Mai Hanukkah? (Rabbi Pepperstone's version)

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason?

When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

It seems that [the festival] was called "Hanukkah" after the dedication of the altar (Hanukkat HaMizbea'ch), as we have in Perek d'Rabbi Yishmael, that the House of the Hasmoneans put away the stones of the altar that the idol worshippers defiled, and there was a need to build a new altar, thus it was called Hanukkah (Dedication), and the question Mai Hanukkah? is about for which miracle they established the days for lighting lights on it; also according to a midrash in Breisheet Rabbah, the completion of the Mishkan's construction was completed on the 25th of Kislev, but it was not dedicated until Rosh Chodesh Nissan, during which which the Avot were born, and the Holy One recompensed in the days of Mattathias...just as [the idol worshippers] defiled the old altar on the same day that it had been dedicated by Mattathias.

(1) O Fortress, Rock of my salvation, to you it is fitting to give praise:

(2) let my house of prayer be established, and I will there offer you thanksgivings

(3) when you shall have prepared a slaughter of the barking foe,

(4) I will conclude with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.

(21) The Greeks were gathered against me back in the days of the Hasmoneans;

(22) they broke down the walls of my towers, and defiled all the oils;

(23) but from one of the remaining flasks, a miracle was wrought for your Shoshanim / Lily

(24) their men of understanding set these eight days for song and praises.

During the period of the second Temple, when the Greek/Hellenic(?) kings were in power, they proclaimed decrees against Israel, abrogating their religion and forbidding them to study the Torah or to perform the divine precepts. They laid their hands on their wealth and their daughters; they entered the Temple and broke through it, defiling the things that were pure. Israel were sorely distressed by them, who greatly oppressed them until the God of our ancestors had compassion for us, saved and rescued them from their hands. The Hasmonean high priests won victories, killing them, and saved Israel from their power. They set up a king from among the priests and restored Israel's kingdom for more than two hundred years, until the destruction of the second Temple.

(3) (During the season of Hanukkah add:) And we praise You for the miracles and for the redemption and for the mighty deeds and for the victories and for the battles that You performed for our fathers in those days at this time:

(4) In the days of Mattiteyahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons, when the wicked kingdom of Greece rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to stray from the laws of Your will, You, with great compassion stood by them in the time of their distress.

You fought their fight, judged their cause and avenged them with vengence. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous and the arrogant into the hands of those engaged with Your Torah.

For Yourself you made a great and holy name in Your world, You performed a great deliverance for Your people Israel on this day.

After these things, Your children entered into the Holy of Holies of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified the place of Your Holiness, kindled lights in Your holy courts and established these eight days of Hanukkah to express thanksgiving and praise to Your great name.

(22) You will celebrate [Hanukkah] like the days of the Festival of Booths, and like the day on which Nehemiah found the holy fire during his return to build the temple and the alter. He offered on it burnt offerings and sacrifices to God. (23) For when our forefathers were exiled to Persia, the holy priests secretly took the fire from upon the alter, and they hid it in a deep, dry pit to keep it [safe]. No one knew its location.

(24) It was at the end of many days, when The Eternal spread out God's kindness upon us, and the king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem. (25) He took descendants of the priests who hid the fire, and he sent them to search for it (26) But when it was told to us that they didn't find the fire, rather congealed liquid [lit. frozen water] beneath it, Nehemiah commanded [them] to draw the water and to bring it.

(27) It was when they were offering the sacrifices of God, he commanded them to throw the liquid/water on the wood and on the sacrifice that was on the alter. They did so. (28) After they finished [pouring the liquid], the sun came out over the land, and the clouds scattered. Behold a fire of God consumed the sacrifice! The entire crowd around was awe struck. (29) The priests and the people fell and they prostrated, until the sacrifice was consumed.

16: This is a copy of the letter that Lysias wrote to the Jews: 17. Lysias to the Jewish people: Shalom! 18. Johanan and Avshalom, your messengers, brought to me your scrolls, and asked from me the matters that were inscribed inside. 19. I brought your requests before the king, and he lifted up your faces in every matter he could. 20. And now in truly and completely you will keep this covenant, I will do well from this day onward with you. 21. I have commanded these messengers, and the messengers that you sent to me, to instruct you particular matter that are laid out between us, and this will be peace and harmony for you.

22. On the 24th day of the month of Discori, the year 148. 23. And this letter which the king wrote to Lysias. 24. King Antiochus gives his blessing of shalom to his brother Lysias. 25. When my father was gathered to his ancestors, and his dwelling place among God's angel, I set my mind to ask about the peace and harmony of my people, the people who unceasingly serve their God. 26. And now I heard about the Jews: That they refused to walk in the ways of the Hellenists when by father commanded them before his death, and it was their only desire to cleave to the laws of their ancestors. 27.Therefore, I thought justly to give peace and harmony to this people, and I give them responsibility over the House of their God, and they will rule their land according to their laws. 28. And now, please send your messengers to them to cut a Brit Shalom / A covenant of Peace and Harmony, so that they will know my mind, and they will dwell in security in their land.

29. This is a copy of the letter that the king sent to the Jews. 30. King Antiochus [the V] to the Elders of Judah, and to the entire Kahal Yisrael: Shalom! 31. If it is well with you, my heart also rejoices, and I am at peace. 32. Here, I heard from Menelaus that you are dying to return to your holding and your families. 33. Therefore, I give my Brit Shalom / my covenant of peace and harmony to all who cross my land, from this day until the thirtieth day of the month of Aviv. 34. And they may eat and drink according to their laws and customs, and no one shall bother them, transgressing my commandment until this day. 35. I have sent to you Menelaus so that he will let you know this covenant of mine, and this will be peace for you.

GEMARA: Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says: When are these festivals celebrated? Kalenda is celebrated during the eight days after the winter solstice, and Saturnalia is celebrated during the eight days before the winter solstice....

With regard to the dates of these festivals, the Sages taught: When Adam the first man saw that the day[light] was progressively diminishing, as the days become shorter from the autumnal equinox until the winter solstice, he did not yet know that this is a normal phenomenon, and therefore he said: Woe is me! Perhaps because I stink the world is becoming dark around me and will ultimately return to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. And this is the death that was sentenced upon me from Heaven, as it is written: “And to dust shall you return” (Genesis 3:19).

He arose and spent eight days in fasting and in prayer. Once he saw that the season of Tevet, i.e., the winter solstice, had arrived, and saw that the day was progressively lengthening after the solstice, he said: Clearly, the days become shorter and then longer, and this is the order of the world.

He went and observed a festival for eight days. Upon the next year, he observed both these eight days on which he had fasted on the previous year, and these eight days of his celebration, as days of festivities. He, Adam, established these festivals for the sake of Heaven, but they, the gentiles of later generations, established them for the sake of idol worship.