Brief History of Hanukkah

Expert Shopper — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:01:59 +0000

Jason's Miracle: A Hanukkah Story

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Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word meaning dedication. The history of Hanukkah begins with Alexander the Great who, after conquering Syria, Egypt and Judea, allowed all people to continue to observe their chosen religions. It wasnít until later that the successor of Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV, caused a great upheaval in among the Jewish population.

Under the reign of Antiochus, the Jewish people were required to worship Greek Gods. In 165 BCE, Judahís son Maccabee decided to rebel against this law and formed a crusade against Antiochus. Having defeated the Greek Army, Maccabee and his allies found a sacred temple which had been left in ruins as a result of Antiochusí army, and they restored the temple to its former glory.

Thus, on the 25th day of Kislev, they dedicated the temple by lighting a restored Menorah. Although they were only able to find enough oil to keep the Menorah lit for one day, a miracle occurred in which the Menorah stayed lit for eight days.

Thus, the Festival of Lights was born to commemorate that day in the temple when the miracle of the Menorah first occurred. All Jews celebrate the miracle of the oil by placing eight candles in the Menorah and lighting one candle on each of the eight days of Hanukkah.

Although not considered a holy day, Hanukkah is nevertheless celebrated by Jews around the world in observance of the miracle of the oil that occurred in the temple. Hanukkah traditionally begins on the 22nd of December and ends on the 31st of December.

Five Centuries of Hanukkah Lamps from The Jewish Museum: A Catalogue Raisonne (Published in Association with the Jewish Museum, New York)

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Research also reveals that there are two types of Menorahs: one is 7-branched and one is 8-branched. There was a prohibition against the use of a 7-branched Menorah similar to the one used in the original temple.

The Chanukah (another way of spelling Hanukkah) Menorah has a place for eight candles as well as a ninth candle set apart from the rest. It is said that the eight candles commemorate the miracle of the oil while the ninth candle, the Shamash, symbolizes light.

Is a Christmas tree offensive to you during the winter holidays?

Expert Shopper — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:31:48 +0000

Kanakalele asked:

A menorah is not offensive to me, I think they are rather cool looking, and the little candles they make for them are artful.

By the way, if you are Jewish, would you be offended if a close Christian aquaintence/client gave you a menorah as a gift? Would you think they were over stepping their boundaries?
What would you think if they had a menorah in their house? (Of course they know what it stands for and what it means)
Teacher, I appreciate your answer. thank you for being here today.

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