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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
What do Diwaii Hanukkah Ramadan Las Posadas Christmas and Kwanzaa have in common?
None. The two holidays are completely different and unrelated. The only similarities are the Hanukkah practices that were borrowed from Christmas among non-Orthodox Jews, such as gift-giving and decorations.
Does Hanukkah commemorate Macabees victory over the Syrains?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Syrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE.
The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat their enemy 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 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 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."
What is the connection between Sukkot and Hanukkah?
The timing of the holiday of Hanukkah is connected to the Jewish calendar which is based on the lunar cycle. Hanukkah begins on the Hebrew date 25 Kislev. This date is the darkest day of the year in Israel with a waning moon and few daytime hours and 25 kislev usually falls out around the date of Dec. 21.
What do the colors of the Hanukkah candle represent?
They represent personal style and preference, but they have no actual significance to the holiday.
What purpose does the center candle on the menorah have?
You must mean the shamesh. The shamesh is used to light all of the other candles on the menorah. 1st on first day, 2nd on second, etc....
To clarify, the shamesh/shamash doesn't have to be at the centre of the channukiah, the only requirement is that it is higher than the rest of the candles.
There are no traditional Hanukkah costumes. The only time Jews wear costumes is on Purim.
How do you light candles on the Hanukkiyah during Hanukkah?
You start by putting in the candles from right to left (oldest to newest). Then you light the candles from left to right (newest to oldest).
When lighting the candles, it is best that the flame fully catch and start rising before you move on to the next one.
Can Hanukkah and Shabbat occur together?
Yes, it always will happen each year, since Hanukkah lasts 8 days.
How do Jews worship on Hanukkah?
We have an 8-night celebration and eat traditional foods called potato latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). Each night we light a candle on our channukiahs (Hanukkah-menorahs) until there are a total of 9 candles on the final night. Some families (mainly in North America) give one present for each of the eight nights and usually play a game of dreidle (a dreidle is like a spinning top with Hebrew letters on the side). There are also special blessings, prayers and Torah-readings during Hanukkah.
What is the correct number of candles for a menorah?
On the first night of Hanukkah you light two candles. You always light the candle at the top. This candle is used to light the other candles. Excluding the candle at the top, you light the candles like this:
* Day one- the first candle. * Day two- the first and second candle. * Day three- the first, second and third candle. And so on.
Why do people play with a dreidl on Hanukkah?
Dreidl means "top" (the kind that spins) in yiddish. The game was devised to teach children about the story of Hannukah. The four Hebrew letters ('nun' 'gimmel' 'hey' and 'shin') on each side of the top are an acrostic for the phrase "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham" - meaning "A great miracle happened there". In Israel, the last letter is 'pey' for "Po" - "here" - because the Hannuka story took place in Israel.
For what do the Hanukkah candles stand?
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 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 stands for: 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.
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 are there 8 days and nights for Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Syrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE.
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.
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."
The reason for the celebration is twofold (both dating back to c. 165 BCE):
- The miraculous military victory of the small, ill-equipped Jewish army (Maccabees) over the ruling Greek Syrians, who had banned the Jewish religion and desecrated the Temple;
- The miracle of the small cruse of consecrated oil, which burned for eight days in the Temple's menorah instead of just one.
Hanukkah is celebrated by:
- Lighting an 8-branched menorah (called a Chanukiah) for eight nights (at sunset) with either olive oil or wax candles; one on the first night and an additional one each succeeding night, so that the last night has eight lights
- Eating food fried in oil, especially potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly donuts (sufganiyot)
- Playing with a dreidel, a four-sided top; the player wins or loses money depending on which side it lands on (each is marked with a different Hebrew letter)
- Adding special prayers: Al Hanisim (On the Miracles) to grace after meals and the thrice-daily prayers, singing the Hallel (Psalms 113 through 118) during morning prayers.
Before lighting the Chanukiah the following blessing are said in Hebrew:
1. Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights."
2. Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors, in those days, at this season."
3. This third blessing is recited only on the first night: "Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season."
After lighting the candles the "Hanerot Halalu" is said, informing everybody that the candles are being lit to publicize the miracle and may not be used for mundane purposes. For this reason the extra "Shamash" is lit, so that there's an extra light people can use to read by, that is not related to the lights commemorating the miracle.
Then the Ma'oz Tzur poem is sung.
Some have the custom of children giving Hanukka Gelt - money (or even gifts) on all of some of the 8 nights of Hanukkah.
