About Dreidels

There are a number of different religious items that are used as part of Jewish celebrations and holidays. One of the more well-known is called the dreidel or top. People of all religions now play the dreidel game during the winter holiday of Chanukah, as well as sing the fun dreidel song.

History

The dreidel, also spelled dreidl or draydel, is a spinning top with four sides, each adorned with a different Hebrew letter. Scholars do not completely agree on when the dreidel was first used. Some believe that the game has its roots during the time of the Greek-Syrians, when the Chanukah holiday first began. Because the Greek-Syrians prohibited the Jewish people from studying their scared Torah with the Old Testament, they needed a way to hide their learning. The dreidel was used as a distraction. When Greek-Syrians came into a Jewish school, the students hid their books and started playing with the dreidels.
Others believe that the dreidel game first originated in Eastern Europe during the 1800s, as a form of a German gambling game. They say the Yiddish word dreidel comes from the German word "drehen," which means "to spin."

Significance

The dreidel is more than a game. It represents an important event in early Jewish history. The letters on the four sides stand for "A Great Miracle Happened There." It is a story of religious freedom, which is important to all religions. Alexander the Great conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but let the people continue to follow their own religious beliefs. However, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV, started massacring the Jews and prohibited them from practicing their religion. When he destroyed the Jewish temple, the soldiers under the direction of Judah Maccabee revolted and reclaimed and rededicated the temple.
When the temple was being rededicated, there was very little oil left to light the candelabra in the temple that was supposed to burn continuously. There was only enough oil for one day. Yet miraculously, the light burned for eight days. This was enough time to prepare a fresh supply of oil.

Features

The four Hebrew letters on the dreidel.

The dreidel game: Each player is given the same amount of pennies (or pieces of candy). One coin is placed as the kitty in the middle of the table. The dreidel is shaped like a square with a point on one end and a stick on the other end for spinning. The first player spins the top and looks at the Hebrew letter on the side that is facing up.

The Hebrew letters tell the players what to do: 1) Nun, which means nothing happens; 2) Gimmle, which means the player gets the whole pot of money; 3) Heh, which means the player gets half the money; and 4) Shin, which means the player puts one extra coin into the pot. Players take turns spinning the dreidel and taking money out of putting money into the kitty. Before each spin, each player puts in a penny. The person who gets all the pennies wins the game.

Function

Over the years, as the dreidel increasingly became a part of the Chanukah tradition, a song was composed to go along with the game. These are the words:

I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!
chorus:
Oh - dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!
chorus
It has a lovely body
With legs so short and thin
And when my dreidel's tired
It drops and then I win!
chorus
My dreidel's always playful
It loves to dance and spin
A happy game of dreidel
Come play now, let's begin!
chorus

Benefits

The dreidel can be used in other ways besides a game or as a reminder of the Chanukah story. The dreidel can be considered spiritual or having Kabbalah geometry. The dreidel is representative of a three-dimensional torus in four-dimensional space. Kabbalah followers give mystical meanings to this geometric shape. They say if each letter of the Hebrew alphabet were put on a separate vertex, the letter combinations would reveal special words.
The dreidel is also used in mathematics. Many college mathematics seminars have been conducted on the probability of winning a dreidel game of dreidel, the amount of spins necessary to win, and what player has the statistical advantage.
The dreidel can be a philosophical discussion. The four sides symbolize the different aspects of human dimension or: 1) something that stands apart; 2) the wheel of life; 3) humility; and 4) human potential.
The dreidel is just for fun. Children play the game every Chanukah and enjoy spinning the top and singing the songs.