The Books of Maccabees are not part of the Jewish Cannon as they were not accepted into the TaNaKh, most likely for political reasons. They were both originally in Hebrew and translated to Greek, and then the Hebrew was lost so today the text we have has all been through a Greek translation. While they are not part of our bible, they remain an important historical source of the Hannukah Story.
(נא) ויהי ביום החמישי ועשרים לחדש התשיעי הוא כסלו, בשנת שמונה וארבעים ומאה, וישכימו בבוקר ויעלו עולות על המזבח החדש כמשפט.
(51) Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month kislev, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
And they celebrated the Festival to the Lord for eight days, like the festival of Sukkot, and they remembered the previous days when they celebrated of the festival of Sukkot in the mountains and in the caves, and they went out in the desolation/wildnerness, like wild beasts. And they took the willows of the brook and the branches of palm trees, they and sang a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, who gave them courage and salvation to purify the temple of his holiness. And they sent a voice in all the cities of Judah to celebrate this festival every year.
In the earliest sources on Hannukah we have what does the holiday seem to be celebrating? Is there any major parts of our Hannukah missing here?
Meggillat Ta'anit is an early Jewish source from before the Mishnah which speaks about days of the year on which you may not fast. This is the earliest Jewish source on Hannukah.
(ח) כשנכנסו יונים להיכל טמאו כל השמנים שבהיכל וכשגברה יד בית חשמונאי ונצחום בדקו ולא מצאו אלא פך אחד שהיה מונח בחותמו של כהן הגדול שלא נטמא ולא היה בו להדליק אלא יום אחד ונעשה בו נס והדליקו ח' ימים. לשנה אחרת קבעו ח' י"ט. ומה ראו לעשות חנוכה ח' ימים והלא חנוכה שעשה משה במדבר לא עשה אלא שבעה ימים שנא' ומפתח אהל מועד לא תצאו שבעת ימים וגו' ואומר ויהי המקריב ביום הראשון את קרבנו וגו' ובשביעי הקריב אפרים. וכן מצינו בחנוכה שעשה שלמה שלא עשה אלא שבעת ימים שנא' כי חנוכת המזבח עשו שבעת הימים והחג ז' ימים ומה ראו לעשות חנוכה זו ח' ימים אלא בימי מלכות יון נכנסו בית חשמונאי להיכל ובנו את המזבח ושדוהו בשיד ותקנו בו כלי שרת והיו מתעסקין בו ח' ימים. ומה ראו להדליק את הנרות אלא בימי מלכות יון שנכנסו בית חשמונאי להיכל שבעה שפודין של ברזל בידם וחפום בעץ והדליקו בהם את המנורה. ומה ראו לגמור בהם את הלל אלא שכל תשועה ותשועה שהקב"ה עושה להם לישראל היו מקדימין לפניו בהלל בשירה ובשבח ובהודאה כענין שנא' ויענו בהלל ובהודו ליי כי טוב וגו' מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו והמהדרין נר לכל נפש ונפש והמהדרין מן המהדרין בש"א יום ראשון מדליק שמונה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך ובה"א יום ראשון מדליק א' מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך. שני זקנים היו בצידן אחד עשה כדברי ב"ש ואחד עשה כדברי ב"ה זה נותן טעם לדבריו וזה נותן טעם לדבריו זה אומר כפרי החג וזה אומר מעלין בקודש ואין מורידין. מצות הדלקתה משתשקע החמה עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק ומצוה להניחה על פתח ביתו מבחוץ ואם היה דר בעליה מניחה בחלון הסמוכה לרה"ר ואם מתירא מן הלצים מניחה על פתח ביתו מבפנים ובשעת הסכנה מניחה על שלחנו ודיו:
(7) On the twenty fifth of the month is Channuka, eight days on which one does not eulogize
(8) because when the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled all the oil there. When the hand of the Hasmoneans was made strong and they defeat the Greeks, they checked (in the Temple) and only found one jar of oil sealed with the mark of the High Priest which remained undefiled. Though there was only enough in it to light for one day, a miracle occurred through it and they lit the Temple lamps from it for eight days. The following year they decreed these to be eight days of celebration. And what justification did they see for making Channuka eight days? Wasn’t the dedication (channuka) which Moshe did in the wilderness only seven days? As it says “And you shall not leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days…” (Vayikra 8:33) And it says “The one who brought his offering on the first day was…” (Bamidbar 7:12) and on the seventh day Ephraim made his offering. So too we find at the dedication which Shlomo made that it only lasted seven days, as it says “…for the inauguration of the altar they made seven days, and the feast seven days.” (Divre HaYamim II 7:9) So what reason did they see to make this dedication eight days? In the days of the kingdom of Greece the Hasmoneans entered the Temple, built the altar, plastered it with plaster and for seven days they were preparing the vessels for service. The re-dedication done by the Hasmoneans it to be marked for all generations. And why is it a practice for all generations? They fixed it when they came out from a narrow place into broad spaces, and they said praises and thanksgiving, lighting lamps in purity. Since the Greeks had gone into the Temple and defiled all the vessels, there was nothing with which to light. When the Hasmoneans were victorious, they brought seven skewers of iron, covered them with tin and began to light.
