A compact guide to Shabbat Ḥanuka’s haftara: a clear, scene-by-scene commentary on Zekharia 2:14–4:7 paired with a concise essay on its historical setting, rabbinic framing, and connection to Ḥanuka. Four masters of Miqra sharpen the commentary:
 
R. Yehuda ibn Balʿam (c. 1000–c. 1070)
R. Abraham ibn Ezra (1089–1164)
R. David Qimḥi (c. 1160–c. 1235)
R. Yosef ibn Kaspi (c. 1280–c. 1345)
 
Together they show how “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit” reframes the festival from battlefield to sanctuary - through Yehoshua’s purified garments, Zerubabel’s levelled mountain, and a menora that fuels itself.

Edited by Sam Stonefield