A) CHANUKAH; BETTER KNOWN AS HANUKKAH.

B) LAG B’OMER.

C) PASSOVER (PESACH).

D) PURIM.

E) ROSH HASHANAH (YOM TERUAH).

F) SHAVU’OT.

F) SHEMINI ATZERET.

G) SIMCHAT TORAH.

H) SUKKOT.

I) TISHA B’AV.

J) TU B’SHEVAT.

K) YOM KIPPUR.

 

 

A) CHANUKAH; BETTER KNOWN AS HANUKKAH

 

 

In the month of December, Jewish families around the globe will be celebrating “Hanukkah,” also known as, the “Festival of Lights.”  The word “Hanukkah,” means, “dedication,” John 10:22, and the holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in B.C. 165.

 

Where it actually originates from is that it is found in the “Book of Maccabees,” in “First Maccabees,” Chapter 4, verse 59:  “Moreover, Judah and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication [or Hanukkah; also it may be called Chanukah] of the alter should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Kislev, with mirth and gladness.”

 

Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew ninth month of “Chisleu,” or “Kislev” (Zec. 7:1), which is the Gregorian’s calendar month of December.  It is celebrated for an eight-day period.

 

In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 11, Daniel details the breakup of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great.  Alexander’s four generals divided up the empire with:  Cassander taking Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachustaking Asia Minor and Thrace; Seleucus taking over Syria, and Babylon in the east; and, Ptolemy taking over Egypt.

 

Since Israel was caught in between the territories of Seleucus and Ptolemy, it subsequently was a buffer zone between these two rivals.  Daniel also describes the struggles between the Seleucid Empire (“the king of the north”) and that of Ptolemies (“the king of the south”).

 

Enter Antiochus Epiphanies.  After Antiochus IV Epiphanies took over the Seleucid throne, he outlawed the keeping of the “Torah.”  Thus, he persecuted the Jews and looted the Temple in Jerusalem.  In the ultimate act of profanity, he then slaughtered a sow (pig) on the altar and sprinkled its blood in front of an idol of Zeus in the Holy Place.  This desecration of the Temple is generally understood by Christians and referred to in Daniel 11:31 as, the “abomination of desolation.”  However, that is incorrect.  See my Bible Study:  “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.”

 

The consequent outrage led to the famed, “Maccabbean Revolt,” which successively threw off the yoke of the Greek rulers and ushered in the Hasmonean period of Israel’s history.  On the third anniversary of the desecration of the Temple, on the 25th of Kislev, B.C. 165, the Temple was rededicated.  This rededication is what resulted into what is celebrated to this very day as, “Hanukkah.”

“Hanukkah” is mentioned only once in the Bible in John 10:22 (see my Bible Commentary Note there), where It simply acknowledges that, “it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter.”  Most of what we know about “Hanukkah, comes from the books of “One Maccabees,” and “Two Maccabees,” as well as other rabbinical writings and traditions.  “Hanukkah” celebrates the victory of the Maccabeans over the Greeks in B.C. 164.

 

Many historians believe that the first “Hanukkah,” lasted “eight days,” because it was a delayed celebration of “Sukkot,” often called, the “Feast of Tabernacles,” which also lasts for eight days.  At that time, the Jewish people would have prominently featured the lighting of lamps.  However, according to the “Talmud,” a miracle took place during the rededication of the Temple, which accounts for the eight-day duration of the feast.  The miracle was, the Temple Priests had only one day’s supply of oil, yet the lamps burned for eight days, giving the Priests time to prepare more.  This remarkable event is referred to as, “The Miracle of Hanukkah.”  However, this appears to be a made-up story.

Perhaps the most recognizable aspect of “Hanukkah,” is the “Menorah.”  The traditional “Hanukkah Menorah,” has nine branches (it is different from the seven-branch candelabrum found in most synagogues, of which the seven branches are symbolic of the seven days of creation).  One candle is lit on each of the eight days of “Hanukkah;” the ninth candle, called a “shamash,” or “servant candle,” is used to light the others.  “Menorahs” are traditionally displayed in a window so they can be seen from the outside.

