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 -