Around 165 B.C.E. Palestine was ruled by the King of Syria, Antiochus. This King commanded that idols be placed in the Temple and that all Jews be forced to worship these g*ds. Many Jews yearned for the day when they would once more be free to practice their religion and observe their own customs. In the town of Modin lived a brave leader, Mattathias. He and his five sons rebelled against the Syrians. Of his sons, we remember Judah the best. He was called Judah the Maccabee because he was so strong and fearless. ("Maccabee" means hammer in Hebrew). Soon, all of the Jews who followed Judah became known as the Maccabees. The Maccabees bravely fought the Syrian army and at last drove their enemies from the land of Palestine. The Maccabees destroyed the idols and repaired the Temple. A great celebration was prepared to rededicate the Temple. (The word "Chanukah" means to dedicate). They needed pure oil to light the Temple menorah, but could only find a small jug of oil that would burn for one day. Even though it would take many days to prepare new oil, they used the little jug to start. But a "GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE - NES GADOL HAYA SHAM !" The oil lasted for eight days until the new oil was ready. As we burn our Chanukah candles for eight days beginning on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, we remember our ancestors' struggle for religious freedom. We recite a special Chanukah prayer, Al Hanissim, which recounts this victory over oppression and gives thanks for our ability to practice our Jewish beliefs. "Maoz Tzur," a song, which is sung after we light the candles, also reminds us of the bravery and courage of our ancestors who overcame their powerful enemies. Chanukah in the 21st Century must remind us of the struggle so many are making to achieve religious, social and political freedom. The history of Chanukah comes from four sources: the Books of Maccabees (I & II), the Midrash (a collection of books that explains the words and ideas of the Bible as well as the meaning of the festivals), and the Gemara (the second part of the Talmud).
One of the fascinating things about the development of the story of Hanukah is that the myth that comes with it, that of the oil lasting 8 days, appears quite a bit later, when the Romans were in power. It has been suggested the later story was created to downplay the idea of a small force rebelling and defeating a much larger one, because such might be fodder for those who wanted to rebel against the Romans. One point of interest also is the time and duration also. It's possible that when the Beit HaMikdash was rededicated, the Macabees were taking a solstice festival that had been prepared by the Syrian-Greeks and transforming it into something Jewish, as part of the rededication. It's also possible, because of the length which is the length of the biblical chagim (festivals) that it was a late observance of Sukkot which used to be so big that sometimes it was simply referred to as "the chag." And on a more somber note, I think it's also important to remember that the Macabees who reclaimed the Temple, would then become the only family to have control of both the priesthood and the monarchy at the same time which is just bad news. And ironically, their descendents, the hasmoneans, ended up becoming Helenists.
Yes thier oil lasting 8 days is truly a miracle!!!!!! Werent they being chased by evil people and the sea opened up and they were able to safely cross......... Truly indeed a miracle...............
