Riddle:
Dorothy Eady (d. 1981) carried out Archological digs in Egypt in the 1950s and became known as Omm Sety.
During one of her digs, she discovered the skeletons of 7 cows. referred to in this week's parasha.
Can you work out the location from the text as to where she could have found them?
The miracle of Chanukah occurred in 164 BCE.
All of our special occasions have a book from Tanach attached to the festival, except for Chanukah!
Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah are mentioned in the Torah
Purim and Tisha B'av have a connected Megillah - Esther and Eicha
Chanukah doesn't have any Biblical references - even the two Books of Maccabees are left out!
But Chanukah may actually have its very own book after all....
Explain PaRDeS (Orchard) - etymologically linked to "Paradise"- appears 3 times in the Tenach and means a park/garden - linked to Gan Eden
Peshat - literal
Remez - hints
Drash -Inquiring/Seeking/Explaining
Sod - Hidden
Coincidence?
(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר
(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light = 25th word
(כט) וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִמִּתְקָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּחַשְׁמֹנָֽה׃
(29) They set out from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah = 25th location
(Parshat Emor) These are the set times of the LORD, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time:
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offering to the LORD
(20) The priest shall elevate these—the two lambs—together with the bread of first fruits (Bikurim) as an elevation offering before the LORD; they shall be holy to the LORD, for the priest. (21) On that same day you shall hold a celebration; it shall be a sacred occasion for you; you shall not work at your occupations. This is a law for all time in all your settlements, throughout the ages (Shavuot)
(24) Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts (Teruah).
(27) Mark, the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall practice self-denial, and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD;
(39) Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the festival of the LORD [to last] seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.
(מד) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־מֹעֲדֵ֖י ה' אֶל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)
All of the above are Moadim - translated as festivals and all occur in the Northern Hemisphere (where the Beit Hamikdash was) during the times when there is more light than darkness
The word "Moed" can also be translated as a "Meeting time with Gd"
The "Ohel Moed" in the Torah - the place where Gd met with Moshe and the Divine Revelations took place
The very next pasuk/verse is:
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) צַ֞ו אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃ (ג) מִחוּץ֩ לְפָרֹ֨כֶת הָעֵדֻ֜ת בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד יַעֲרֹךְ֩ אֹת֨וֹ אַהֲרֹ֜ן מֵעֶ֧רֶב עַד־בֹּ֛קֶר לִפְנֵ֥י ה' תָּמִ֑יד חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ד) עַ֚ל הַמְּנֹרָ֣ה הַטְּהֹרָ֔ה יַעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הַנֵּר֑וֹת לִפְנֵ֥י ה' תָּמִֽיד׃ (פ)
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Command the Israelite people to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. (3) Aaron shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting outside the curtain of the Pact [to burn] from evening to morning before the LORD regularly; it is a law for all time throughout the ages. (4) He shall set up the lamps on the pure lampstand before the LORD [to burn] regularly.
Taking the text literally, one would assume that it is talking specifically about the lighting of the Menorah in the Tabernacle and the Beit Hamikdash - no allusion to Chanukah.
ויקחו אליך שמן זית סמיך שמן זית לסוכה לומר שגומרים ההלל כל שמונת ימי חנוכה כדרך שגומרין אותו כל שמונת ימי החג
Tur (d. 1343)
להעלות נר ואח''כ כתיב נרות והיינו כב''ה שבליל ראשון מדליק נר אחד ומוסיף והולך:
If we take on the Tur's interpretation, along with the placing of the mitzvah directly after the listing of the Moadim - one could argue that there is a very strong hint in the Torah towards this referring to Chanukah - the festival in the winter months, when we light up the dark to meet with Gd - through the lighting of our own Chanukiyot - which recall the Menorah in both buildings!
Conclusion
There is no direct reference to the festival of Chanukah in the Torah but there is a extremely strong circumstantial evidence that it was mentioned - the festival has been celebrated for close on 2,200 years - and as the Torah says, it is "Law for all time throughout the ages"
Could that really be a coincidence?
I think not!
Shabbat Shalom