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On Hanukkah, the chief celebration is not for the military victory. It's for the miracle of the oil (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), which occurred during the Hasmonean victory over the Syrian-Greeks in the Second Temple era; and we also thank God for His having helped us to oust the Syrian-Greeks (Seleucids) and their lackeys, the Hellenizing Jews. The Seleucids, at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices, such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a religious Jewish family) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. When they reached the Temple grounds, they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil, but the oil lamps miraculously burned for eight days (ibid.), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple.
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoYou light four candles. You celebrate each day of Channukah the same way.
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How many sundowns are there during Hanukkah..... Is the evening of the last celebrated day considered a Hanukkah sundown?
there are eight. the evening entering into the eighth day is the last celebrated night of hanukkah, while the evening at the end of the eighth day is not part of hanukkah.
Where does Hanukkah be celebrated at?
The 8-day festival of Hanukkah is celebrated in the homes of Jewish people. Sometimes synagogues and Jewish schools also have Hanukkah parties.
What day was Hanukkah celebrated?
Hanukkah was first celebrated in 164 BCE, starting on the 25th of Kislev of that year.See dates of Hanukkah for the next couple of decades on this linked page.See also:More about Hanukkah
Where is Hanukkah day celebrated?
There is no such thing as "Hanukkah Day". Hanukkah lasts 8 nights and 8 days, and it is celebrated in the home; plus special prayers are added to the daily synagogue services, and some synagogues and Jewish schools have parties.
What day in 165 BCE was hanukkah celebrated on?
the 25th of Kislev.
When was the first day Hanukkah was celebrated?
The 25th of kislev, 165 BCE.
On what date was the fourth day of Hanukkah in 1904?
December 6, 1904
Is Hanukkah celebrated one full moon every year?
Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, starting on the Hebrew date of 25 Kislev. The sixth day of Hanukkah always occurs on a new moon. None of the days of Hanukkah occur on a full moon.
When does the US celebrate Thanksgiving Day?
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
Usually when is Mother's Day celebrated in the UK?
It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent
Where is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is celebrated in the home, by Jews around the world.
What festival is celebrated on Hanukkah?
Hanukkah (channukkah) is the name of the festival.
