Why do we celebrate Chanukah?

imasinger

Sun, Dec 18 2022, 7:50 pm

Here's what I learned, please correct me if you learned different.

It wasn't a big deal for a long time. That's why the books of Maccabees aren't part of Tanach.

It got attention during the time just before the churban sheini as a symbol of successful revolt, but then in order not to be too exposed, the story of the nes kad shemen became the primarily publicized piece.

It remained pretty minor, AIUI, until Jews weren't confined to ghettos. Then, it became a way to emphasize our own winter holiday, and not be interested in anyone else's.

Wolfsbane

Sun, Dec 18 2022, 8:04 pm

imasinger wrote:

Saying Hallel feels like a big deal to me.

PinkFridge

Sun, Dec 18 2022, 8:11 pm

rikkik wrote:

If not for Chanukah would traditional Judaism have been lost? Bec if you look at the history, the grandchildren of the Maccabeas were pretty terrible, murdered Rabbi's, there really wasn't peace after Chanukah.
I feel guilty asking questions, but why is it SUCH a big deal?

Excellent point. Unlike other yamim tovim, that are optimistic harbingers - even Purim, which heralded the Second Temple Era*which wasn't the same as the first - after Chanukah it went downhill.

But this was the end of the stranglehold Yavan had over us intellectually and really, Greece went downhill after this.

That first year, there were no celebrations. It was the next year, when the chachamim felt the energy in the air at that same time, that they established the eight days.

We celebrate Hashem's kindness in giving us a love tap in this darkening period of history, and we've taken it with us for centuries.

We celebrate the purity of the military victory that was clearly all in Hashem's hands. The miracle of the oil and the miracle that is oil every day - the nisecha she'bchol yom imanu.

I think I'm going to listen to this again: https://www.yutorah.org/sideba.....eans/

*even though the chachamim knew it was just a stopgap, which is why they canonized tefilla, to enable us to get through galus

imasinger

Sun, Dec 18 2022, 8:16 pm

Agreed.

The book of Maccabees says the rededication was compared to the original dedication during the time of Shlomo (which took place for 8 days beginning the 24th of Kislev, the military victory of the Maccabees was the previous spring). During the original dedication, they said Hallel, so during the rededication, they did, too.

But it was primarily a festival of the beis hamikdash until we didn't have one any more, then, because Hallel and the lights were things people could do elsewhere, they stuck.

Wolfsbane

Mon, Dec 19 2022, 5:11 pm

I think it just bothers me when people imply that Chanukah is not important in its own right, and we only accord it significance because of its calendrical proximity to other holidays. (I don't think anyone really said that here, but I've seen people say it elsewhere).
Rambam said about neiros Chanukah that it is מצוה חביבה היא עד מאד - and, among other things, he didn't even live in a Christian context.