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Hanukkah
The festival of lights, as it is often called, is a celebration of both Jewish spiritual values and the triumph of the Jews over the armies of Antiochus IV.
984 Questions
How many presents on Hanukkah?
Some families exchange presents, and some do not. Gift giving is most common among American and Canadian Jews, but it's a non-Orthodox practice that only started a few decades ago due to influence from Christmas.
If gifts are exchanged, they are usually given each night during the 8 nights of the holiday. There is no rule about how many presents are given each night, but it is often 1 per night.
The only traditional gift during Hanukkah is the gelt (coins) given to children.
When do you light the menorah?
On the sabbath, about 20 minutes before sunset or a bit earlier.
On the other days, there are opinions ranging from sunset to about 1 1/4 hours later. From my own research, the best answer is about 20-25 minutes after sunset.
When did Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrate the Temple?
He sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus. He also brought into the Temple things that were forbidden, so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the Torah laws.
What was the first day of Hanukkah in 1943?
December 22.
Source: I consulted timeanddate.com and showed all religious observances for 1943.
What are the words to Eight Days of Hanukkah lyrics?
one is for the temple walls that never fall never fall (that's all i know sorry)
Do Jewish people exchange gifts for Hanukkah?
Yes
Passover is a Jewish festival which calls for gala celebration with family and friends. It is a regular practice to give and take Passover gifts to and from Seder feasts. After all, it is a grand celebration marked with a grand dinner and what could be better than attractive Passover gifts? The traditional gifts of Passover that are usually exchanged are boxes of fruits and sweets. There is also a custom to gift wines, being used for the rituals of Seder. Another gift idea for Passover is Passover flowers that happen to be the most obvious choice for everybody. Link it all up with Passover - a day of celebration with tasty dishes and wine glasses. You could also gift varied kinds of dishware and silverware as Passover presents to the ones to come over to your Passover party.Remember that in a Seder feast, only Matzah foods are allowed, but one can also carry with them chocolate covered Matzah foods or crackers or Kosher foods and drinks. The other options for Passover gifts are Seder plates, Haggadah books - all of which has a religious significance.Don't forget to explore options like Matzah and Afikomen covers, Table centerpieces and dinnerware. They are good gift ideas for Pesach feasts. During this Jewish festival which is usually celebrated around April, calls for cleaning the house and making everything perfect. The main aim is to remove the yeast from all corners of the house. This festival of Passover commences at the sunset on the 14th day of Nisan (falling in March or April) and continues for either seven or eight days. It is otherwise known as the feast of Unleavened Bread.
Types of Passover gifts :
There is a habit to exchange gifts among the Jews with one another during this festive occasion. Passover gifts are the best way to reciprocate love and regard and Passover gift items generally include artistic ones like:
- Hand-embroidered matzah cover
- Ceremonial serving piece (Seder plate)
- Passover cookbook
- Seder and Matzah plates
- Silver plated Elijah and Miriams' cups
- Haggadahs Holder
- Matzah box
- Matzah tray
- Star of David wrapped soaps
- Beeswax candles
- Matzah and Afikomen bag set
Other Passover gift items comprise of - Jewish religious books, Jewish symbols, religious items, jewelry pieces, music, books, kosher gift basket, and Judaica greeting cards. These are all traditional Passover gifts which are commonly exchanged among friends. Besides all these, Kosher wines and Matzah covers happen to be wonderful Passover gift basket ideas.
What type of occasion is Hanukkah?
It is a Jewish holiday of thanksgiving to God.
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, 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. 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."
What do non-Jews do on Hanukkah?
Anyone can celebrate Hanukkah, but Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Assyrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE.
So it wouldn't have much significance to a non-Jew.
What does dreidel mean in Judaism?
During the time of the story of Hanukkah, the Syrian-Greeks (at the instigation of the Hellenizers) forbade the Jews to study Torah. But the teachers and young children would hide and study Torah in secret, and if a greek soldier would find them, they would quickly hide their books and then pull out their dreidels and make believe that they were just playing a game and the soldiers would leave. Now it has become tradition to play with a dreidel on chanuka.
Each side of the dreidel has another letter on it.
Nun=nes- a miracle. gimmel=gadol- big. hey=haya-was. shin=sham- there.
A big miracle happened there.
Nobody knows.
Many rabbis have tried to find a historical connection between the dreidel and the Hanukkah story.
One 19th century rabbi proposed that in Ancient times, Jews played with the dreidel in order to fool the Greeks if they were caught studying Torah, which had been outlawed.
The standard explanation is that the letters nun, gimmel, hey, shin, which appear on the dreidel in the Diaspora, stand for nes gadol haya sham--"a great miracle happened there,"while in Israel the dreidel says nun, gimmel, hey, pey, which means "a great miracle happened here."
What side of a dreidel means take all the money?
That is Gimmel (representing the yiddish word "gantz" meaning "all"). Gimmel looks like this: ג
What are the two miracles of Hanukkah?
The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat the Syrian-Greeks and were able to restore the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Greeks. In a larger context, Hanukkah represents victory against religious persecution and assimilation.
But a second miracle is more commonly known: A story in the Talmud (500 years later) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the Ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So the lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.
