Download The Festival of Hanukkah Introduction Hanukkah, which means

The Festival of Hanukkah
Introduction
Hanukkah, which means "dedication," is celebrated for eight days, usually beginning around mid to late December. Also
known as the Festival of Lights, the observance recalls the Jews' struggle for religious freedom and celebrates their triumph
against the Hellenistic Syrians in 165 BCE.
One of the centerpieces of Hanukkah is the nine-branched hanukiah ("candlestick"). On the festival's first night, one of the
candles is lit. Each night after that, another light is lit until the eighth and final night, when all of them are lit. The gradual
addition of lights reminds the Jews of the miracle's magnitude and growth. The candles are placed in the hanukiah from
right to left, but are lit from left to right. The main candle is called the shamash, or "servant," and is used to light the rest of
the candles. There are recitations of blessings every night prior to the lighting of the candles: as they burn the eight lights of
the hanukiah, Jews all over the world narrate stories about the triumph of their ancestors over depravity, the rededication
of the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the miracle of one day's supply of oil that burned for eight days.
For unexplained reasons, the real story of the festival and the rebellion never became a part of the Torah. Rather, it was
scripted in four works, in Greek and Hebrew, called The Books of the Maccabees. These works survived after Christians
translated them. The Mishnah, where everything related to religious life was documented, has only a few mentions of the
festival and its story.
Hanukkah found renewed import in the years that led to the establishment of the modern state of Israel. Post-Holocaust
Jews became aware of the profound questions raised by Hanukkah: identity, oppression, religious autonomy and
expression, and the fight for independence. Although in a religious context Hanukkah remains a minor Jewish holiday, it
has turned into a holiday of historical significance, for the repetition of the miracle narratives both confirm and strengthen a
persecuted people.
Origins and History
After Alexander the Great's death (356 BCE–23 BCE), his kingdom was divided among his generals Seleucus (358/54 BCE–
281 BCE), Antigonus (382 BCE–01 BCE), and Ptolemy (367 BCE–283 BCE). Seleucus reigned over Babylonia, Syria, and
Persia; Antigonus over Macedonia and Greece; and Ptolemy ruled Israel and Egypt. Like his legendary predecessor,
Ptolemy championed Hellenism (Greek nationalism). The empire Ptolemy established ruled Israel for nearly a century.
Under his reign a great number of Jews began to take up features of Greek culture, and they became known as Hellenists.
For these Jews, Greek culture symbolized the future and the quickest way to be successful in Greek society.
Seleucus’s Empire, which ruled Syria seized control of Israel from the Ptolemies in 199 BCE. During this period the practice
of Judaism went through a torturous phase. The observance of the Sabbath, the learning of Torah, and circumcisions were
prohibited. In addition, the Holy Temple housed images of Greek gods and other artifacts of Greek culture.
In 168 BCE, the Holy Temple of the Jews was seized and offered to the Greek god Zeus. While some Jews feared the Greek
soldiers and avoided angering them, many had had enough and decided to fight back. The struggle began in Modiin, near
Jerusalem. One Greek officer, along with his soldiers, gathered the villagers and ordered them to bow down before an idol
and eat pig's flesh—both activities forbidden by Jewish law.
When Mattathias, a high priest, was ordered to participate in the proceedings, he refused, but another villager offered to do
it in his place. An outraged Mattathias took out his sword and killed both the villager and the officer. His sons and the rest
of the villagers then assaulted and slaughtered the soldiers. Mattathias's family hid in the nearby mountains after this
incident, where they were joined by many other Jews who were ready to oppose the Greeks. Mattathias died about a year
after the rebellion began, but before he died, he declared his courageous son Judah Maccabee as the leader of the growing
Jewish army.
After about three years of struggle, the Jews overcame the much stronger and better armed Greek forces.
When Judah Maccabee and his forces entered the Holy Temple, they were dismayed by the sight of missing and broken
items. They cleaned and revamped the Temple and, when finished, decided to rededicate it. They sought to light the
menorah for the celebrations. After searching thoroughly for oil, they found a flask containing only enough oil to last a day.
Extraordinarily, the oil sustained itself for eight days, allowing the Maccabees enough time to procure new oil.
Hanukkah achieved new significance with the rise of Zionism (Jewish nationalism). Israel's pioneers had to defend
themselves against attacks, and they started to connect with the old Jewish warriors who had fought for their freedom in the
same place. Hanukkah, with its encouraging depiction of the Jewish fighter, touched the early Zionists, who were fighting
for their own liberty and freedom.
Hanukkah in Modern Times
Over the last two or three decades, many evangelical Christians have reexamined the roots of their religion and have
progressively become conscious of, and accepted, a number of celebrations and feasts of Judaism. This inclination is
particularly apparent among messianic believers (people who believe in Jesus), although it is not restricted to them. Many
Christians observe the lighting of the Hanukkah hanukiah and other Hanukkah rituals. Apart from this, some claim a
correlation between the miracle of the Temple's light and Jesus' birth. They maintain that Hanukkah (celebrated on the
25th of the Jewish month of Kislev), not December 25, is the correct date to observe Jesus' birth. Some combine the two
celebrations (Hanukkah and Christmas), whereas others treat them as unrelated holidays. In recent years, a fusion of
Christmas and Hanukkah called Chrismukkah has evolved.
Questions
Answer on a separate sheet of lined paper – Put a heading with your name and the date. Title it “Hanukkah”.
1.
For each of the following words write:
a. What you think it means
b. A Phrase (an EXACT QUOTE) from the text that gives you a clue about what it means.
-
Depravity
Autonomy
Idol
Procure
Depiction
Correlation
2.
Supply two details (EXACT QUOTES from the text) for this main idea in the third paragraph: “After
Alexander the Great's death (356 BCE–23 BCE), his kingdom was divided among his generals Seleucus
(358/54 BCE–281 BCE), Antigonus (382 BCE–01 BCE), and Ptolemy (367 BCE–283 BCE). “
Supply the main idea (EXACT QUOTE from the text) for the following two supporting details (Hint: It’s the
same main idea for both.):
a. The observance of the Sabbath, the learning of Torah, and circumcisions were prohibited.
b. In addition, the Holy Temple housed images of Greek gods and other artifacts of Greek culture.
Look at the section headings. Write a short paragraph explaining how these headings help the reader in reading
and understanding the article.
Write a short paragraph about why the history of Hanukkah holds such meaning for Jewish people. Use EXACT
QUOTES from the text.
3.
4.
5.