Hanukah - The Festival of Lights
So, what is Hanukah?
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by the Greeks in 164 BCE (Before the common era). This makes this eight-day long celebration a relative newcomer to the Jewish calendar but one that become firmly entrenched in Jewish consciousness. Because traditionally candles are lit every night of the celebration (more about that later) it is also known as the Festival of Lights. As the Jewish calendar is a lunar one, the dates according to the Gregorian calendar vary, but it usually falls around December when the nights are longest in the northern hemisphere.
History
in 167 BCE, Judean Jews revolted against the rule of the Seleucid emperor, Antiochus. The revolt was led by Judah the Maccabee the eldest son of the priest Mattityahu (Mattathias).
In the autumn of 164 BCE, Judah and his followers retook the Temple in Jerusalem, which Antiochus had turned into a pagan shrine. They cleansed it and rededicated it to God.
However, the story tells that there was only one small jar of sanctified oil needed to light the everlasting flame that burned in the Temple. The oil was sufficient for just one day and it would take eight days for fresh oil to arrive in Jerusalem.
Miraculously, this one, small jar of oil, lasted for eight days, and from here we get the theme and the length of Hannukah – An eight day festival of light.
Hannukah at home
Hanukkah is very much a home based, family celebration. The main theme of the celebration is, without a doubt, the lighting of the hanukkiah or menorah, an eight-branched candelabrum to which one candle is added on each night of the holiday until, on the eight night, it lights the house.
Other traditions associated with the festival including eating fried foods (oil remember?) such as sufganiot (donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes).
Then there is the driedal (spinning top). Before defeating the Greeks and rededicating the Temple, Jews were forbidden from worshipping God and studying the Torah. Despite this, the continued to pray and study and, if in danger of being discovered, would hide the scrolls and take out small wooden or clay spinning tops to make it seem as if they were playing a game. Today these tops, known as dreidels, are marked with four Hebrew letters which stand for the phrase NES GADOL HAYA SHAM — a great miracle happened there. (Though in Israel, the letters spell out “a great miracle happened here.”)
Hannukah in the community
Hanukkah is actually a quite minor festival. However, it has become one of the favorite Jewish holidays. For many, religious and secular, it symbolizes the triumph of freedom over oppression, the survival of the Jewish people over the centuries despite efforts to eradicate them. It is a statement to the world that the Jewish people will persevere and continue to develop. Thus, in many Jewish communities around the world, Jews will often gather for communal celebrations and public candle lighting.
Lighting the Hanukah Candles
As with all religious customs, and Judaism is no different, there is a set way of observing them.
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is perhaps best known for the mitzvah (commandment) to light candles on each of the festivals eight nights. The candles commemorate the eight days that the surviving bottle of consecrated oil of the Everlasting Light in the temple lasted despite there being only enough for one day.
The Hanukiah
Hanukah candles are usually placed in a special candelabra (menorah), known as a HANUKIAH.
The Hanukiah has nine “branches”, one for each of the eight nights and another (often placed in the center of the Hanukiah) known as the “SHAMASH” or helper. The shamash has a special function that I’ll explain soon.
Everything in its turn
On the first of night of Hanukkah two candles are lit – one candle to commemorate the first night and the shamash. Each night, another candle is added so that by the eighth night a total of nine candles are lit.
Traditionally, candles are placed in the Hanukiah from right to left but are lit from left to right. First the Shamash is lit and then it is used to light the other candles.
Step 1: Place the candles in the Hanukiah but don’t light them yet.
Step 2: The blessings. Three blessings are recited, in the following order, before lighting the candles:
· First blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱלוֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִידְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצוֹתָיו, וְצִיוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חַנֻכָה
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Praised are You, our God, ruler of the universe, who made us holy through Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
Now, as you say the second blessing light the candles (we usually let the grandchildren do this, they think it’s great fun).
· Second blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱלוֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ, בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
Praised are You ,our God, ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days and at this season.
· Third blessing – this is only recited on the first night after the candles have been lit.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱלוֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָּנוּ, וְקִיְּמָנוּ, וְהִגִּיָּענוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah adonai elohenu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh
Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
Now light the candles, remember from left to right, and enjoy some sufganiot (donuts), latkes (potato pancakes) and just being with the family.
Food, glorious food
No celebration would be complete without food and Hannukah is no exception.
The thing is that there are so many variations on the basic donut or potato pankage recipe that it’s just impossible to know where to begin.
So instead, here is a link to the Chabad site with almost 100 different recipes to choose from.