Purely Commentary
Hanuka has been interpreted militarily: it is generally applied to the
defensive element in the era of the Hasmoneans. Christians who share
with us the Scriptures 'and the Apocrypha, the legendary and the factual
in history, view the Feast of Lights from the viewpoint of the struggle
that was carried on against the invaders of Judea. The festival is observed
as an occasion to admire those who stood up for their rights. But the physi-
cal was a mere adjunct to the spiritual. If it were not for the military
triumph of the Maccabees—so theologians keep saying—there would not
have'been survival for the religious tenets—and that applies to Christianity
as well as Judaism. Christian philosophers speculate that if the Maccabees
had not triumphed there might not have emerged the Christian faith: the
pagans would have destroyed all that was glorious in man's belief in the
godly.
The Hanuka spirit must be applied to many factors in our lives.
We expect all justice-loving people to join with us in defense of Israel—
unless there is military aid from the United States there could well be
another massacre and the destruction of the reconstructed Jewish state
perpetuating he spirit as well as the valor of the Hasmoneans—and we
feel justified in asking and expecting it.
By the same token we ask and expect repudiation of libels leveled at
Israel and Israelis and not incidentally but purposely therefore against
Jews and Judaism.
We are sick and tired of the nonsense about the Jewish vote, about
politically motivated actions to support Jews- and Israel. If public needs—
civil rights, assurance of aid for the aged, protection for nations threatened
with annihilation — similar matters involving fair play and common decency
for individuals and nations—cannot be treated the human way, then the
aspirations for justice could be doomed.
There are many dangers that demand courageous action. The India-
MaccabeanYalor Draws Upon-Spiritas Well
as Sword in Defense of Rights and Dignities
By Philip
'Slan!elfitz
Pakistani horrors are hair-rasing, yet the Avcirld• organization seems.
helpless, ..with the Russian-Chinese divisiveness dominating the UN. The
drivel heard during Middle East debates should shock the sensibilities of
rational people, yet there is permissive confusion in the communications
areas.
The terror under viA4ch „Jews live in Syria is so abominable that one
wonders why there are so few voices in defense of the few thousand sur-
viving Jews in that backward land.
The Russian situation is well known. The Kremlin appears to be -
conceding to the charge there is injustice, else it might not have granted
the thousands of exit visas. This proves-the validity of protests.
That is why there should be an organized effort to save Syrian Jewry,
just as we organize to rescue other oppressed Jews. If we don't act now,
it may be too late.
These are a few incidents of obligatory conditions that emphasize the
human factor in the Hanuka theme—the combination of the right to
with the duty to press for spiritual needs—the right to live and
at the same time the right to worship and to adhere to one's cultural
heritage.
Yes: Hanuka gives us courage in retaining the dedication to a right
to self-defense. It obligates us to be loyal to the spiritual factor, and that
factor demands that every time there is a libel concocted against Jews and
matters related to us we must fight it to the very limit.
Let there be no condoning of prejudice, discrimination or any attempt
to undermine our existence! The Hanuka spirit lives for us and all genera-
tions to come—and just as it has inspired previous generations to labor
for our survival, so shall we carry on that the next generations should not
be besmirched with indignities and injustice.
The History and Traditions of Hanuka
.
(From Volume 7, Encyclopedia Judaica)
HANUKA (Heb. "dedication"), an annu-
al eight-day festival commencing on the
25th of Kislev. According to a well-founded
tradition it was instituted by Judah Macca-
bee an-I his followers. The term hanuka is
found in Hebrew and in Aramaic (hanukta)
in rabbinic literature, while in Greek it is
translated as "dedication of the altar,"
(I Maccabees 4:59) and "feast of the dedi-
cation" (John 10:22, where it is an abbre-
viation of hanukat ha-rnizbe'a, "dedication
of the altar," of I Maccabees, and of
hanukat belt Hashmonai, dedication of the
Hasmonean Temple" in rabbinic literature).
