The term 'dreidel, essentially' is a reference to the traditional four-sided spinning TOP used in Jewish culture during Hanukkah. The TOP is inscribed with the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hei, and shin, which stand for the phrase 'Nes Gadol Haya Sham, ' meaning 'A great miracle happened there.' The TOP is spun during a game of chance, and the outcome of the spin determines the player's fate. The three-letter solution to the crossword is TOP, which is an appropriate answer given the spinning nature of the dreidel.