The celebration of Hanukkah begins at sundown today.
Hanukkah — the eight-day festival of light that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.
More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.When they sought to light the Temple’s menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Hanukkah, when all eight lights are kindled. On Hanukkah we also recite Hallel and the Al HaNissim prayer to offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for « delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few… the wicked into the hands of the righteous. »
Hanukkah customs include eating foods fried in oil — latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, « a great miracle happened there »); and the giving of Hanukkah gelt, gifts of money, to children.
For more information go to Chabad.org.
Our Jewish friends and neighbors (indeed, all peoples)
pray with hearts burdened by the tragic news that comes daily from Israel. In the prayer below, my friend, Alden Solovy, casts Hanukkah as a season of dedication – a holy and hope filled image for prayer in these sad times…
Of dedicating our hope and our strength,
To live by G-d’s Word.
This is the season of cleansing:
Of cleansing our hearts and our sanctuaries,
Of cleansing our deeds and our ways,
Creating sacred time and space.
This is the season of service:
Of service to our neighbors and community,
Of service to K’lal Yisrael,*
In the name of justice and peace.
This is the season of dedication:
Of dedication to strength and honor,
Righteousness and duty.
This is the season that calls forth miracles,
That summons the light of holiness,
The season the reminds us to rebuild and restore
Our commitment to mitzvot and avodah**
In G-d’s holy name.
*K’lal Yisrael means the whole of the Jewish people
Lighting and Blessing the Menorah by Suze Weinberg
(The transliterated Hebrew and English lyrics follow the video)
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Ba-ruch ata, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam,
a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mits-vo tov,
ve-tsi-va-nu le-had-lik neir shel Han-nu-kah.
Blessed is Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe,
by whose mitzvot we are sanctified
and who commands us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah
Ba-ruch ata, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam,
she-a-sa ni-sim las-a-vo-tei-nu
ba-ya-mim ha-heim ba-ze-man ha-zah.
Blessed is Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe,
who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors
Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam
he-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu
ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe.
who has granted us life, sustained us,
and enabled us to reach this occasion.
