Answers to 6 Common Hanukkah Questions

Hanukkah can be confusing. With a complex historical story, myriad customs, and eight days to celebrate, it can feel like there’s a lot to learn to celebrate Hanukkah properly. Here are answers to six of the most common Hanukkah questions.

1. What does Hanukkah celebrate?

Hanukkah celebrates two miracles: a small jug of oil burning for a week longer than it ordinarily would and the Jews’ military victory over Greek forces in ancient Judea (modern-day Israel) a little over 2,150 years ago. Both miracles have powerful lessons for us today.

Beset by Assimilation

Many Jews think of assimilation into wider secular culture as a modern phenomenon. In fact, the holiday of Hanukkah is all about this pressure.

Back in the 2nd Century BCE, ancient Judea was a lot like Jewish communities around the world today, in some respects. There were groups of highly religious Jews who resisted all temptations of the surrounding culture, but many other Jews struggled with how much of the general culture of the day to adopt.

At the time, Judea was part of a loose confederation of three warring Greek empires. Greek ideas were inexorably seeping into Judean culture and shaping its society. Greek philosophy, architecture, religion and social norms began to change Jewish life. Although the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem continued to function, some Jews began to build temples to Greek gods and abandon their traditional Jewish way of life.

Gymnasiums where men spent much of their day working out and competing in races naked were a major part of Greek life. Jewish leaders looked down on this as improper and a waste of time, but more and more Jewish men and boys began hanging out in the gymnasiums that were proliferating all over the country. The spread of Greek culture was called Hellenization at the time, and more and more Jews considered themselves modern and “Hellenized.”

Civil War

Things reached a fever pitch with the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c215 BCE - 164 BCE), a Greek king who governed ancient Judea as well as many other lands in the ancient Middle East. King Antiochus declared himself a god, and attacked the Greek kingdom of Egypt, enlisting Hellenized forces in Judea as allies.

To rally his troops, Antiochus ordered a statue of himself to be erected in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and insisted that instead of offering sacrifices to God, Jews offered sacrifices to him. He also ordered that temples to Greek gods be erected in every town and village throughout Judea, and he banned three core Jewish practices: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (the Jewish holiday celebrating the first day of every New Month), and brit milah (circumcising baby boys). Many Jews resisted, and they were tortured and killed by Antiochus’ forces.

When a Greek temple was erected in the center of the Israeli city of Modiin, an elderly Cohen, Priest, who’d served in the Temple in Jerusalem had enough. His name was Mattitiyahu and his family name was Chashmonai. When a Jew stepped forward to offer a sacrifice to the Greek god in the new temple in Modiin, Mattitiyahu yelled Mi Lashem eilai! - Whoever is for God, come to me! - and killed the worshipper with his sword.

Mattitiyahu and his sons, as well as countless other local Jews, followed him into the mountains where they hid, forming a ragtag army of guerilla fighters opposing the Greek authorities and Hellenized Jews who supported them.

The war lasted for years. The army was commanded by Mattitiyahu’s son Yehudah; soldiers were known as Maccabees - meaning hammers - because they used to strike the enemy strong and hard, then retreat to secret hideouts in the caves and the hills. Eventually, with Antiochus bogged down in other foreign wars, and with God on their side, the Maccabees succeeded in conquering Jerusalem on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, 165 BCE. (Note, a minority of historical accounts say this occurred on the 25th of Kislev, 139 BCE.)

Victory, the Miracle of the Oil, and After

The Maccabees’ first act was to clean out the unclean animals and the idols out of the Temple, and rededicate the Jewish Temple to God. (The word Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew.) What happened next is well known: they wanted to light the beautiful golden Menorah which always burned in the Temple, day and night, but found that all the vials of holy olive oil had been defiled. Only one small jug of oil remained sealed and pure, and ready to use. Normally it would have been enough to fuel the Menorah for one day; instead, it burned for eight days, until new supplies of pure olive oil could be prepared.

After that, Yehudah the Maccabee ruled Judea and his army continued to fight Greek forces. When Yehudah fell in battle in 160 BCE, his brothers Yochanan, Yonatan, and Shimon took over. They established the Hashmonaim dynasty which ruled Judea (not always very well, and with periods of intense corruption) for the next 123 years, until the Roman Empire forced King Herod onto the throne of Judea in 37 BCE.

Thank You for the Miracles

Hanukkah celebrates the fact that even though the Jews who remained true to their religion were few in number, they eventually triumphed, with Divine help. We remember this miracle today, both to thank God, and to remind us that when we stand for what’s right and true, we never stand alone.

