In the Piyut מעוז צור it states בני בינה ימי שמונה קבעו שיר ורננים', " “Those who possessed keen understanding enacted an eight day Yom Tov”. The commentaries wonder why, particularly, in regard to the נס of Chanukah the בני בינה got honorable mention. Why are they singled out and given credit for having had the impetus to establish a Yom tov, whereas by Purim the introduction of the Yom Tov is not attributed to any specific group or person.

We may explain this distinction by noting a glaring difference between the two ימים טובים. In regard to Purim, the decree enacted by Haman was to destroy every living Jew, man, woman and child. When Hashem in His benevolence reversed the situation and spared them from annihilation, the awesomeness of the נס was clear to all. Having been saved from certain death, it was self-evident that this miraculous salvation warranted a Yom Tov with which to commemorate the נס. The situation did not require deep, penetrating analysis to conclude that a celebratory Yom Tov was apropos. However, at the time of the Chanukah events, the population was teeming with Hellenistic Jews who adapted to the Greek culture and were completely assimilated and convinced of the virtues of the Greek philosophies and its value system. They were not in mortal danger, rather, their נשמות were in grave spiritual danger.

Only the בני בינה, those astute enough to recognize the danger of the foreign culture that had already permeated into so many of the Jewish homes, had the depth of בינה to recognize the ensuing ישועה. Those who did not sense the danger had no appreciation for the subsequent נס. This discernible observation is evident in the wording of the על הנסים of Chanuka “גבורים ביד חלשים וטמאים ביד טהורים”, “The mighty in the hands of the feeble and the impure in the hands of the pure ones”. Only a handful of the fervent ones took up the battle. However in contrast, it is written in מגילת אסתר, “All of the Yidden stood up to defend their lives”, נקהלו היהודים ועמוד על נפשם"”. The serious danger confronting them was obvious to all of the Jews. In the Chanukah story only a minority perceived the imminent danger of religious genocide and grasped the severity of the questionable survival of the Jewish people.

It truly was only the בני בינה who understood the intense magnitude of the נס and thus they were singled out for having had the foresight to establish the Yom Tov.

Does a curtain serve as a proper partition?

As we have learned, a person may not recite a davar shebekedusha if there is tzoah within his four amos, unless the tzoah is behind a partition or is in another room. A swinging curtain does not serve as a proper partition. A tzuras hapesach (two posts with a crossbeam) does not serve as a proper divider either.

סעיף ב' ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 22

Does the adjoining room have to be clean before a davar shebekedusha can be recited?

If there is visible tzoah in another room, the Rishonim disagree about whether a davar shebekedusha can be said. Some say that it is forbidden, since tzoah may not be in one’s vicinity or field of vision. This disagreement remains unresolved, and one should be stringent. Nonetheless, one is permitted to think about a davar shebekedusha when tzoah is visible in another room. The poskim disagree about whether, according to the stringent opinion, it is sufficient to close one’s eyes or block one’s vision another way.

סעיף ב, ס"ק יד, וביה"ל ד"ה אבל וד"ה דוקא

Can a davar shebekedusha be said if there is an odor emanating from another room?

If tzoah in an adjoining room emits a smell, it is forbidden to say a davar shebekedusha, even if the tzoah is completely out of sight. The poskim disagree about whether it is necessary to be four amos away from the place where the odor can no longer be smelled or whether it is sufficient to stand where it can no longer be smelled. All agree that if a smell emanates from a bathroom, one must stand four amos away from the place where the odor can no longer be smelled. Under pressing circumstances, a person who cannot smell may rely on the opinion which holds that a davar shebekedusha can be said if there is a smell in another room.

סעיף ב וס"ק טז-יח; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 27

• As we have learned, one may not be involved in a davar shebekedusha when there is tzoah in his daled amos or visual field. If a person would see tzoah by facing forward, it is not sufficient to turn his head in a different direction. Similarly, one may not daven or learn at night (when he cannot see tzoah) in a place where tzoah is visible during the day.

• If there is tzoah behind a person, he is only obligated to be four amos away from it to say a davar shebekedusha. The same halacha applies if the tzoah is on his side. In this case, however, the Achronim say that one should turn away to make certain that it is behind him.

• If tzoah is found in a shul in the middle of Chazoras Hashatz, the chazon must stop the repetition until the tzoah is removed. Even when it is not within his vicinity or visual field, the tzibur may not continue to answer Amen to his brochos when tzoah is visible to them or located in their vicinity. 

• Must one stay away from the tzoah of an animal when saying a davar shebekedusha?

• May one daven in a chicken coop?

• What is the status of a person with a heightened sense of smell?