Culture
Hanukah: Jewish culture celebrates on the first and last days of special occasions
Jewish culture celebrates on the first and last days of special occasions
by Miriam Abramov (SNN, Rishon LeZion)
A most wonderful fact about Jewish biblical holidays is that they are celebrated on the first day and the last day upon ending the special days.
Hanukah is not commanded in the bible to celebrate or at least we do not see it in the Holy Scriptures. It is however one of the more joyous and celebrated of all our feasts. Interesting enough the Bible in the New testament is actually seen as one where Jesus himself went up to the festival of lights. This is understood by scholars to be Hanukah itself. The Hanukah festival is not as ancient as Passover or Succoth the forty years wandering in the desert but never the less just as celebrated. The holy temple in Jerusalem is where all Jewish life revolved from.
When the Jews had lost the temple alter to more educated elites in 167 to 160 BCE with Greek thinking, it had become a thorn in the flesh for most Jews. Education was told by Greek thinkers to be the way to God. The more educated one is the more he can be close to God or Hellenistic. Neither Old nor New testament record such wisdom however. Old Testament teaches the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The New Testament teaches to such as little children belongs His kingdom, Matt: 19:14. Little children do not hold Doctor degrees and PHD’s!
The Jewish people banded together under the family of the Maccabees against the Seleucid empire and gallantly took the temple back from pagan filth which had defiled the temple alter. Hanukah celebrates not only the temple being won back by great Jewish more modern heroes just before Jesus time but also the God of Israel. It was during Hanukah that the miracle of enough oil was supernaturally supplied by God himself. The oil was sufficient for only one day however it lasted miraculously for the entire eight days needed to take the temple back to rightful Jewish hands and authority.
During this time of Covid sickness all over the world and in Israel we still celebrate the miracle of the God of Israel. His ways are not our ways but we remember Hanukah. We light a candle each night with the hannukia. This year we were reminded once again how great is our God when He supplied all of our needs and lit the way for His purposes and His people.
Surely the people of Israel had lost much hope during those days of trials when pagans were overtaking us. Yet in faith we moved forward, taking back was our rightfully.
Has something gone from your life? Do you need a miracle today? Will you trust the God of Israel who loved all peoples everywhere? Just as he was able to light the way with a pillar of fire in the desert and supply oil for exactly the days needed for temple restoration during Hanukah, he is able today.
So we celebrate the first and the last day of our feasts and celebrations. Both of these days in the Jewish eyes are holy and deserve recognition and attention. Let all the earth and all that has breath praise the Lord, Nes Gadol Hya Po, a great miracle happened here! That is the Hanukah saying we say every year, on the first day and the last.
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last says the God of Israel. And that is the greater point behind the Hanukah miracles and all of our Jewish celebrations! Shalom! Happy Hanukah!
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