By Racheli Reckles
Since I can remember I have looked forward to the holiday of Chanukah (also spelt Hannukah.) I love celebrating this Jewish holiday that lasts for eight days during winter.
The Story Of Chanukah
Historically, Chanukah is related to the military victory of the Macabees over the oppressive and tyrranical rule of the Syrian-Greek empire. Led by Judah the Macabee, which in Hebrew is an acronym for “Who is like You, O God,” this small group of 40,000 men were determined to save the Jews from being wiped out or converted to Hellenists.
After many intense battles, the Macabees defeated the Greeks. Upon returning to Jerusalem, they entered the Holy Temple and lit the Menorah - a candelabrum with seven branches used in ceremonies - with one small vial of oil that had belonged to the High Priest. Miraculously, this vial lasted for eight days instead of the one day it was supposed to last. In memory of this, Jewish sages have appointed Chanukah to be celebrated for eight days.
Eight Days
Let’s take a deeper look into this concept of eight days. What is so special about eight days? Kabbalah, the deepest and innermost level of the Torah, teaches that eight is a very significant number. It is connected to
Binah - which means understanding - on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
The ten levels of the Tree of Life are divided into three upper levels, and seven lower levels. Binah is in the top three. During Chanukah we can attract the light of
Binah to us. With reflection and understanding, we can overcome any obstacles in our lives, whether internal or external.
I like to see Binah as an energy bank and during Chanukah the 'bank' is open and we are able to withdraw tremendous blessings for the coming year. Lighting the menorah every day for eight days we bring light to where there is darkness, clarity where there is confusion.
By lighting the menorah, we are also connecting to the energy of miracles. It was believed that only through a miracle that small group of rebels were able to defeat the most powerful army in the world. It was a miracle that the small vial of oil lasted for eight days and not just one. Chanukah is our opportunity to believe in miracles - to focus on believing that what we are wishing for will come to us. It's a time of positive energy, a time when we can harness the light and fill ourselves with light - the light of hope and believing.
During Chanukah we traditionally eat donughts and latkes which are fried potato cutlets. We eat foods cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. How i love to eat these foods during Chanukah! (Truth is though by the eighth night i can't take any more potato pancakes smeared in sour cream or apple sauce...)
Chocolate coins known as gelt, are given to children as part of their gifts. The coins are meant to teach the children about the importance of giving. In Judaism we believe that whatever blessing we get in life is not only for our own purposes. We must use the energy from that blessing to help others in any way we can.
Another gift for the children is the dreidel which is a four sided spinning top, which has the first letters of the words, “A big miracle happened there.” It actually came about during the time when the Greeks outlawed Jewish learning, so the children had to go learn Torah in the forests. They had guards stationed to alert them of any approaching Greeks; when they came near, the kids hid their books and took out their dreidels to make it seem like they were just playing around.
At Chanukah we love to give the children gifts and some people give their children a gift on every one of the eight holy days. There's no historical basis for gift-giving on this holiday. I think it just came about because someone felt they had to make the holiday more interesting for their kids. But, hey, who’s complaining??