Latkes, dreidels, candles, and gelt: is this what the festival of Chanukah is really about?

There are many reasons for these traditions. Not one universally accepted text explains the origins of our eight-day Festival of Lights, known as Chanukah. Each has its own merit. Thus it is entirely possible that questions about the festival may have more than one correct answer.

The story that is most commonly told is that of the oil miracle. In this tale, it is said that the Maccabees, when they were cleansing and rededicating the Temple, only had enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Yet, miraculously, it lasted for eight days. It’s a great story, but who were the Maccabees? Why did they need to rededicate the Temple? How did the small supply of oil last so long and why for eight days? The answers to these questions tell the complete story of

Chanukah and imbue the festival with profound meaning. It is a story of a devoted minority, determined to overcome those who sought to destroy Judaism.

THE THREAT TO JUDAISM

The Chanukah story begins approximately in the year 175 BCE when Antiochus IV Epiphanes became the Syrian king and began to rule over Judea. During his reign, Antiochus set out to decimate the Jewish religion. He called for the building of Greek structures, such as a gymnasium, in Jerusalem and, eventually, ordered the abolition of Jewish law. Antiochus’s decrees included directing his soldiers to sacrifice pigs at the Temple and to build statues of Greek gods in the Holy of Holies. The Jews were forced to comply with these dictates, lest they face death.

Antiochus would have succeeded in his quest to conquer the Jews had it not been for a priest named Mattathias from the town of Modi’in. Mattathias was angered, not only by the actions of the government, but also by the Jews who agreed to them. Upon seeing a Jew offer a sacrifice according to the king’s decree, Mattathias said, "Let everyone who is zealous for and supports the covenant come with out me." (I Maccabees 2:27) With that, he and his sons undertook a revolt against the Syrian troops in December of 167 BCE.

THE TRIUMPH OF THE MACCABEES

The study of the story of Chanukah is an example of those who courageously fight so that the Jews can be free. The Maccabees took bold steps to ensure the survival of the Jewish people. This small group fought against the government and its large army who tried not only to destroy all things the minority regarded as sacred, but who also tried to force them to change their system of beliefs. The Maccabees also faced the disapproval of many of their fellow Jews because they were willing to fight on Shabbat*. Mattathias responded to these protests by saying:

“If we all do as our brethren have done and refuse to fight with the Gentiles for our lives and our ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from the earth… Let us fight against every man who comes to attack us on the Sabbath day; let us not all die as our brethren did in their hiding places.” (I Maccabees 2:40-41)

The Maccabees were so committed to their cause that they were able to overcome (or force their way through) all the obstacles placed in their way.

Sadly, Mattathias died within a year of the start of the revolt, leaving his son Judah in command. Judah was nicknamed Judah the Maccabee (the hammer) because of the way he aggressively fought and hammered away at the Syrians. After several smaller victories, Judah and his fighters, the Maccabees (also referred to as the Hasmoneans), were able to gain the ultimate victory.

On the twenty-fifth of Kislev 164 BCE, three years to the day after the Syrians took over the Temple, the Maccabean revolt came to an end, and the Jewish people regained control of the Temple. In the days that followed the Maccabean victory, the Jews gathered to rebuild and rededicate the Temple. This is the origin of the name Chanukah, which is literally translated as dedication.

THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Two differing theories explain why the festival of Chanukah is celebrated for eight days. The first contends that the eight days represent the holiday of Sukkot. Due to the war, the Jews were unable to observe Sukkot, and, therefore, they celebrated the rededication of the Temple for eight days. The other theory is the aforementioned story of the oil: One day’s worth of oil lasted for eight — the time it took for more to arrive — because God would not allow the light of the Jews, who worked so diligently to regain it, go out. This is why Chanukah is often referred to as the Festival of Lights and why it is celebrated for eight days.

Regardless of the reason behind the number of days, the festival of Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees whose courage and conviction preserved our Jewish heritage. It was a victory of a dedicated few over the might of many. It was a great miracle.

* The debate over engaging in warfare on Shabbat is that on the one hand, to fight would not only be to desecrate the holiness of the day, it would do so by destroying the lives of others. On the other hand, if enemies knew that the Jews would not fight on Shabbat, they would almost certainly choose to attack on that day, thus resulting in the death and destruction of Jews, another sacrilege. (This relates to the Rabbinic category of pikuach nefesh, protecting a life, which allows a Jew to desecrate Shabbat for the sake of saving a soul/life.)