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Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days. On each night of Chanukah, we light candles, which brighten the dark winter days. We also say the “Al Hanissim” prayer, a special prayer that begins:
We thank You also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and acts of salvation, wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in days of old, at this season.
The prayer concludes by recounting the events that led up to the establishment of the holiday of Chanukah. We might expect that the prayer would mention of the “miracle” of the oil, but it does not. Instead, it emphasizes that the miracle was defeating the Greeks and purifying the Temple.
When we celebrate Chanukah, we are also celebrating the determination of our ancestors—the Maccabees—to fight for their Jewish ideals. Chanukah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, commemorates the Maccabean victory over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. After their victory, the Maccabees regained control over Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple to the service of God. Chanukah symbolizes the struggle of a people few in number whose religious freedom was at stake to overcome a seemingly overwhelming majority. It is a time for rededication and renewal.
The Chanukah story will not be found in the Hebrew Bible (Torah, Prophets, or Writings). It is first told in the Apocrypha’s books of the Maccabees, which is part of post-biblical literature. The story we most commonly associate with Chanukah—the legend of the miracle of the oil—originates in the Babylonian Talmud.
Lighting the Chanukah Candles
In ancient times there was a difference of opinion as to how to celebrate Chanukah. The students of one rabbi, Shammai, believed that the celebration of Chanukah should begin with eight candles, taking on away each night. The students of Hillel insisted upon starting with one candle and then adding one more each night. The school of Rabbi Hillel prevailed because “holiness is something that must grow, not diminish.” And the spirit of holiness needs to be communicated and shared. Therefore, it is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lights at a window facing the street.
The candles are put in place starting with the right-hand side of the chanukiah (the Chanukah menorah). The shamash candle, the servant candle, is used only to light the other candles. It is lit first and lights the candles from left to right (the last one placed is the first one lit).
When we light the candles, we say three prayers: the prayer over the candles (l’hadlik nayr shel Chanukah), the prayer for the “miracle” of Chanukah (se-asah nisim l’avoteinu), and, on the first night, the Shehechyanu prayer.
On Erev Shabbat (Friday evening), the Chanukah lights are kindled before the Shabbat candles.
Chanukah Traditions
It is traditional to eat fried foods, like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donuts), on Chanukah because of the significance of oil to the holiday.
Another Chanukah tradition is playing dreidel, a game played with a spinning square top. Most people play for peanuts, pennies, or gelt (chocolate coins). A dreidel is marked with four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimmel, Heh and Shin, which are coincidentally the first letters of the expression “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” (“A Great Miracle Happened There”). However, they actually represent the Yiddish words nit (nothing), gantz (all), halb (half) and shtell (put), which are the rules of the game.
Want to know more about the history of Chanukah? Read on . . . .
In the 4th century, Alexander the Great conquered the Near East and instituted Greek rule over all of Judea and of Israel. While in power, Alexander allowed the Jews to maintain their religious and national autonomy. After his death, the kingdom was divided between the Ptolemies, who ruled in Egypt, and the house of the Seleucids, who ruled in Syria. Both kingdoms fought for control of Judea. In 198 B.C.E. the king of Syria, Antiochus III, conquered Judea and reconfirmed the Jews’ religious and national autonomy.
When Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes, rose to power in 175 B.C.E. in Greece, the situation changed. As a Hellenist, Antiochus Epiphanes wished to make Jerusalem a Greek city and, therefore, imposed edicts against the Jewish religion, prohibiting Shabbat observance, circumcision and Torah study. He built an altar in the Temple and even forced the Jews to sacrifice to the Greek gods. The Jews became increasingly bitter, which led to the revolt against Greek rule in Judea in 167 B.C.E.
A popular movement arose among those Jews who remained faithful to the Jewish religion and tradition and rejected Greek culture. Calling themselves “Hasidim,” they opposed the domination of Hellenistic culture, which they feared would lead to the destruction of Jewish life.
One family of Hasidim was the Hasmoneans of Modin, who were of priestly descent and were led by their father Mattathias. They took to the hills and then pursued guerilla tactics of attacking small bands of soldiers and hellenized Jews. Mattathias was accompanied by his five sons: Yohanan, Shimon, Judah, Jonathan and Elazar. Many Jews, mainly farmers, gathered around Mattathias and his sons in order to combat the Greeks. Mattathias’ son, Judah Maccabee, led this army to defeat Antiochus’ army and liberate Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E.
On the 25th of Kislev, Judah purified the Temple and arranged for a special rededication. The fighting continued after the Temple was rededicated and Judah Maccabee fell in battle. However, his brothers Jonathan and Shimon carried on his legacy and instituted the Hasmonean dynasty, which reigned until the death of the last Hasmonean king in 37 B.C.E.