HANOUCCAH 
GUIDE CANDLE Acrylic Dina on 25 Kislev
End on 2 Tevet
Hanukkah by Rabbi Moshe Levy If a non-Jew goes to a Jewish house through the window and sees the lights Hanukkah, when the house is illuminated, it is sure to arise the question about the importance and the reason for these small flames.
Anyone familiar with Jewish history knows (or should know) the reason for this festival: the story of the Greek king of Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes who occupied Palestine (Judea) and aided by the complacency Hellenized Jews, wanted Hellenize life of the Jewish people.
For the first time in history, the people of Israel had to be measured in a foreign culture who wanted to absorb it, reduce it and assimilate it. This is not the first time that the Jewish people has faced enemies much larger and more powerful, but the fight has never been such a character.
800 years BCE, the armies of Chalmanassar entered the territory of the Kingdom of Shomron and deported the ten tribes of Israel in the group. As most of the Jewish people in opposition to the Kingdom of Judea, was half idolatry, considered among the winners enemies, he disappeared easily ..
130 years later, the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, occupied Judea. After particularly violent wars between Israeli soldiers and the Babylonians, Jerusalem was destroyed, the Beis Hamikdash King Solomon was burned and the people deported to Babylon. Once in exile, they were imposed political domination, but the Babylonian authorities have not intervened in the religious way of life of the son of Israel. For
Babylonians succeeded the Persians. Cyrus king of Persia was very good with the Jews. He encouraged them and gave them the freedom to return to their homeland to rebuild and rebuild the Temple, to organize themselves in their own way, as they had not been infected by paganism.
This was not the same thing with the Greeks of Syria. Sure the superiority of high culture, they treated the other dominated peoples as barbarians and arrears. They wanted to impose their culture and religion. It was a requirement to adhere to their way of life. If a person resisted or was contrary to their culture and their religion, she was killed.
And it is this situation that prevailed in Israel in the year 165 BCE. Families who formed the elite of the Jewish population, the Hellenized Sadducees, had not expected to be forced, they found that culture very appealing. They supported Antiochus Epiphanes in his projects.
his return from a lost war in Egypt, Antiochus Epiphanes encouraged by this and by the intrigues of separating the Hasidim Hellenizing came a day of Sabbath in the Temple of Jerusalem, killing all Jews loyal to their D. He sacked all the sacred objects and treasure that contained the gifts of the people. A few days after he filed the statue of Zeus in the Temple forcing Jews to participate with pagan priests, the sacrifices that were sacrificed in honor of the idol of Zeus.
This provocation was enough, so that the flag is hoisted by Mathatias revolt, the Hasmonean family of Cohen Gadol, accompanied by his 5 son, with the cry: "Amon Elai Mi" (All those in favor D., follow me). From that moment, the war against Judaism Paganism was committed.
Fighting terrible took place with various armies dirrigées by various Greek generals, like Nicanor and Gorgias. With the support of D., who has trained in all His mercy, the small army of Maccabees has supported various battles. They arrived with. Gd's help, to repel the enemy of Jerusalem. They entered the temple, cleansed of all the fat of the sacrifices made in honor of Zeus. They took the statue of Zeus, to reduce dust. Then they purified the sanctuary and lit the lights as it is written: "Veidlikou Nerot behatzrot kodcheha. So this event was celebrated with great joy for 8 days and the feast of Hanukkah, consecrated.
Without divine help, since it is a small army that the Maccabees were brought to the victory of Judaism over paganism, we would not have talked about the Jewish religion and people of Israel. Thus the first crisis of assimilation was annihilated by the victory of the Maccabees and freedom.
is why that at Hanukkah, we read the Hallel: song of joy and homage to D. for the wonders that He did for His people.
should celebrate Hanukkah every year. The doctors of the Law said: "If all parties are removed one day, the festival of Hanukkah continue to be celebrated with joy in our homes and our hearts will be illuminated by its light." Chanukah flames evoke the moral value constant and noble feelings of the Jewish soul.
Happy Hanukkah!
