CHANUKAH
A wonderful feast that is
not commanded, but is excellent for education and prophecy
Chanukah is the Feast
of Dedication or the Feast of Lights, mentioned in John 10:22,
occurring during the winter season. On
the Hebrew calendar it begins on 25 Kislev, falling somewhere between November
and December on the Gregorian calendar.
Chanukah is the only
festival not directly mentioned in the Scriptures.
Like Purim, it is not commanded in the Torah; nevertheless, it is full of
rich meaning and special significance. It
is as traditional as Pesach and Sukkot, a festival celebrated by Jews and
Believers all over the world.
The story of Chanukah
dates back to a time long before the Gospels were written, some 165 years prior
to the birth of Yeshua. For a
detailed account of the history, read 1st and 2nd
Maccabees, which is part of the Apocrypha (not traditionally included in the
canon of Scripture). Chanukah took
place during what was known as the 400 years when no prophets pleaded for
Israel
’s return to truth, no visions were given, and Heaven seemed to be silent.
After the return of the
Israelites from the Babylonian exile the
Temple
was rebuilt and they were once more a people in their own land.
However, they could not reserve forever the right to independence, for
they were still subject to many foreign powers which conquered them in
succession, namely, the Persians and later, Alexander the Great.
As was his custom with
conquered peoples, Alexander treated his Jewish subordinates with consideration.
They were not forced to pay taxes during Sabbatical years (Sh’mitah and
Jubilee), and Alexander requested that animals be sacrificed on his behalf in
the
Jerusalem
Temple
as a display of well-meaning.
Following his death, his
heirless throne was divided between his four top generals who subsequently ruled
the divided kingdom and created their own dynasties.
Israel
became subjugated to a Syrian Greek, Antiochus Epiphanes.
Syrian troops swept through the Middle East in an attempt to reach
Egypt
which Antiochus hoped to add to his conquests.
Israel
– small though she was – dangled helplessly between his fingers as an
important geographical locale in his path.
When Antiochus decreed
that all his subjects embrace the Hellenization of the Greek culture of which he
was so fond, many Jews quickly adapted and some sought strategic places
in the new system of government, eager to shed their Hebrew identities.
Perhaps they wished to avoid the first historical religious holocaust
that was brewing, as tensions between new law and the Torah mounted and created
serious problems for Jews who still wished to observe their original faith.
Forbidden practices included worshiping HaShem, circumcision and the
observance of dietary laws. The
Temple
was desecrated and even adorned with a statue of the hairy Zeus on the ritual
altar. Jewish opposition was met
with torture and death. During those
dark days, countless numbers of Jewish martyrs met their deaths in a valiant
display of defiance to pagan rule, determined to die faithful to the customs of
the fathers and the Torah of God.
Yochanan was the High
Priest in Jerusalem, and ardently opposed Hellenists. His
brother, Joshua, however, changed his name to Jason (a Greek name) and entered
Hellenistic hierarchy. Corruptly,
Jason gained the High Priesthood – the most sacred office which till that time
no one had dared tamper with – after giving Antiochus Ephiphanes an enormous
bribe. Jason further had his brother
assassinated. Three years afterward,
a Hellenist (one might call him an extremist) not even of the High Priestly
family took the office through an even larger bribe to the Greek ruler, using
some of the golden instruments from the
Temple
to help pay it off.
Internal conflict,
religious resistance, and political rebellion brought Antiochus’ former
“patience” to the breaking point. Suddenly
and without warning, Antiochus sent his general to destroy Jerusalem. Houses were incinerated, the city
walls were breached and tens of thousands were killed or sold into slavery.
During this time the Temple was “laid waste like a wilderness” (1 Macc. 3:45).
In a gesture of Narcissan indulgence, Antiochus ordered a statue of the
chief Greek deity, Zeus, with his own face, to be placed in the Sanctuary – an
abomination utterly unthinkable to the Hebrew mind.
Adjacent the
Temple
, a fortress known as Acra was erected so Syrian troops could control the
shrine.
In a village near
Jerusalem
called Modin, a man of the priestly line named Mattathias the Hasmonean, along
with his five sons, organized a resistance.
Their numbers quickly swelled. Since
it was a fight or die situation, at least if they must die they would do so
fighting. After Mattathias’ death,
his son Judah the Maccabee (or Hammer) became their new “general” and led
the fighters through many victories. Though
always outnumbered, they eventually regained
control over the
Temple
and brought its era of defilement to a close.
It was during the Maccabeean Revolt, as it was later called, that
fighting for defense of self and country on the Sabbath became a part of
acceptable halachah (way to observe the commandments).
This was due to a massacre of some 1,000 Jewish men, women and children
hiding in a cave on the Shabbat who, when confronted with Greek soldiers,
refused to fight because it was the day of rest according to Torah.
Realizing that annihilation of the entire group of faithful Jews was
imminent once the soldiers knew they would not fight on Shabbat, they made it
a mitzvah to battle on that day, if necessary.
Upon regaining and
purifying the Temple, the observant Jews celebrated for eight days.
The reason for the number of days is debatable. Over the centuries,
traditions spun from theories, which actually have little or nothing to do with Chanukah’s
first celebration, have evolved and were accepted into mainstream Judaism.
Some of these traditions include playing with dreidls
(tops), giving gifts, Hanukkah gelt,
and the custom of lighting a Hanukkiah.
Although
Judah
the Maccabee was killed during a subsequent battle, his brothers began a new
High Priesthood and went on to establish the Hasmonean Dynasty of kings.
The Hasmonean Dynasty later became corrupted, which is perhaps why Chanukah
customs are hardly mentioned in the Talmud.
Theirs was a glorious and sincere beginning, but the Torah for which
their fathers fought was forgotten by their proceeding generations.