The sources which refer to Hanuka yield
little information on the institution of the
festival. They were composed long (per-
haps even generations) after its establish-
ment: legends seem to be inextricably
interwoven with the historical traditions.
I Maccabees (4:36-59) states that Judah
Maccabee, after defeating Lysias, entered
Jerusalem and purified the Temple. The
altar that had been defiled was demolished
and a new one was built. Judah then made
new holy vessels and set the 25th of Kislev
as the date for the rededication of the
Temple.
The day coincided with the third anni-
versary of the proclamation of the re-
strictive edicts of Antiochus Epiphanes
in which he had decreed that idolatrous
sacrifices should be offered on a platform
erected upon the altar. The altar was to
be consecrated with the renewal of the
daily sacrificial service, accompanied by
song, the playing of musical instruments,
the chanting of Hallel, and the offering of
sacrifices (no mention of any special fes-
tival customs is made). The celebration
lasted for eight days, and Judah decreed
that they be designated as days of re-
joicing for future generations.
In II Maccabees (1:8; 10:1-5). the main
aspects of Hanuka are related as in
Maccabees. The book adds, however, that
the eight-day dedication ceremony was per-
formed on an analogy with Solomon's con-
secration of the Temple (2:12). The eight
days were celebrated "with gladness like
the Feast of Tabernacles.
a light for each person each night. Accord-
ing to Bet S'hammai: 'On the first day,
eight lights should be kindled, thereafter
they should be progressively reduced' while
Bet Hillel held that: 'On the Brit night one
light should be kindled, thereafter they
should be progressively increased'."
Another baraita states that the Has-
moneans could not use the candelabrum in
the Temple since the Greeks had defied it.
They, therefore, took seven iron spits,
covered them with zinc, and used them as a
candelbrum. Another baraita ascribes the
eight-day celebration of Hanuka to the
kindling of the Temple candelbrum. It states
that on entering the Temple, the Hasmo-
neans discovered that the Greeks had de-
filed all the oil, except for one cruse, which
contained enough oil to keep the candela-
brum burning for only one day. A miracle,
however, happened and they kindled from
it for eight days; in its commemoration, a
festival lasting eight days was instituted
for future generations. All these stories
seem to be nothing but legends, and the
authenticity of the "oil cruse" story has
already been questioned in the Middle Ages.
Most of the Hanuka traditions comple-
ment one another, and what is lacking in
one may be found in the other. Probably,
during the eight-day dedication of the
altar by Judah Maccabee, a second Taber-
nacles (analogous to the Second Pass-
over) was held because the festival had
not been celebrated at its proper time.
Before long, however, the custom of taking
the lulav during Hanuka was abolished and
forgotten in time.
Hints of a connection between Hanuka
and Sukkot also are preserved in rabbinic
literature. The rejoicing with lights and
illuminations in the Temple (after which
Hanuka came to be called Uritn, "Lights")-
also became less common after a time so
that Josephus no longer knew why the
name "Lights" was given to the festival.
By then, however, the custom of kindling
lights on Hanuka had spread to places out-
side Jerusalem, lights being kindled in the
streets or in the homes. Consequently,
Hanuka evolved from a distinct Temple
festival into a popular family one.
The Halakha prescribes that lighting the
Hanuka lamp should take place between
"sunset and until there is no wayfarer' left
in the street. The lamp should be placed
outside the entrance of the house. If a per-
son lives on an upper story, it should be
set on the window, nearest to the street. If
he is in fear of the gentiles, the lamp may
be placed inside the inner entrance of the
house, and in times of danger, the precept
is fufilled by setting it on the table".
"Danger" existed not only in_Eretz
Israel during the Hadrianic persecution,
but also in Babylonia, where Jews feared
the Hobarei who were fire worshipers.
Perhaps because of the danger involved,
Jews in Babylonia were most particular
in the observance of the Hanuka pre-
cepts; they decided that "because its pur-
pose is to publicize the miracle," it takes
precedence over the purchase of wine for
Kidush on the Sabbath. The precept is
best- fulfilled by kindling with olive oil;
however, any oil may be used. The
Hanuka lamp and the Hanuka light may
not serve any practical purpose.