Dr. Elie Botbol
Strasbourg switch on the lights of Hanukkah coincides with the celebration of the Christian holiday of Christmas but also with the pagan festival of the winter solstice, which glorified the god of light, Mithras. The theme of light present in these three commemorations carries the risk of confusing the meaning of these festivities. Moreover, the invasion of public space and media for all kinds of illuminations tends to blur the specificity and the historical origin of these traditions, as if the common symbolism of light they drain elitist, detriment of their own meaning.
This temptation is not only the fact those who know nothing about the history of religions, there are also, in effect, a tendency among some historians to find a relationship between similar rites even though the bottom they have nothing in common. The similarity between the lights of Chanukah, Christmas lights or lights of the cult of Mithras is no exception to the rule.
To take the cons of this drift-off, recall the meaning and origin of the ritual of Hanukkah lights as they are related by the Talmud. When in the year 164 BCE, the men of the Hasmonean dynasty managed to reinvest Temple in Jerusalem defiled by the Greeks dedicated to Antiochus Epiphanes, they found only one cruse of pure oil sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol. It contained only a provision of a single day for the lighting of the menorah, but miraculously it burned for eight days. "The next year was fixed by celebrating these days as days of celebration, praise and gratitude" (Shabbat 21b).
It is arguably no institution of rabbinic lit Hanukkah had yet been established at this time since this Talmudic passage refers only "Days of celebration, praise and gratitude - and not the ignition. It seems that as long as the lighting of the menorah day the Temple was completed, we could stay in the commemoration of the miracle of the flask by the ignition of individual hanoukia in homes. This ritual has been introduced later, probably in the first century after the destruction of the Temple. But this concession interpretative not mean that the ritual of lighting was introduced late in a spirit of imitation of Roman practices as the lighting of candles on the altar of Saturn, as claimed by these historians.
On ignition, the Talmud relates: The command of Hanukkah is to light a pilot by the householder. Those wishing to do better, light a person. And even better: they light descending order of eight to one night "according to the day out" for the school of Shamai, and crescendo from one to eight lights "depending on the day falling" for the school Hillel.
This debate is not without reminding us of the Saturnalia and Kalends, Roman festivals which lasted eight days each, and that framed the winter solstice. The decay of light given by Chamai could evoke the shortening days commemorated by the Saturnalia and the crescendo of Hillel would refer solar celebrated the revival by the Kalends. So, for these historians, proof of parentage ritual between the lights of Hanukkah late-onset - the first century - and these ancient pagan festivals remodeled by the Romans.
While this relationship is proven for Christmas. Indeed, to stop the worship of pagan Saturnalia and promote Christianity in Rome, Pope Sylvester I made progress in the year 320 the Christian commemoration of the nativity of 6 January to 25 December. Thus, the god Mithra gave way to the new "Mighty God" of Christians. Indeed, on Sunday (day of the Sun god) was also adopted as a day of rest throughout the Roman Empire pagans and Christians to settle in the year 321.
What about the parentage of the lights of Hanukkah with a former cult?
In the treatise 'Avodah Zara 8a, mention is made of a superposition of these Roman festivals with an older model back to the first man, Adam. He had celebrated the eight days before and after the winter solstice to express his gratitude to God who had spared death. He thought, indeed, that the death was decreed against him as punishment for his disobedience to the order of the forbidden fruit was realized gradually as and as the days darkened. When he realized that the days increased their time from the winter solstice, he realized that this was natural and was not directed against him. "The following year he made the holidays." Also, for the Talmud, the pagan celebration that followed through the centuries was nothing other than a deviation to the idolatry of those days dedicated to God by Adam.
Lights Hanukkah can in no way be a replica Roman Jewish holidays, for two reasons.
The first is the gap between solar and lunar calendars. The crescendo of lights advocated by Hillel can indeed mimic the Roman Kalends because Hanukkah is celebrated often well before the winter solstice, when precisely the brightness of the days is decreasing. Similarly, the decrease in flames Chamai could coincide with the solstice when after Hanukkah is late and thus be out of step with Saturnalia. What sense would that ignition would decline - as proposed Chamai - while after the solstice the sun is rebounding?
Moreover, the basic institution of the lighting of Hanukkah given in a single night by night, it would be inappropriate to give this precept any reference to the decline or progression of the sun these holidays celebrated by Roman.
