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.