Hanukka starts on the evening of 25th of Kislev (the 9th month on the Jewish calendar) which is always in December. Sometimes as early as Dec 2, sometimes later, even as late as Dec 29. Hanukka lasts for 8 days. In 2007 it was Dec 5. In 2008 it will be Dec 22. In 2009: Dec 12. In 2010; Dec 2. In 2011: Dec 21
When was the Jewish law created?
Tradition holds that the Torah was first written down by Moses around 1300 BCE (Deuteronomy 31:24). Modern secular scholars suggest it may have been an oral tradition that was not written down until a few centuries later.
The Oral Torah was handed down orally, from the time of the Revelation at Mount Sinai (Pirkei Avot ch.1) until it was put in writing some 1500 years ago.
What color are the menorah candles?
It's called either a hanukkiyah or a Hanukkah-menorah. They can be any color, from plain white to multicolored. Popular in the US lately are blue and white hand dipped candles. There are 44 candles in a set and they must burn down naturally, not be blown out. It is your taste in candles. Multicolored sets have red, orange, blue, yellow, and white in them.
What do Jews wear during Hanukkah?
Hanukkah has no special clothing associated with it. It is not even a particularly religious festival (it is mainly a historical commemoration).
Some families like to dress up in the evenings for the candle lighting, but most families do not.
Answer:Hanukkah has no distinctive clothing. In response to the above answer, it should be pointed out that Hanukkah is indeed a religious holiday, with special blessings, prayers and Torah-readings.Do Hispanic Jews celebrate Hanukkah?
Hispanic Jews, also known as Sephardic Jews, celebrate Hanukkah in much the same way as Ashenanzic (European) Jews do. However, there are a few differences: only the head of the household may light the menorah (among Ashkenazim, each person lights a menorah); the traditional songs differ (though many Sephardi Jews often sing the Ashkenazic Ma'oz Tzur nowadays) and they have a tradition of eating dairy rather than oil-fried foods.
On which dates does Hanukkah occur?
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:
Why is Hanukkah called Hanukkah?
Hanukkah or Chanukah literally means re-dedication. On Chanukkah we re-dedicated the Temple. So too, every Chanukkah each and every Jew re-dedicates himself! So you ask. "What do you re-dedicate yourselves to?" The answer is simple. We re-dedicate ourselves to Torah study, to Mitzvos, to G-d, to BEING JEWISH! That, is why Chanukkah has its special name.
Answer:The name Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word חנך, which means "to dedicate," since the festival commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after they successfully rebelled against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd Century BCE.It is also an acronym for ח' נרות והלכה כבית הלל, which means "eight candles as determined by the school of Hillel." This comes as a result of the fact that in the past, there was a debate over how the menorah should be lit - Rabbi Shammai said that it should start with all eight candles lit and gradually be decreased to one, whereas Rabbi Hillel said it should start with one candle and be increased to eight. In the end, Jewish law sided with Rabbi Hillel and the menorah is lit as he recommended to this day.
Does the bible talk of the Hanukkah candles that burned for 8 days with one day of oil?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Syrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE. The story about the oil wasn't first written until 400 years later, in the 3rd century.
Answer:
The above answer is untrue. The paragraph in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b) referring to the instituting of Hanukkah, which was authored by the Sages of the Mishna (ibid), occurs also in Megillat Ta'anit (ch.9), which was written less than two centuries after the events of Hanukkah. Josephus (Antiquities ch.12) mentions celebrating for eight days the re-dedication of the Temple; and the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18) mentions it still earlier. 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' miraculous military victories (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 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, 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."
What do they sing at Hanukkah?
There are many Hanukkah songs. There are several traditional songs, that are prayers said on Hanukkah, or religious hymns composed for Hanukkah. They are usually in Hebrew, and some have English translations that are rhymed and popular. Examples of such songs are "Maoz Tzur" ("Rock of Ages" is the English interpretation, sung with the same melody in English and Hebrew), "Hanerot Halalu", and "Al Hanissim".
There are also kids Hanukkah songs, such as the Dreidel song, Hanukkah oh Hanukkah song, and Sevivon sov sov sov (in Hebrew).
There are a few modern Hanukkah songs in English - Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song, Matisyahu Hanukkah song called "Miracles", and a Hanukkah song by a Jewish a cappella group Maccabeats called "Candlelight".
What clothes do youy wear on Hanukkah?
There are no particular clothing requirements for Hanukkah in Jewish law. Whatever is acceptable for the rest of the year is good for Hanukkah too. Hanukkah is not one of the major Jewish festivals.