On kindling the lights, two benedictions
are recited, one is a blessing on the lights
and the other for the miracle; on the first
night, "She-Heheyanu" (the blessing for
the season) is added. The kindling of the
light is followed by a short prayer which
begins with the words "Ha-Nerot Hallalu"
("these lamps"). A summary of the event,
Medal Struck by Heritage Society
Jesephus. whose history of Hanuka is
based on I Maccabees, does not mention the
term Hanuka and concludes: "From that
time onward unto this day we celebrate
the festival, calling it 'Lights"'. He explains
that the festival acquired this name because
the right to serve God came to the people
unexpectedly like a sudden light.
None of these writines mentions the kind-
ling of lights on Hanuka. Reference is first
made in a baraita: "The precept of light
on Hanuka requires that one light be kindled
in each house; the zealous require one light
for each person; the extremely zealous - add
2 Friday, December 10, 1971
—
The Judaic Heritage Society has issued a 1971 Hanuka Medal for its subscribers.
Struck by the Franklin Mint, the medals come in gold on sterling, sterling silver and
solid bronze. Portrayed on the obverse is the family lighting of the Hanuka candles. On
the reverse is a rendering of the candelabrum which serves as emblem of the Judaic
Heritage Society.
THE DETROIT JEWISH• NEWS
i.e., Al ha-Nissim .. . Bi-Yrnei Mattityahu
("In the days of Odattathias") is recited in
the Amidst prayer and in the Grace after
Meals. The entire Hallel is said on each of .
the eight days. The reading of the law is
from the portion of the Torah which des-
cribes the sacrifices brought by the princes
at the dedication of the sanctuary, and the
kindling of the candelabrum (Num. 7:1-8:4);
special haftarot are prescribed for the
Sabbaths of Hanuka. Tahanum is not said
and it is forbidden to eulogize the dead or
to fast.
In medieval times: Hanuka became such
a popular festival it was said, "Even be who
draws his sustenance from Charity, should
borrow, or sell his cloak to-purchase oil
and lamps, and kindle" the Hanuka light.
In some communities, women did not work
while the lights were burning, and often
even during the whole of Hanuka.
It became the custom to feast on Hanuka
and, relying upon late Midrashim which as-
sociate the story of Judith with Hanuka,
cheese was customarily eaten. Pancakes
(latices) are eaten in many Ashkenazi com-
munities, and in Israel doughnuts (suf-
ganiyyot) have become customary food for
the festival.
Ma'oz Zur Yeshu'ati" ("Mighty Rock of
my Salvation"), a hymn composed in Ger-
many by a 13th-century poet about whom
nothing is known except his name Mordecai,
is usually sung in the Ashkenazi ritual
after the kindling of the lights. The Sephar-
dim recite Psalm 30. The origin of the cus-
tom to have an additional- light, the sham-
mash ("servant") with which the Hanuka
lights are kindled, is based on two injunc-
tions: not to kindle one Hanuka light with
another; and not to use the Hanuka lights
for illumination.
Hanuka celebrations also were expressed
in ways of which the halakhists disapproved,
e.g., in card playing which became tradi-
tional froth the end of the Middle Ages.
On Hanuka, children play with dreidel or
sevivon ("spinning top"), and also receive
gifts of "Hanuka money." Among Sephar-
dim, special feasts for the children and
competitions for youths are arranged.
In countries where Christmas became
a popular family festival, Hanuka, parti-
cularly among Reform Jews, assumed a
similar form_
In modern Israel, Hanuka symbolizes
mainly the victory of the Jews over the
many, and the courage of the Jews to as-
sert themselves as a people which was the
impetus of the national renaissance. This
view found literary and artistic expression
and is also reflected in such customs as the
torch relay race which sets out from
Modi'in where the revolt broke out and
the Hasmoneans are buried.
In Israel, giant Hanuka lamps, visible for
great distances, are kindled during the
feast atop public buildings, such as the
Knesset building in Jerusalem.