2. When did Hanukkah become a holiday?

The Talmud says that the rabbis of Judea instituting a holiday the very next year after the rededication of the Temple to commemorate the Maccabees’ victory and the miracle of the oil. The Talmud’s Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi notes that the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the liberation of Jews - both men and women - “being saved from the decree of persecution” by Antiochus (Shabbat 23a:3).

Hanukkah and Purim

Unlike most Jewish holidays - think Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, Shavuot, Shabbat, and Rosh Chodesh - Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Jewish Bible. It is a rabbinic holiday, like Purim, instituted by the Jewish leadership in the post-Biblical period.

3. Is there corroborating evidence for the Hanukkah story?

Yes. The life of King Antiochus is well documented. As the Encyclopedia Britannica explains, Antiochus IV Epiphanes “reigned from 175 to 164 BCE. As a ruler he was best known for his encouragement of Greek culture and institutions. His attempts to suppress Judaism brought on the Wars of the Maccabees.”

Many archeological artifacts survive from the era, including ancient coins bearing the likeness of the various Maccabee kings, swords used in the Maccabees’ battles against Greek forces, and even the Maccabees’ royal palace they lived in after defeating the Greeks and seizing the throne of Judea.

4. What do I have to do on Hanukkah?

The central commandment on Hanukkah is for each household to light a Hanukkah menorah (called a Chanukkiah in Hebrew) each night (Talmud Shabbat 21b:5), and to enjoy the light for at least half an hour. It’s customary to light the Hanukkah menorah in a window, so that people outside can see us publicize the miracles of Hanukkah. Most people today beautify the mitzvah by adding a light every day and having each person in the household light their own menorah.

How To Light Your Menorah

Hanukkah candles (or oil lamps) are lit in the evening, once stars appear in the sky. Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left and lit from left to right. On the first night, we light one candle, plus the “shamash” (“helper”) candle; on the second night, we light two; on the third night we light three; etc. People who live together can light their own menorahs if they want, or can all enjoy the light from one. When we light, we recite the following blessings:

Blessed are You, Adon-oi our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.

Blessed are You, Adon-oi our God, King of the universe, Who has wrought miracles for our forefathers, in those days at this season.

(On the first night of Hanukkah only:) Blessed are You, Adon-oi our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

There are also some extra Hanukkah prayers, including the beautiful Hallel service in synagogue each morning, and it’s forbidden to fast on Hanukkah.

5. What are the main customs of Hanukkah?

There are many fun Hanukkah customs aimed at kids: children traditionally receive Hanukkah gelt (coins), gifts, and play dreidel. There are also some fun kids’ songs about Hanukkah. But there are plenty of Hanukkah customs for adults to enjoy too.

Hanukkah Foods

Many Jews have the custom to eat cheese on Hanukkah. This recalls Judith Maccabee, who helped her brothers achieve victory against the Greek General Holofernes. Judith was beautiful, and Holofernes invited her into his tent. Judith complied, and brought delicacies with her: salty Middle Eastern cheese (think Feta cheese) and jugs of wine. Holofernes ate the cheese, became extremely thirsty, drank all of Judith’s wine, and then promptly fell asleep. As he lay snoring, Judith picked up Holofernes’ sword and cut off his head. She then calmly picked up the severed head and brought it outside to show Holofernes’ troops. Seeing that their leader was dead, many of them deserted their base.

Another well-known Hanukkah custom is to eat fried foods to recall the jug of oil that lasted for eight days. Latkes, sufganiot (Hanukkah doughnuts), and Sephardi banuelos (fried sweet pancakes) are all popular Hanukkah treats.

Practicing Gratitude

Watching the Hanukkah lights can be a powerful experience, reminding us of the Divine help the Jews received during the Hanukkah period and countless times since then. Gazing at the lit menorahs is a powerful way to feel connected to other Jews all around the world, and to hundreds of previous generations who all lit these very same lights.

If you’re looking to up your Hanukkah game, consider making time to light every night, and carve out some time to contemplate the candles. Or consider going to synagogue one morning during the holiday to hear the beautiful Hanukkah prayers. Or invite friends over to light the Hanukkah menorah with you and enjoy some cheesy and fried foods. There are many ways to weave the magic of Hanukkah into this eight-day period.

6. What is Hanukkah’s deeper message for today?

Hanukkah celebrates Jews standing up for our beliefs and refusing to assimilate into the non-Jewish culture around us. It reminds us that all long as we hold fast to our Jewish lifestyle, we’ll never be alone.

The Al Hanisim prayer we say on Hanukkah sums this up, recalling the Divine “delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous….” Even when all seems lost, when we remain Jewish, Hanukkah reminds us, we will ultimately prevail.

Featured Image by Yoram Raanan