Hanukah, the Festival of Light: What is it?

We are currently in the Hanukah holiday. Hanukah (also spelt Chanukah, Chanukkah, and Hanukkah) is considered a minor holiday in Judaism. However, in the west, due to the influence of Christmas which takes place at the same month, Hanukah has grown in popularity.

The holiday celebrates the victory over the Greek Seleucid Empire by the Jewish Maccabees/Hasmoneans (152 BC). In particular it celebrates the reclaiming of the temple and its cleansing and rededication as described in the Apocrypha’s 1 Maccabees 4:36-41, and 2 Maccabees 10:1-8.

Josephus describes this liberation from foreign oppressors and the cleansing of the temple in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 7, verses 6-7, “Judah [Maccabee] celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days;… they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it law for their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights.” Verse 7.

The Festival of Light, Hanukah, also commemorates a miracle recorded in the Talmud. When the Maccabees, who were temple priests, entered the temple compound they found only one day of unspoiled oil for the temple menorah. It would take eight days to make new dedicated oil. Miraculously, the one days worth of oil burned for the eight days needed to make additional oil:

“When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays.” Talmud, Shabbat 21b, paragraph 10.

Modern observance of the festival is often accompanied with oil fried foods such as potato pancakes (latkas), donuts, and the giving of presents, one per each of the eight days (primarily to children). Also a game is played by the children by spinning a dreidel (a four or five sided top). Basically the game rules are:

Each player begins with an equal number of game pieces (can be anything for example, chocolates or pennies, etc.) Every participant puts one game piece into the center ‘pot’. Each player spins the dreidel on their turn. Depending on what Hebrew letter is face up, the player does the following: If a “gimel” the player gets everything in the pot. If it is a “nun” the player does nothing. If a “hei” the player gets half of the pot. If a “shin” the player adds one or three of their pieces to the pot. If the player is out of pieces, they may ask others for a loan.

It is important to note that the liberation war led by the Maccabees, also known as Hasmoneans, ushered in an independent Jewish state from 152 BC to 37 BC, One Hundred and fifteen years of independence. This is important background information when reading the New Testament. Independence ended when Herod the Great militarily took power with Roman assistance.

Disclaimer: I am not Jewish. So, to my Jewish friends, if I have made any errors please correct me in the comments below. Thank you.