Shalom, Everyone!
In 1970 the great José Feliciano released the popular “Felíz Navidad”, or Merry Christmas. Since I have a talent for writing parodies, it struck me a few years ago that I could use adapt that song for Chanukah, with thanks to Mr. Feliciano.
This next part falls under the category that we’re never too old to learn something new! I’m a septuagenarian, which refers to my age, not my religious persuasion.
Growing up I learned in Sunday School that Chanukah lasts for eight days because, as the story goes, when the Jews under the Maccabee family reclaimed the 2nd Temple from the Seleucid-Greek empire (175-164 B.C.E) they found it to be defiled, pillaged.
The Jews needed to clean it up and rekindle the Etermal Light. But they only could find one container of purified oil that had been hidden away. It took time to purify more, but the miracle is that the one vial burned for eight days until more oil was ready. That surely was a miracle, a great story for children. As I grew up it sounded a bit far-fetched to me. But that’s all I had to go with.
The Greeks were imposing their way of life on everyone and many Jews succumbed to the new teachings and open ways, certainly not the modest and moral Jewish way of life. There are more details to the story that I had not heard before, but suffice it to say that the Maccabees would not go along.
The Maccabees led by Judah, son of Mattathias, was the leader of the rebellion and they fought guerilla style out of caves. Apparently, this style of fighting was new, and it was effective. However, the war took place during the harvest holiday of Sukkot (the other one being Passover or Pesach which is in the springtime).
Sukkot is celebrated for eight days. Consequently, after the battle was won by the Maccabees, they celebrated Sukkot then. That is why Chanukah is celebrated for eight days. Whew! Makes sense to me.
In this case resistance was NOT futile. Why does that sound familiar….
And if “we” hadn’t won, there would be no Jewish religion nor Christianity nor Islam.
Anyway, during Torah study I learned from my rabbi that at West Point there is a statue of Judah Maccabee, one of “the Nine Worthies” acknowledging his war tactics and when I checked with Rabbi Google, I learned that George Washington was influenced by a Jewish soldier at Valley Forge after seeing him light a Chanukah candle. Those guerilla tactics helped win the Revolutionary War. Who knew!
I recorded a short video with the blessings we chant when lighting the Chanukah Candles.
I hope everyone has recovered from all the celebrating and I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous New Year.
I
