Today makes the end of Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah marks when the Maccabees back in the second century B.C. rededicated the Holy Temple and its altar, which had been desecrated and defiled by the pagans. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia:According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.
So, I’d like to wish everybody happy Hanukkah, which is of course another man made holiday not commanded by Scripture... just like Christmas.
Menorah fail. The Shamash candle isn't elevated above the other eight, so in "publicizing the miracle," the observer won't be able to clearly distinguish which night of Hanukkah we're at.
ReplyDeleteWell, we should be all glad that Judaism survived the Greeks before the time of Christ. How Hannukah is celebrated, and its meaning in today's culture (American and other countries) is a subject of much debate.
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