Between Zealotry and Assimilation: Balancing Our Jewish Identities

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.

In those days went there out of Israel worthless and wicked men, who persuaded the people of the land, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the nations [Hebrew: goyim] that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have found many terrible sorrows.”

So this matter pleased them well, and they send messengers to the king [Aniotchus], who gave them a commanding-authority to walking the ways of the nations and their laws. They established a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the nations, did not circumcise their sons, and abandoned the holy covenant to walk in their ways, and were sold to do mischief in God's eyes.

(42) Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom: There should be one law and one ordinance for all those who dwell in the land. And every one should leave his laws.

So all agreed according to the commandment of the king. And also, many also of the Israelites consented, and sacrificed to idols, and profaned the sabbath.

For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and commanded that they should follow the ways of the nations of the land, and to forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings to God, in the temple; and that they should break the sabbaths and festival days; and pollute the sanctuary and kohanim/priests, to set up altars and chapels to their idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh, and unclean beasts, and commanded rhat they should also leave their male children uncircumcised, and make their gullets abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation, to the end they might forget the law of God, and change all the ordinances. And whosoever would not do according to the words of the king - the one will die.

Then Mattathias lifted up his voice and said: "Though all the nations that are under the king’s dominion obey him, and fall away every one from their gods, and obey his voice to overturn the laws of their ancestors. Not so for me and my family, for we will not turn away from the laws of our ancestors, neither to the right or the left. God forbid that we should turn away from the Eternal our God's commandments, to the overturn God's covenant with us. Thus, the king's proclamation we will not follow, we will not turn away from our laws in favor of the law of the king.

In the year 169, the time of the reign of King Demetrius, we wrote to you concerning all the hardship that came upon us, with the betrayal of Yeshua and his cohorts in the the holy land, they sinned in the kingdom of Judah. They set ablaze the gate to the courtyard. They spilled innocent blood in the land. We prayed to The Lord our God and he headed our voice. We offered sacrifices and fine flour for the Mincha offering. We lit the lamps, and placed the show-bread on the table of The Lord. We requested of you to celebrate the dedication of the altar with us during the month of Kislev.

Thanks and praise to The Lord, for he has cut off the wicked from the land. They are no more. And now there is in our lives to celebrate the day of the dedication of the altar on the 25th of the month of Kislev. We did not refrain from making it known to you to celebrate it with us. You will celebrate it like the days of the festival of booths, and like the day that on it Nehemiah found the holy fire during his return to build the temple and the altar. He offered on it burnt offerings and sacrifices to God.

It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp at the outside of the entrance to one's home, within the handbreadth that is closest to the doorway on the left side as one enters the home, so that the mezuzah will be on the right side and the Chanukah lamp on the left side.

When a person lives in a second storey apartment, they should place [the Chanukah lamp] in a window close to the public domain. If [a person] places a Chanukah lamp more than twenty cubits [above the ground], his actions are of no consequence, because [the lamp] does not attract attention [at that height].

In a time of danger, a person may place a Chanukah lamp inside his house; even if they lit it on their table, it is sufficient...

...Should the [Chanukah lamp] be kindled inside and then taken and placed at the entrance of one's home while it is still burning, it is of no consequence. One must light it in its place.

If one held a candle and stood in one place, it is of no consequence, since an observer will say, "They are standing there for his own purposes."

When a lamp was burning through the entire [Sabbath] day, one may extinguish the light, recite the blessings [for the mitzvah], and relight the lamp.

The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lamps is very dear. A person should be very careful in its observance to publicize the miracle and thus increase our praise of God and our expression of thanks for the miracles which God wrought on our behalf. Even if a person has no resources for food except [what he receives] from charity, they should pawn or sell their garments and purchase oil and lamps to kindle them [in fulfillment of the mitzvah].