WHAT IS CHANUKAH?
WHAT IS CHANUKAH? – ASK THE TALMUDIC RABBIS
They ask because in Babylon, hundreds of years after the events, Chanukah’s message, meaning, and reality is not at all clear to us. The feast is not mentioned in the Torah, the Bible, nor are the laws associated with it clear. The country, whose political and social independence was won by the Maccabees, is nowhere to be found.
(The Greeks are actually Syrians, during the reign of the Seleucid dynasty, but for convenience’s sake we call them Greeks or Syrian Greeks.)
WHAT IS CHANUKAH? – ASKS THE TALMUD AND SO DO WE
We ask because we think it would be fun to make every day of Chanukah a little different, to sneak something extra into the festivities beyond the lights, the donuts and the blessings.
So here are a few thoughts, ideas, rituals, habits and stories to make the eight days even brighter so that there is something to think about, to talk about after the candles have been lit, at a table full of donuts on the cold and gloomy winter evenings.
WHAT IS CHANUKAH? – ASKS THE TALMUD AND GIVES THE ANSWER BELOW
Our rabbis taught: The eight days of Chanukah, when mourning and fasting is forbidden, begin on the 25th of the month of Kislev.
For when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, all the oil was desecrated. When the Hasmonean dynasty defeated them they searched and found only a jar of oil bearing the seal of the High Priest, the Cohen HaGadol, which contained only enough oil for one day. But a miracle happened and the oil lasted for eight days. In the years that followed, these days were declared a festivity on which Hallel (praising) prayers are said.
Chanukah means consecration. Specifically, the rededication of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, which was defiled by the Syrian Greeks, was idolized. We celebrate that the Maccabees liberated Jerusalem, defeated the Syrian Greeks, and rededicated the Temple.
We light one additional candle each day for eight days to commemorate that the oil they found in the Temple and would not have been enough for a single day even, was enough for eight days.
In short, this is the story.
At length, however, it is much more complex story with many questions, wonderful and less wonderful events.
THE STORY – WELL, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR?
THE GREAT AND OILY ONE
During Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of oil. B.C. 167, the land of Israel was ruled by the Syrian-Greek Empire. At the head was Antiochus Epiphanes, who wanted to Hellenize all his subjects. He passed laws against Jewish religious practice. A handful of Jews, with Matityahu the priest and his son Judah Maccabee at the helm, led an uprising and then won against the troops of Antiochus. They liberated Jerusalem, cleaned the Holy Temple, but only found a small jar of oil that was enough for a total of one day. The small jar of oil, however, burned for a miraculous eight days thus they could rededicate the Temple and the flames of the menorah were shinning in their full light.
To commemorate this time, each year we light one more candle for eight days on our special Chanukkiah, which has 8 + 1 branches. Eight candles for the eight days of lighting and one more servant candle to light the rest.
THE AWKWARD CIVIL WAR ONE
The uprising of the Maccabees was not only against the ruling Syrian Greeks, but also against the Jews who threw away Jewish customs and immersed themselves in Hellenic culture. They went to gyms and to theaters, all of which involved idolatry. The Hasidim (which at this time meant Jews who obeyed religious laws in all circumstances) looked at this with a very bad eye because they feared that Judaism would merge into the great Hellenic culture and lose its own distinctive character and values. Thus, when that particular Jew was willing to bow down before a statue of God and Matityahu stabbed him, a civil war also began in which Jews stood against Jews.
Interesting addendum: The Hasmoneans (another name for the Maccabean family) brought a very short period of independence to Israel, and they themselves quickly began to Hellenize.
REVOLUTIONARY FIGHTING ONE
The laws imposed on Jews, the prohibition of Shabbat and circumcision placed, a very heavy burden on Jews who wished to keep their traditions and religion. When the soldiers of Emperor Antiochus appeared in the town of Modiin to see if the Jews complied with the laws imposed on them by the Syrian-Greek Empire, and ordered the inhabitants of the town to present a sacrifice and bow before the Greek statue, a resident there would have obeyed. This outraged the priest Matityahu so much that he ran up to the Jew who was about to bow and stabbed them. With this, Matityahu started the Maccabean uprising. He fled to the mountains with his sons and followers from where they fought guerrilla warfare against the emperor's troops. Soon the uprising was led by his son named Judah, who was given the name Maccabee, which means hammer. The courage and strategic talent of Judah the Maccabee led the Maccabean uprising to victory.
A handful of Maccabees liberated Jerusalem and cleaned the Temple. The few triumphed over the many and we celebrate their heroism during Chanukah. The Maccabees celebrated their victory for eight days, thereby actually celebrating Sukkot for a second time.
Extra info for advanced learners: Chanukah and Sukkot are also connected by the fact that on all the days of both holidays, it is customary to say a full Hallel, that is, a praising prayer.