What does Megillat Ta'anit tell us that we are celebrating on Hannukah? Is there still something missing? What do you make of the Menorah being made of spears?
This is source from the Talmud is the first time we get any mention of a oil miracle on Hannukah. What are we celebrating according to the Talmud? What is missing from this telling of the story that we had in other sources?
(ו) עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל הַגְּ֒בוּרוֹת וְעַל הַתְּ֒שׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּ֒מַן הַזֶּה:
(6) [We thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the deliverances and for the wars that You performed for our fathers in those days at this season.
(ז) בחנוכה: בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָֽהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי וּבָנָיו כְּשֶׁעָמְ֒דָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְ֒שָׁעָה עַל־עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶֽךָ, וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים עָמַֽדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם רַֽבְתָּ אֶת־רִיבָם דַּֽנְתָּ אֶת־דִּינָם נָקַֽמְתָּ אֶת־נִקְמָתָם מָסַֽרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְ֒קֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ וּלְעַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִֽׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְאַחַר־כֵּן בָּֽאוּ בָנֶֽיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶֽךָ וּפִנּוּ אֶת־הֵיכָלֶֽךָ וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת־מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָ וְהִדְלִֽיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶֽׁךָ וְקָבְ֒עוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה אֵֽלּוּ לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל:
(7) On Chanukah: In the days of Matisyahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent [sinners] into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah. And You made Yourself a great and sanctified name in Your world. And for Your people, Israel, You performed a great deliverance and redemption unto this very day. Afterwards, Your sons entered the Holy of Holies of Your Abode, cleaned Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary, and designated these eight days of Chanukah to thank and praise Your great Name.
This text from the Amidah gives a different story from the Talmud. What is this text celebrating? What is included and excluded here from the previous sources?
Here is one suggestion. I believe the rabbis may have been trying to distance themselves from the Hasmonean association, which has strong resonances with insurrectionist and militaristic periods in Judean history, especially the final great rebellion against Rome: The Bar Kochba revolt brought major disaster upon the Jews living in Roman Palestine when his rebellion against Rome turned sour and scores of thousands of Jews were killed.
In addition to the human carnage wreaked by Bar Kochba, the Romans razed the city of Jerusalem to the ground and banned Jews from entering it. They gave Jerusalem a Latin name, Aelia Capitolina, and built within it a temple dedicated to the god Jupiter, among others. The Jews of this region moved up north, to cities such as Caesaria, Sepphoris and Tiberias, never to return to their beloved holy city. Jerusalem was not reestablished as a thriving Jewish city again until modern times.
Regardless of whether or not Bar Kochba saw himself as an inheritor of the Maccabean legacy, the association between the two and the consequent anti-imperial or anti-government imagery would have been something from which the powerless rabbis may well have wished to dissociate. Celebrating rebellion could both lead their followers astray and cause problems for Jews with their local governments. (Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich for thetorah.com, shortened)
What do you think about Dr Simkovich's read of this issue? Do you think the Rabbis were trying to distance themselves from something by enlarging or "creating" a miracle of the oil?
Compare this modern Al Hanisim prayer for Yom Ha'atzmaut to what you know about the creation of the State of Israel. It is romantacised here, is there any important themes or issues left out? Compare that to what we just learned about the history of the Hannukah Miracle. What do you think we can learn from this and the actions of the Rabbis of the Talmud?
If time continue the source sheet:
כל עוד בלבב פנימה נפש יהודי הומייה ולפאתי מזרח קדימה עין לציון צופיה. עוד לא אבדה תקוותינו התקווה בת שנות אלפיים להיות עם חופשי בארצנו ארץ ציון וירושלים
As long as within our hearts The Jewish soul sings, As long as forward to the East To Zion, looks the eye – Our hope is not yet lost, It is two thousand years old, To be a free people in our land The land of Zion and Jerusalem. (My Jewish Learning)
Using this graphic which gives us a way to ask four questions using the words of Hatikvah about the nature and state of the Jewish people and Israel, go back and take a quick look at the sources we've had and see if asking these questions can reveal any more insights about what is at stake in the different narratives of what we are celebrating.