Playa Nedeber Writ: Chanukah A Religious, National Holiday
By NIRA LEV
Nira Lev is associate professor
of Hebrew language and literature
at the Midrasha College of Jewish
Studies and teaches Hebrew
language and literature at the
Community Jewish High School.
Chag Ha-Chanukah which is
celebrated on the 25th day of
chodesh Kislev, is different from
other chagim Yehudiyim.
This chag is not mentioned in
the Torah. All we know about the
Chashmona'eem and about the
Maccabim comes from Sefer
Ha'maccabim, one of the s'farim
that were not included in the
Tanach.
Chanukah, unlike other chagim
Yehudiyim, celebrates nitzachon
b'milchama. Chanukah is also
different because we do not have
special prayers in beit- ha-knesset.
We do not have a special arucha
chagaigit at home, and it is not like
Shabbat; we can work and travel on
all shmonat y'may Chanukah.
Chanukah is a chag dati and a
chag le-umi. On Chanukah we
remember the milchama of the
Maccabim against the Yevanim, a
milchama of meatim neged
rabim. Like all the milchamot in
our history, the Yevanim were the
rabim, and the Maccabim were the
meatim, but nevertheless the
Maccabim had the nitzachon. This
was a milchama datit; the
Maccabim fought for chofesh dati,
for the bchut to be Yehudim, to
keep their dat, their religious and
national identity and not to become
helenized.
Chanukah has thus become a
semel of milchama of meatim
naged rabim. This semel has been
the reality in all the milchamot our
am had to fight throughout history.
The nitzachon won by the
Maccabim in this milchama was a
ness.
The rabbanim tell us about
another ness: ness pach
ha'shemen. When the chavalim
looked for shemen kadosh to burn
in the menorah of Belt
Ha'mikdash, they found enough
shemen to burn shmonah yamim.
Therefore we light nerot in the
chanukiya shmonah yamim.
The ness is symbolic of the
meaning of Chag Ha'Chanukah. It
is symbolic of the ness of survival
and existence of Am Yisrael, am
katan that has survived in spite of
the numerous powerful oy'vim that
tried to destroy it.
The menorah, the chanukiya,
is the most important semel of
Chanukah. In fact, Chanukah was
called Chag Ha'or long before it
was called Chanukah (meaning The
Festival of Dedication). Orot and
nerot have always been part of our
religious ritual. We find the
menorah as a semel chashuv in
the description of Ohel Moed in the
Tanach. This menorah was the first
Ner Ha'tamid before Aron
Ha'kodesh. The seven branched
menorah was for use only in Belt
Ha-mikdash. The chanukiyah we
use at home has places for
shmonah nerot and another place
for the shammash light. Ner Ha-
shammash, the "servant" light is
used to light the other nerot.
Orot Ha-Chanukah are aslo
related to the season when this
chag is celebrated. Just as Pesach,
Shavuot and Sukkot celebrate aviv,
kayitz and stay so Chanukah is a
holiday of choref. The yamim start
getting longer and we add lights
every night.
Meelon (Dictionary)
holiday
Chag
month
chodesh
chagim Yehudiyim ..Jewish holidays
Hasmoneans
Chashmona'eem
Maccabees
Maccabim
book
sefer
books
sfarim
The Bible
The Tanach
victory
nitzachon
in a war
b'milchama
the synagogue
beit-ha'knesset
a meal
arucha
festive (feminine)
chagigit
the eight days
shomnat y'mey
of Chanukah
religious
dati
national
le-umi
war
milchama
Greek
Yevanim
few
meatim
many
rabim
against
neged
freedom
chofesh
wars
milchamot
right, privilege
bchut
symbol
semel
nation
am
a miracle
ness
small
katan
rabbis
rabbanim
the can of oil
pach ha shemen
soldiers
chavalim
oil
shemen
holy
kadosh
The Temple
Beit Ha'mikdash
eight days
shmonah yamim
candles
nerot
a Chanukah menorah
chanukiah
enemies
oy-vim
.The Holiday of Light
Chag ha'or
lights
o rot
important
chashuv
Ohel Moed ....the tent of gathering
The Ark
Aron Ha'kodesh
The Temple
Belt Ha'mikdash
aviv
kayitz
stay
choref
spring
summer
fall
winter
Famous Facts
Q. Who was the Jewish aide-de-camp of notorious traitor
Benedict Arnold?
A. David Salisbury Franks
was appointed as aide to
Benedict Arnold during the dark
days at Valley Forge when Arnold
was the darling of the patriot
army and hero of the recent
victory at Saratoga, where he had
been severely wounded. Franks
was foppish in his dress and
habits, but he was described by
no less than Thomas Jefferson
as intelligent and honest. Franks
was aware of a correspondence
between Arnold and a certain
John Anderson behind British
lines but believed that Arnold was
merely gathering intelligence.
Arnold was rude and harsh
spoken with his aides, especially
as he grew more nervous while
his secret plotting deepened.
Franks and another aide, Richard
Varick, were fed up with Arnold
and ready to leave him, and
there were several shouting
matches. However, Franks and
Varick were completely surprised
when Arnold went over to the
British and tried to betray West
Point in upstate New York. Arnold
later wrote to General
Washington from the British ship
Vulture listing Franks, Varick and
several others close to him as
totally ignorant of his traitorous
activities. Varick and Franks were
later exonerated in a
court-martial.
Compiled by Dr. Matthew and
Thomas Schwartz
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
L 5
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