TRADITIONS, SYMBOLS
CANDLE LIGHTING – CHANUKKIAH
The best known symbol of Chanukah is the Chanukkiah, the nine-pronged candle holder. On the Chanukkiah, we light one more candle or flame every day (there are also oil-powered Chanukkiahs). The eight branches of the Chanukkiah are usually on one level, and the ninth stands out. This is the place of the Shamash candle whose job it is to light the rest with it. A servant candle is needed because Chanukah lights need to be admired, enjoyed, but not used.
We light one more candle each day of Chanukah after the sun goes down and its dark outside so that the lights of the Chanukkiah can be seen well and we can proclaim the miracle. Once it is dark, we can light the Chanukkiah at any time, there is no exact time as for other Jewish holidays.
The new candle is always added from right to left and we begin lighting them by starting with the newly added candle first.
BLESSINGS
Blessings before lighting the candles
1.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Chanukah lights.
ברוך אתה ה' א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר [של] חנוכה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
2.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.
ברוך אתה ה' א-להינו מלך העולם שעשה נסים לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v’imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh.
The next blessing is only said on the first night (or the day we first light a candle for Chanukah).
3.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.
ברוך אתה ה' א-להינו מלך העולם שהחיינו וקיימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh.
AFTER THE BLESSINGS
After lighting the candles, we say the following
We light these candles to recall our salvation by You and the miracles You did with our ancestors in their time these days by Your holy high priests. These are the sacred lights of the eight days of Chanukah, with which we are not to illuminate, we are only to look upon them to give thanks to You and glorify Your great Name for Your miracles and our salvation.
SING TOGETHER:
Ma'oz tzur yeshu'ati, lecha na'eh leshabe'ach,
Tikon beit tefilati, vesham todah nezabe'ach.
Le'et tachin matbe'ach mitzar hamenabe'ach.
Az egmor beshir mizmor chanukat hamizbe'ach – 2x
Sivivon, sov, sov, sov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Sivivon, sov, sov, sov!
Sov na sov ko va’cho
Nes gadol haya po
Nes gadol haya po
Sov na sov ko va’cho!
PIRSUM HANES – THE PROCLAMATION OF THE MIRACLE
When it comes to Chanukah, one of our tasks is to proclaim the miracle as a good communication specialist. Reporting on the miracle of Chanukah is also important to show the world that our ancestors stood up for their Jewry and fought bravely for it. As a result, we traditionally place our Chanukkiah in the window, in an open square, or anywhere open and safe. But as with everything our safety is paramount so feel free to light the Chanukkiah in the living room or on the table.
The same way that Chanukah became increasingly important in the diaspora, so did the proclamation of the miracle. As Jews began to assimilate and gain equal rights, many of us did not strictly follow Jewish religious laws so Christmas suddenly became a serious competitor with lights, a tree, and gifts. Thus, the proclamation of miracles became an even more important part of the celebration of Chanukah.
So much so that the Talmud (the great Jewish law debate) says:
“If one only has enough money that they have to choose between lighting a Sabbath candle or a Chanukah candle, one has to light a Sabbath candle because it brings peace to the home. However, if one has to choose between having Kiddush wine on the table or buying oil for the Chanukah candles, they have to choose the Chanukah candle because the miracle needs to be proclaimed. ”
DREIDEL
THE SPINNING TOP. The little rotating thing. A good game for boring evenings. Four letters on the side: NUN - GIMEL - HEI - SHIN. Neis gadol hayah sham, i.e. A Great Miracle Happened There. (In Israel PEY, meaning there) (More philosophical explanation: NUN - nefes (soul), GIMEL - guf (body), SHIN - sechel (intellect), HEI - hakol (the whole)
ITS ORIGIN. It is said that in the time of the Maccabees when the Syrian Greeks forbade the Jews to study the Torah, they played with the dreidel. Students were secretly studying the Torah at the time, but there was always one of them who stood guard and when he saw the soldiers approaching, he warned those studying inside. They quickly hid their books and started playing with the dreidel to show that they weren’t studying.
Although gambling was banned by Jewish community leaders, many generations ago European Jews began playing with dreidels during Chanukah which was in high fashion everywhere. Perhaps because one is not allowed to work by the light of the Chanukkiah’s flames, so puzzles, word-games, card-games and the dreidel became a tradition.
CHEESY, OILY FOODS – DONUT, LATKE
During Chanukah, oily and cheesy dishes are usually eaten. The best known of these are the donuts and the potato latkes. Oily, obviously because of the miracle of the oil.
BUT WHY CHEESY?
Judith, one of our Chanukah heroes, recklessly went to the tent of Holofernes, the Syrian-Greek commander, offering a lot of cheese to the army chief who then wanted a drink. Then she poured a good deal of fine wine into his glass. Due to this, Holofernes decided to take a quick nap during which Judith cut off his head.
This is why we eat cheesy dishes. However, if the bloody story with the head-chopping horrifies you, you can stick to eating only the oily, wonderful foods. Donuts, potato latkes are the perfect foods for cold winter evenings and their calorie content is just high enough to not have to eat cheese. Nevertheless, if you like the hero Judith’s story, we recommend eating cheesecake, cheese strudel, or cheesy lángos (pronounce lan-gosh), or any other cheesy delicacy.
