Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. This is the month of Hanukkah. The sign of Kislev here in Israel is the arrival of doughnuts in the bakeries. I will be sharing some of the pretty creations throughout the month.
The holidays observed in Judaism today are divided into major holidays and minor holidays. A major holiday is one which is mandated in the Torah. All major holidays are observed as rest days, with the same prohibitions against work as apply to the Sabbath.
I’m sure you know that Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Tenach (Old Testament) but is mentioned in the New Testament (John 10:22). “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.” Hanukkah in Hebrew means “dedication”.
In 165 BC, led by the Hasmonean family of Mattathias the Priest and his eldest son, Judah (called “the Maccabee”), the Jewish people succeeded in evicting the Syrian-Greeks from Israel. Religious freedom was restored and the Temple in Jerusalem, which the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus IV had converted into a pagan shrine, was cleansed, restored, and rededicated.
Those of you familiar with history will know that under Roman rule, people were allowed to keep their culture; the Romans just wanted their money. But, under Greek rule, individuals were expected to become Hellenized (adopt the Greek culture).
Hanukkah is an eight day holiday, which we will talk about tomorrow.
Reblogged this on Reflections from Beit-Shalom.
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Shalom! Is Hanukkah a major holiday? What days is it celebrated according to the American calendar? Is NO work done in Israel during the whole eight days? Isn’t that rather hard on people? Thanks from your Christian (non-Jewish) readers, we are grateful for your teachings. Bless you!
Hi Michael! Thank you for your comment. Since Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Tenach, it is one of the minor holidays. This means that it does NOT have a Yom Tov (high day–treated as a Sabbath). Therefore, work is as normal. I could have made that more clear. Sorry!
Dear Rivka, thanks for you post. Looking forward to the next one. My husband and I feel very blessed by the teachings of Baruch. I would like to know how to celebrate Hanukkah. We live in the Netherlands. Is there any chance you will visit our country in the next future?
Thank you so much for your comment! We will be in the Netherlands in February. We will be holding a conference at the Holiday Inn by the RAI train station, February 17-19. The address is de Boelelaan 2. It would be wonderful if you could join us. The conference is free. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, I will be sharing some ways to celebrate Hanukkah. Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!
What a nice surprise. We will be there certainly!
Hello, Dr Baruch is my favorite rabbi/pastor. I truly believe the Holy Father is working through him, God bless you and your family always, just so you know, there is a lot of animosity between the Muslims and Christians in the United States. Their not as protected or liked as you might think, Maggie from CA USA
Thank you for your comment, Maggie. You are right, Christians will be persecuted as well, just as the Bible states. We must be prepared for what lies ahead.