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The Background and Meaning of Chanukah

Chanukah is the “Feast of Dedication”.  It is not mentioned in the lists of feasts found in Leviticus 23 but it is mentioned in the New Covenant.  This holiday arose out of an event that occurred during the intertestamental period.  The Talmud says, “On the 25th of Kislev are the days of Chanukkah, which are eight… these were appointed a Festival with Hallel [prayers of praise] and thanksgiving. -Shabbat 21b, Babylonian 

The historical background of this holiday comes from a time of great upheaval for Israel in around 167 BCE.  Under Alexander the Great, the area of Israel had been conquered and had come under much Greek influence in culture and lifestyle.  After Alexander’s death there was a struggle over who would control the area of Israel.  The Syrian/Selucids finally won control under the leadership of Antiochus IV.

One of the things Antiochus did to unify the area under his control and to establish his power was to force all the peoples under his rule to adapt the Greek culture.  So all the peoples were required to assimilate and to adopt the Greek culture in every area of their lives.  This was something that was embraced by most people under their rule including quite a few Jewish people.  But there was a group of Jewish people who did not like nor did they embrace these changes.  So hostility grew between them and Antiochus.  

Finally Antiochus gave an ultimatum to the Jewish people –  give up your Jewishness or die.  As a part of this Antiochus took his army to Jerusalem, entered the Temple and desecrated it.  All the articles in the Temple were torn down and finally a pig was slaughtered and offered on the altar to Zeus to establish the Temple as a new place of worship to the Greek gods.  He then insisted that he be called Antiochus Epiphanes, which means “G-d manifest”.  The Jewish people made a play on words and called him Antiochus Epimanes meaning crazy man.

Jewish resistance came through a priestly family in the town of Modin.  When the Selucian army came and asked the priest, Mattathias, to lead in the pagan worship ceremony.  He refused.  He and his eight sons rose up and killed the soldiers.  One of his sons named Judah led the revolt.  He was nicknamed Maccabee, which means “the hammer”.  Though they were outnumbered, the Jewish people fought and won against the Syrian army.  

At the end of the battle they went to rededicate the Temple.  In the  process there was enough oil for the menorah to last only one day.  The process to make new oil took eight days.  Tradition tells us a miracle happened – the oil lasted for eight days.  Chanukah is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication”.  It comes on the 25^th of Kislev and is celebrated for eight days.

This holiday is mentioned in the New Covenant in John 10.22.  Yeshua comes to Jerusalem and goes into the Temple at this time most likely to celebrate this feast.

This holiday is celebrated mainly in the home.  One of the central parts of the celebration is the chanukiah, a nine branch menorah.  Chanukiah is a modern word.  In traditional Jewish literature the candelabra for Chanukah was called menorah or ner (light of) Chanukah.  This menorah is different from the traditional seven branch menorah seen in Israel or the six branch menorah found in the tabernacle.  The chanukiah has eight candles to remind us of the eight days the oil lasted during the restoration of the Temple.  There is a ninth candle that is set apart from the other eight.  Usually it is elevated.  This ninth candle is called the shammash  candle.  Shammash means “servant”.  This candle is lit first and then is used to light all the other candles.  One candle is lit the first night.  Each night following another candle is added until on the eighth night eight candles are lit.  Each night the shammash candle is lit first.  You put the candles in from right to left but you light them from left to right.

As believers in Yeshua, the Shammash candle reminds us of Yeshua Himself.  He was a servant who came to serve (Mark 10.45).  Also, He declares that He is the light of the world.  (John 8.12).  We know that He gives us light so that we no longer walk in darkness.

Another part of the celebration is a dreydel.  It is a four sided top-like toy. The dreydel has four Hebrew letters, one on each side. Nun. Gimmel, Hay and Shin.  In Israel the last letter is a Pey.  These stand for the Hebrew phrase, Nes Gadol Hayah Sham , ­a great miracle happened there.  In Israel the last word is poh meaning “here”.  There is a traditional game that is played with the dreydel.  There are other meanings given to these four letters:

1) 4 parts of man – Nefesh (soul), Goof (body), Sechel (intellect), HaKol (all the rest).

2) 4 foundations of the world – fire, water, wind and earth 

3) 4 nations that put us in exile – Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome.

4) The four letters on the dreydel have the Gematria of Mashiach (358). This is also the Gematria of Hashem is King etc. Chanukah is the season when the possibility exists for the light of Mashiach to burst forth. Then, man and the world will be restored to harmonious relationship and the last and most bitter exile of Rome will draw to a to a close, and we will see the fulfillment of the verse that Hashem will be King forever. 

Another tradition is the giving of gelt (money), often in the form of chocolate today. The Talmud states that even a very poor person must light Chanukah lights. So if a person has no money to buy the candles, he must go door to door and collect enough money to buy at least one candle for each night of Chanukah.  From this came the tradition of giving gifts of money during Chanukah so that someone who needs extra money for candles is helped in a dignified manner.  The person giving is practicing tzedakah and the person receiving is helped in a time of need.

Prayers of Chanukah

Download this prayer card to use as you light the Chanukiah each night.

Family Fun

Before Chanukah buy a special notebook that will be known as your “Family Lights Notebook.” Each night, before lighting the menorah, give everyone in the family one sheet of paper to write a response to one of the following statements:

1. You bring light into my life when you ______.

2. I love the way you ______.

3. Whenever I see you ______, it reminds me how special you are.

4. You make our family special because you ______.

Each night of Chanukah, and these “pages of light” to each person’s section in the family notebook. By the eighth night of Chanukah, the precious flames of your family will be burning bright.

A word game below that you can play with family and friends.

A

Chanukah Mixer  

1. The first thing you do on the first night of Chanukah is…. 

2. Where do you go shopping for Chanukah? 

3. Name a Chanukah tradition your family participates in. 

4. Name the place you would go for the Holiday if you could. 

5. What is your favorite Chanukah activity? 

6. Your favorite Chanukah food is…. 

7. What was your favorite Chanukah present of all time? 

8. Name your favorite Chanukah Song?

9. What was the coolest gift you ever gave someone? 

10. What does Chanukah mean to you? 

Here are some coloring and activity pages we have collected over the years that you can download for you children and grandchildren.