In 37 B.C. internal strife caused the Hasmonean leader to ask the Romans
to govern
Israel
, an act which led to beginning of the end of Jewish self-rule in the Land until
millennia later.
To this day, Chanukah is
a festival commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple, the spiritual fortitude of the Maccabeean fighters, and the miracle of God’s
never-ending providence over evil.
Modern
Observance of Chanukah
The central focus of Chanukah’s modern tradition is the
Hanukkiah, something of a replica of the
Temple
menorah. Jewish law frowns upon
actually replicating the 7-light menorah for anything but
Temple
use, so the Hanukkiah has nine branches instead of seven.
Eight branches commemorate the eight days that the festival is
celebrated, and the ninth is known as the shamash or “servant” candle which
is used to light the rest. Chanukah
is a feast of lights, perhaps in contrast to the dark age of pagan rule before
the rededication of the
Temple
. A Hanukkiah can be elaborate or
plain, and is often displayed in the window of one’s dwelling.
Each night, another candle is lighted corresponding to the day of the
festival, beginning on the first night with one candle and the shamash, the
second night with two candles and the shamash, the third night with three
candles and the shamash, and so on. They
are lighted from right to left.
Lighting the Hanukkiah is often enjoyed by the children (with
adult supervision) and is considered a family event.
Families gather to watch the candles being lit, reciting the blessings
for the holiday and thanking God for His deliverance and grace in enabling them
to reach yet another Chanukah.
Exchanging gifts, perhaps as an offshoot of Christmas, has
been custom for centuries. Among the
Ashkenazim of Europe, however, among whom this tradition was most popular, the
original tokens were gelt – money.
It was usually a coin or two given to one’s children, and in some areas
the recipients gave it to poor children so that they, too, could enjoy the
festival. Today, however,
gift-giving has became more grandiose, rivaling or even surpassing that of
Christmas.
Although appearances may favor the ideal, Chanukah is not the
Jewish Christmas. They are
completely different in their origins, and Christmas predates Chanukah.
Christmas was birthed long before Jesus Christ lived, dating to the time
of Nimrod and following the
Tower
of
Babel
. It was originally a festival
celebrating the Sun-god’s reincarnation as a human with a human mother and
“divine” Sun-god father. The
mother-and-child imagery has been a part of that worship in Middle Eastern
cultures since that time and has literally nothing to do with Jesus’ birth.
It has always been celebrated on December 25.
The Greeks regarded Zeus as their Sun-god.
It is ironic that his statue’s presence in the
Jerusalem
Temple
was an affront to the Most High God. It was very near the time
Zeus’s birthday would have been celebrated that year with “Christmas”
festivities and was also the time his statue was demolished and the celebration
of “Christmas” was booted out.
Because of the affiliation of gifts with Christmas and for
other appropriate reasons, some do not observe gift-giving at this time.
The playing with of dreidls (four-sided spinning tops) by the children is
also optional. Some people do frown on this
practice, as the game resembles a form of gambling.
Chanukah is a time when traditional foods tend to focus on
oil, in relationship to the oil used for the
Temple
menorah. Potato pancakes, known as latkes, and sufganiyot,
donuts fried in oil, are the traditional favorites.
Future
Significance of Chanukah
The prophetic significance of the holiday is extremely easy
to detect and could result in endless commentaries.
Antiochus – the evil madman who opposes the worship of HaShem – is
handed the position to rule over G-d’s people, many of whom readily forsake
Him in favor of a new and exciting way of doing things.
They pursue a novel and sensational “theology” where religions are
blended into a kind of ecumenical belief-system dominated by Hellenism.
Those who remain in the Torah faith – thus holding onto their Jewish
identities and God’s Name – are slaughtered in droves.
Then a new type of Messiah arises in Judah Maccabee and his brothers and
delivers the chosen people. An era
of new commitment to the faith of G-d ensues where the “deliverer” reigns
and continues the kingly dynasty.
The Messianic significance of that is plain.
The persecution has been an oft-repeated part of Jewish history.
Anyone on whom G-d places His name is hated by the world.
In the next holocaust of humanity, this will extend not only to the
Jewish people but to those Gentiles who follow HaShem’s Torah and thus
identify themselves with His chosen people.
The mad anti-Christ will master-mind their annihilation and the old
scenes of torture and death – the elements of Chanukah most would rather pass
over – will once more be familiar and personal.
Messiah will come when the “power of the holy ones is no longer being
shattered,” and He will come for a triumphant people.
In reality, the celebration of Chanukah is not about
political freedom from the oppressor, because, historically, that did not
coincide with the original Chanukah. We
saved the Temple, but we did not yet drive the tyrant out of our land.
That came later. Thus, the
celebration of Chanukah is solely about the fact that we took back the House of
the L-rd and our faith. We once more
began implementing a faith that the enemy had tried to destroy.
Throughout the time of Antiochus’ rule, the remnant maintained the
observance of G-d’s laws and thus were able to win victory in battle – the
battle for their very lives. It is
their perseverance and courage, their victory, and all the miracles of G-d,
which gives us the drive to celebrate. It
gives us the example of what to emulate in the future. Without the Torah, Chanukah
would have no significance. Without
G-d, the Jewish nation would have assimilated into other nations, losing their
identity and their place in His promises.
What happened at Chanukah was a triumph of the light over the
darkness. Antiochus ensured that the
Menorah would not burn – extinguishing the light that had been an iconic
representation of the flame of our faith and the Spirit of G-d.
In the end, we found what our nation had lost in its moments of weakness;
we found it, regained it, cleansed it, and vowed to never again lose sight of
His everlasting light and truth.
Ashley Palladino
www.kitchen2.com