Why is it customary to eat dairy foods on Hanukkah?

Question: What is the connection between cheese and dairy foods and the miracle of Hanukkah?

Answer:

The Ben Ish Chai explains that the custom of eating dairy foods is connected to the miracle that happened through Yehudit.

According to the tradition he cites, Yehudit fed dairy foods to an enemy who was one of the Greek rulers, and as a result the salvation came about.

He notes that this event took place several years before the main miracle of Hanukkah.

Since that enemy also sought to harm the Jewish religion, it became customary to remember this salvation during Hanukkah.

What hint is hidden in the word “chalav” (milk)?

The Ben Ish Chai reveals a hint to the three mitzvot that the Greeks tried to abolish:

- Chet: the first letter of the word Chodesh.

- Lamed: the third letter of the word Milah.

- Bet: the second letter of the word Shabbat.

The three letters form the word ChaLaV.

The message: even a simple custom like eating dairy foods can remind us of the self-sacrifice of the Jewish people for keeping the mitzvot.