This second miracle is very popular with children. It is understood as a legend only, and appears to be the early Rabbis' attempt to add a spiritual level to the holiday.
Answer:The above answer is non-traditional. Our tradition is that the miracle of the oil did indeed occur and isn't just a legend. If it wasn't for the clear tradition of our Sages, Hanukkah would have been forgotten long ago. Moreover, on Hanukkah the chief celebration is not for the military victory; it's for the miracle of the oil (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). As an augmentation to the celebration of that miracle, we also thank God during Hanukkah for the Hasmoneans' military victory (during which they ousted the Seleucids and their lackeys, the Hellenizing Jews, making possible the rededication of the Temple).The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), 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 family of religious Jews) 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 and prepared to light the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), 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. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
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."
How long have people been celebrateing Hanukkah?
The reason that Hanukkah lasts for 8 days is related to the holiday of Sukkot. Hanukkah lasts 8 days because during the Syrian occupation, the holiday of Sukkot could not be celebrated. As a result, once the Temple was reclaimed from the invaders and rededicated, there was a postponed observance of that holiday which is 8 days
- Answer:
The menorah in the Temple was meant to be lit every evening. However, once the Temple was reclaimed from the Syrian-Greek invaders and rededicated, there was only enough oil to last for one day, and it would take eight days to make more. The oil that they had ended up burning for eight days in the Temple's menorah, the perfect amount of time until the new oil could be made and brought.
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates only the miracle of the oil.
Does Hanukkah have a Santa Claus?
There is nothing equivalent to Santa or the Easter Bunny in Jewish culture. Hanukkah presents come from parents, friends, and other relatives.
Answer:
The giving of gifts at Hanukkah is a recent, non-Orthodox innovation. The only traditional gift at Hanukkah is the gelt (coins) given to children.
What is the reason behind Hanukkah?
When they reached the Temple grounds and prepared to light the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), 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. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid).
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."
Hanukkah is described in the Talmud. The Talmud (Shabbat 21), in a discussion concerning Shabbat candles, mentions also the Hanukkah candles and says that after the forces of Antiochus IV had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned by the Greeks. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest, with enough oil to keep the menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. They used this, yet it miraculously burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready).
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, 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. 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."
What does the candle in the middle mean?
The middle candle is called the SHAMUS. Since it is prohibited to utilize the light from candles that fulfill the commandment, it is necessary to have an auxiliary light source to prevent accidental use of the commandment lights. The middle candle is also used to light the other candles or to relight candles that were blown out. This non commandment candle is placed above or to the side of the commandment candles to identify its function.
How do you say the Hanukkah blessings?
The full 'Hallel' is said during the entire holiday during the morning services; and Al HaNisim is added during the prayers and during Grace after Meals.
The blessings over the Hanukkah lights are said each night.
What do the candles of the Hanukkah menorah represent?
There are 9 candles that are lit on Hanukkah. One is the helper candle ("shamash") used to light the other 8, which symbolize the 8 days of Hanukkah.
A story in the Talmud (500 years after the Maccabean War) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the Ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So they lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.
Although this is just a legend, in modern times, we light candles to symbolize the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days.
Answer:The above answer is non-traditional. Our tradition is that the miracle of the oil did indeed occur and isn't just a legend. If it wasn't for the clear tradition of our Sages, Hanukkah would have been forgotten long ago.The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) were miraculously victorious. When they reached the Temple grounds, they immediately reconsecrated it to God. As part of this action, they relit the Menorah (Exodus ch.25), which was fueled with olive oil. However, it soon became apparent that there was only sufficient oil to keep the candelabra burning for one single day - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), 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. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, 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.
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."
Why is there sometimes a ninth candle on the Menorah?
There are two types of menorah. One has seven arms for seven candles - this is the original menorah as used as a symbol of Judaism for many thousands of years. The other type is the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukiyah, which holds a candle (or, ideally, burns oil) for each of the eight days of Hanukkah and also holds a ninth candle called the shamash (attendant or helper) which is used to light the other candles. Since the menorah candles should not be used for lighting, the shamash is kept lit in case a candle is needed while the hanukiyah is in use.
Can you name the Jewish festival of lights Judas Maccabaeus?
When is it appropriate to give gifts to someone who celebrates Hanukkah?
Usually after the lighting of the candles, in the evenings, but there is no rule.
Some families exchange presents, and some do not. Gift giving is most common among American and Canadian Jews, but it's a non-Orthodox practice that only started a few decades ago due to influence from Christmas.
If gifts are exchanged, they are usually given each night during the 8 nights of the holiday. There is no rule about how many presents are given each night, but it is often 1 per night.
It is more traditional to give money or chocolate coins than gifts.
Hanukkah always starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. The Hebrew calendar does not line up with the western calendar because it has a completely different leap year system that can shift holidays each year by to 11-28 days.
Here are the coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years. The candle lightings begin on the evening BEFORE the first date:
2013: November 27-December 5
2014: December 16-24
2015: December 6-14
Answer:
The first Hanukkah was instituted in 165 BCE. Here's the background:
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, 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. 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."
Why Hanukkah still important today?
Answer:It's assimilated only among the assimilated.
The importance of Hanukkah can be understood from its origin:
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) 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 and prepared to light the oil lamps of the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), 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. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, 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.
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."