The second reason is substantive. The miracle of the flask Hanukkah does not mean he not only beyond the nature of determinism, there is a reality in Judaism living that draws its strength and its source not in the contingencies of this world - the Sun God - but in a transcendent light buried in the mind and heart of each of the men. The celebration of the miracle of Hanukkah is specifically designed to perpetuate a light that is not natural, a light that does not dazzle but, instead, is struggling to exist and survive, just like our little flames of Hanoukia who cling hard to their cotton wicks. This light is the Jewish soul that wavers and seeks its way through the story without being dazzled by attractions lights coming from all sides, whether Greek, Roman or otherwise. The Jewish soul is recognizable in the light of the small cruse of oil sealed by the kohen gadol who expects nothing else than to be turned back into a sleek sanctuary from all the dross. And this one has nothing in common with the sun god or Mithra.
In the ritual of Hanérot halalou recited after lighting the Hanoukia, the text focuses on precautionary Central: "The flames are holy and we have no right to profit but only to scan. In effect, these lights are not there to illuminate like the Christmas lights, they seek, instead, our protection given the fragility of their flames. So nothing in common with the lavish celebration of the Sun God or his deputies. More than a celebration, Hanukkah is a solicitation and an awareness of the appeal was sent to us through the miracle of the cruse of oil. In a world where beauty, appearances and the world of externality are valued more than anything in this "dark Greek" who would have us "that the moon made of green cheese," the flame of Hanukkah we call to order, payable to the intimate, invisible, the spiritual and purity of body and soul.
A feast valuable value of the Feast of Chanukah by Rambam (Maimonides) In his Mishneh Torah, a work of synthesis Talmud, Rambam presents the practical laws of the festival of Chanukah. It emphasizes the value of this feast instituted by the rabbis, because of this miracle party embodies.
Rambam Laws of Megillah and Chanukah Chapter IV Acts 12 The mitzvah (commandment) of Chanukah is invaluable. And every man will strive to accomplish, to publicize the miracle, and add the praise and gratitude to the Lord for the miracles He has done for us. Even if he eats only through the benevolent fund, he asked where he will sell his garment, and buy oil and wicks for lighting.
The miracle of Chanukah in the light of Talmud The Talmud contains the historical facts of Chanukah, but it does not focus on military victory, but another miracle: the flask of oil burned eight days instead of one. Treaty Shabbath 21 b Our sages taught: On 25 Kislev begin the eight days of Chanukah, and they are prohibited from expressing funeral orations and to fast. For when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils (used). And rose when the Hasmonean monarchy and they have conquered, they sought (
of pure oil) and have found only one flask bearing the seal of the high priest. But there was a quantity of oil to burn one day, a miracle was performed and they could turn a week. The following year, the sages instituted these days celebrations of praise and recognition.
wicks and oils Chanukah Lights and Lighting Sabbath
A page of Talmud is always a debate or discussion between several masters. The issue between here and Rabbi Rav Huna Zira is the nature of the Chanukah oil over that of Sabbath. Question trivial to some, that hides an underlying theme: the role of rabbinic holidays face the holidays of the Torah.
Treaty Shabbath Page 21 Rav Huna teaches the wicks and oils that the sages have said that we could use them for the Sabbath lights, you can not use them for lights Chanukah, be it weekly or whatever (the day) Sabbath. Rabbah said: What is the reason for Rav Huna? For Rav Huna think that if the light of Chanukah is extinguished, it must again (so a priori, it will take a good oil like Sabbath) and is allowed to use its light. Rav HisD think you can use oils
(forbidden to light the Sabbath) for the week (Chanukah), but not (the eve of the) Sabbath (because you can not turn on the lights during Sabbath).
Rabbi Zira said on behalf of Rav Matana, others say that Rabbi Zira spoke in the name of Rav: bits and oils which the sages have said that we could use them for the Sabbath lights, you can light the Chanukah lights, either on weekdays or (the day) Sabbath. Rabbi Yirmiya: What is the reason for Rabbi? Because he thinks that if the light goes out, it is not necessary to restart and it is forbidden to use its light.
Akadem 
