. Nothing’s changed for over 2,000 years. Here, I’ll come sit next to you.”

He stands and scoots his bar stool until it’s directly next to hers. Their shoulders brush through their suit jackets, and she feels a rush of heat. 

“See, you place the candles right to left, so let’s pretend I already did that,” he sweeps a hand over their improvised menorah. “Then we light the shamash, and use it to light the other candles left to right. Of course, these candles need no oil, pure or otherwise, to keep burning but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

She smiles at him. Her Jewish, agnostic partner, who believes not in God but in astral projection, psychic visions, and chupacabras is guiding her through a bastardization of a religious ritual in the middle of the Detroit Metro Airport. It’s never a dull moment with him.

“Here, I’ll show you,” he says. 

He picks up her hand from the table and covers it with his. They pantomime lighting the middle candle, then using it to light the rest. Even without real flames, his hand feels warm over hers and she realizes this isn’t the worst way to spend Christmas Eve. 

“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah,” he whispers in her ear as they pretend to light the candles. “Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.”

“What does it mean?” she asks.

“Oh, you know, the usual,” he sighs. “Bless you God, we thank you for all your wondrous deeds. Although the Yankees haven’t won a World Series in nearly 20 years, so I'm not sure exactly what we’re thanking him for.” 

They’ve mock-lit all the candles now but he’s still holding her hand. She knows she should pull away but she doesn’t want to break the spell. He’s her partner and, she’s slowly starting to realize, her best friend. They don’t do this enough—simply spend time together. That’s not entirely true. They spend nearly every waking hour during the week at each other’s sides, but they’re typically debating a theory or investigating a case, not simply enjoying one another’s company. And for all the times he frustrates, challenges, irritates, and even ditches her, she really does enjoy Mulder’s company. 

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” she says. 

He shrugs, taking his hand off hers to pick up his beer bottle. She immediately notes its absence. “That’s my first time lighting the candles since Samantha was taken. She disappeared a few weeks before Hanukkah, which kind of put a damper on that year’s festivities, and then after that, we stopped practicing.” 

“I understand,” she says, suddenly embarrassed. “I’m sorry if this triggered any bad memories.”

“No, not at all, Scully,” he chuckles. “It was my idea, anyway. Besides, we’re a lot like the Maccabees.”

She isn’t sure where he’s going with this, so she raises an eyebrow as an invitation to continue. 

“We’re the underdogs fighting for what we believe in against all odds, looking for a little light in the darkness.”

He grins at her and she returns the smile. She doesn’t underestimate the significance of him including her in his quest. For so long, he’d been chasing windmills on his own but for three years now he’s had her by his side. She’s seen things she hasn’t been able to explain through science or logic, she’s had her own body manipulated by these shadowy men, and she’s lost her sister to the cause, but she never fled. She never considered abandoning him, tossing him back into the darkness alone. That, at least, is something to celebrate. 

#eightdaysofmulder #eightnightsofmulder #8dom #txf #xf fanfic #xfiles fanfic #msr

[kairunatic]

The Abusive tutor and the dangerous beast(after)

>>Link to the previous Episode

So we start with a Brief rule of How Shamash rule works Basically his rule is it sympathise with the victims pain and passed it on to the person who hurt them and the rule is similar to the walls surrounding tokyo

Back to the story we go to Penitentia Accademy Balor is doing role call to his students but one was missing which was Shamash. Balor is furios that he may have ditch again

#housamo #tokyo afterschool summoners

[bylersecretsanta2023]

from @autistic-katara, to @kirjavafan

Part 1:

1979

The final bell of the day at Hawkins Elementary, Mike couldn’t be happier. He’d been watching the clock for what felt like hours.

He walked out of school with his best friend, Will Byers, and they stood together as they waited for their moms to come pick them up.

“Hey… Mike?” He heard Will ask.

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to come over tomorrow? It’s the first night of Chanukah, and my mom said I could invite you.”

“Sure,” Mike replied, “but what’s Chanukah?”

“It’s this holiday where we light some candles at night for eight days, my mom says it’s Jewish.” Will explained. “We haven’t celebrated it for years ‘cause of my dad but he’s not here this year so…” He trailed off. “But yeah, there’s food and music and from what I remember it’s really fun so do you wanna come?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll ask my mom later.” Mike answered.

Will grinned. “Cool!”

Just then Mike’s mom pulled up and Mike walked over to her.

“Oh! Also, Jonathan told me to ask you to ask Nancy if she wanted to come too!” Will called after him.

His mom said yes to him going over, with Nancy agreeing to come too. The next night their mom dropped the two of them off at the Byers’ house and they went inside, not sure what to expect.

The first thing that he noticed when he went inside was the smell of food. He couldn’t exactly place the smell, though it was sort of similar to when his mom made roast potatoes.

Joyce welcomed them inside, telling them to wait in the living room while she finished making something called “latkes”.

Mike hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it was the most fun he’d had in ages. They played this game where they spun a thing called a dreidel and bet chocolate coins. They ate donuts and the weird potato things called latkes (that tasted amazing with sour cream), and Joyce put on some lively music in a language Mike didn’t understand.

They sat around the table, a thing with nine candle holders, one candle on the far left and another on the slightly raised middle (Joyce had called it a “chanukiah”), standing in on it. Joyce lit the middle candle with a lighter and then used the lit candle to light the other.

When Mike asked why they lit the candles like that she had told them the story of the holiday. She talked about how the Greeks had invaded and were trying to destroy Jewish culture and religion, how a small army had driven the invaders away, but afterward they only had enough oil to keep their menorah (“like a chanukiah but bigger and with less candles” she’d explained) burning for a day, meanwhile it would take eight days to get more, but miraculously the small jug of oil had lasted them the whole time. It was why they lit candles for eight days, lighting one candle on day one (plus the “shamash” which Joyce said represented the oil) and lighting an extra one each night until on the last night all of the candles were lit.

When it was time to go home Mike really didn’t want to, he’d had so much fun. But Joyce had promised him he could come over another night during the holiday as well.

Mike went over for Chanukah almost every year. He didn’t go every night, but for at least one of them he would be there, lighting candles and playing dreidel.

That was, at least, until Chanukah 1985.

Part 2:

Mike sat in his bedroom, the clock beside his bed reading 1:05am. He should probably be asleep.

Instead, he was sitting at his desk writing.

Dear Will, I hope you’re having a nice night.

This week’s the first Chanukah in years that I’m not coming over to yours to celebrate, and I’ll be honest I never knew I’d miss it this much until we couldn’t do it.

He paused writing, debating on whether to try and draft the rest of the letter into something sendable or to let this delve into something else to add to his “unsent letters” pile.

I’ll be more honest, I didn’t know how much I’d miss you until you were gone. I wish you were back here and we could talk over a plate of your mom’s latkes or something. I know it’s stupid, but fuck it. It’s not like I’m going to send this anyway.

I half wish I’d told you that I love you last year. Maybe the rejection from that would’ve made this hurt less, or maybe in some alternate universe where you liked me back you wouldn’t have left.

I don’t know, stupid 1am thoughts. Sorry for writing this in a way where it’ll never reach you.

Love, Mike.

#mia on the mic #byler secret santa #st #stranger things #byler #byler fanfic

[why5x5]

So, in my (orthodox) shul's wekly newsletter, they had a list of Chanukah highlights I thought I'd share (no. 8 is great):

Chanuka Highlights: Eight Points for Eight Days

1) The basic requirement of Chanuka lights is “ner ish u-beto”, one light per night per household. Thus a family of four would have only one light per night, whether on the first or eighth night. Nonetheless, the Talmud outlines more optimal observances, respectively called “Mehadrin” and “Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin”, whereby the number of lights corresponds to the night of Chanuka, the number of people in the household, or both. According to the hybrid option, that hypothetical household of four would then collectively kindle four lights on the first night and thirty-two on the eighth night.

2) Many use a “Shamash” – helper candle – in addition to the aforementioned mandatory lights. This Shamash serves two purposes, both related to the prohibition to derive benefit from the Chanuka lights proper. During the lighting itself, it avoids the issue of kindling one mandatory light from another. After the lighting, if anyone does get benefit from the Chanuka lights, it can be attributed to the Shamash rather than to the mandatory lights. Given the latter function, one should take care that the Shamash burns at least as long as the other lights.

3} Women, as well as men, are obligated in Chanuka lights because they were beneficiaries (and perhaps also benefactors) of the Chanuka miracles. Some women opt to discharge their obligation via their husband, based on the principle “ishto ke- gufo”. Children old enough to appreciate the ideas of Chanuka are also required to light for educational (“chinukh”) purposes, obviously with proper adult supervision and guidance.

4} Many choose olive-oil as the fuel for the Chanuka lights, to commemorate the substance used for the Menora in the Beit Hamikdash. Others prefer candles because of the quality of their flame. It is generally assumed that electric menorahs do not technically qualify for this mitzva, though they may still serve some function by bringing awareness of the holiday to others.

5} The ideal placement of the Menora is near the street entrance to the house, on the side opposite the Mezuza. When that is not feasible (such as one who lives on an elevated floor), he should place the Menora near the window. In times of religious persecution and other extenuating circumstances, the Menora may simply be placed on a table in one’s room. In any case, the lights should be attended while burning, both for safety reasons as well as because the function of the lights is to be seen, thereby publicizing the miracle.

6} Throughout Chanuka, Al Hanisim (a prayer expressing gratitude to G-d for the miracles) is inserted during both Shemona Esreh (the silent standing prayer) in the blessing of Modim, and Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) in the blessing of Nodeh Lekha. If forgotten in its native blessing, it can still be recited during the concluding paragraph of Shemona Esreh or in the Harachaman section of Birkat Hamazon. If one also missed those compensatory opportunities, Shemona Esreh and Birkat Hamazon are not repeated.

7) Full Hallel is recited on all eight days of Chanuka (despite the fact that Chanuka lacks both requirements for Hallel – a festival status and prohibition on work) because these are “days of praise and thanksgiving”. Appropriately, Maimonides opts to discuss the laws of Hallel among those of Chanuka, rather than in the more intuitive contexts such as the laws of the festivals.

8) While normative practice is not to require mandatory Seudot (meals) on Chanuka in the way we are obligated on Shabbat and festivals, nonetheless such meals have significance both to commemorate the rededication of the Mizbeach (Altar) and as an opportunity to offer praise to G-d. Many have the custom to eat oily foods such as Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiyot (fried doughnuts) to reflect that the miracle involved oil. Others eat dairy foods since it is said that Judith fed cheese to an enemy officer, causing him to get sleepy, at which point she “neutralized” him. It has been suggested that eating pizza simultaneously fulfills both customs – i.e. eating oil and dairy.

#chanukah #hanukah #jumblr