Historically, “Hanukkah” is considered a minor holiday, primarily because it is not one of the seven feasts described in the “Torah” (the five Books of Moses).  However, it has been emphasized more in recent years.  “Hanukkah” symbolizes the restoration of Jewish sovereignty, and that idea has taken on new significance with the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

 

Also, because “Hanukkah” usually occurs in late December, it is sometimes viewed as an alternative to Christmas (especially among Jewish families in the United States and other predominately Christian nations).  Retailers who have profited from the sale of greeting cards, wrapping paper, games, music, and other “Hanukkah” related items, have encouraged this trend.  Originally however, it had nothing to do with Christmas, nor do faithful Jews consider it to even rival Christmas.
 

The original Hebrew is “Hanukkah.”  In modern Hebrew, the word has a transliteration that has been Romanized as “Chanukah.”  The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched menorah or “hanukiah.”  It starts, and then has one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.  The typical “menorah” consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch.  The extra light is called a “shamash,” meaning, “attendant,” and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.  The purpose of the “shamash” is to have a light available for practical use, as using the “Hanukkah Lights” themselves for purposes other than publicizing and meditating upon “Hanukkah” is forbidden.

 

 

B) LAG B’OMER

 

 

“Lag BaOmer,” also known as “Lag LaOmer,” is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the “Counting of the Omer,” which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar.  This day marks the “hillula” (celebration, interpreted by some as “Anniversary of Death”), of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a Mishnaic sage and leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva in the 2nd Century A.D.  It is the day on which he revealed the deepest secrets of “kabbalah” in the form of the “Zohar” (“Book of Splendor”), a landmark text of Jewish mysticism.  This association has spawned several well-known customs and practices on “Lag BaOmer,” including the lighting of bonfires, pilgrimages to the tomb of Bar Yochai in the northern Israeli town of Meron, and various customs at the tomb itself.

 

 

C) PASSOVER (PESACH)

(See my Bible Study:  “FEASTS, THE BIBLICAL”).

 

 

D) PURIM

 

 

“Purim” literally means “lots,” and comes to us via the Hebrew word “pur,” and is related to “Akkadian,” i.e., “Puru.”  It is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire, where a plot had been formed to destroy them.  The story is recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther (Hadassah).

 

This day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing.  Based upon the conclusions of the “Scroll of Esther” (Esther 9:22):  “. . .that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.”  “Purim” therefore is celebrated by:

 

(1) Exchanging reciprocal gifts of food and drink; known as “mishloach manot.”

(2) Donating charity to the poor; known as “mattanot la-evyonim.

(3) Eating a celebratory meal; known as a “se’udat Purim’.”

(4) Public recitation, usually in the synagogue, of the “Scroll of Esther;” known as “kriat ha-megillah.”

(5) Reciting additions to the daily prayers and the grace after meals; known as “Al HaNissim.”

 

Other customs include drinking wine, wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration.  “Purim” is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (and on Adar II in Hebrew leap years that take place every 3 to 4 years); the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies.  In cities that were protected by a surrounding wall at the time of the Biblical figure Joshua, “Purim” is instead celebrated on the 15th of the month of Adar, on what is known as “Shushan Purim,” since fighting in the walled city of Shushan continued through the 14th day of Adar.  Today, only Jerusalem celebrates “Purim” on the 15th of Adar.

 

 

E) ROSH HASHANAH (YOM TERUAH)

 

 

“Rosh Hashanah” literally means, “head [of] the year.”  It is the Jewish New Year, although the real name for this Feast of the Lord is called “Yom Teruah,” literally meaning, “day [of] shouting/raising a noise.”  According to the correct Biblical calendar of the 1st and 2nd Temple period, it is called the “Feast of Trumpets” (7th Month, Days 1-9; our October) not “Rosh Hashanah.”  It is the first of the High Holy Days, or “Yamim Nora’im,” meaning, “Days of Awe.”  It usually occurs in the early autumn of the northern Hemisphere.  “Rosh Hashanah” is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei; “seventh month, in the first day of the month,” Leviticus 23:24-25; Numbers 29:1-6.

 

The day is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in God’s world.  “Rosh Hashanah” customs include sounding of the “Shofar” (a hollowed-out ram’s horn); and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey to evoke a “sweet new year.”  It is considered a day of putting away the curses of the previous year and embracing the blessings of the new one.  The old things are dead and a horizon of fresh life gleams ahead.

 

 

F) SHAVU’OT

 

 

“Shavu’ot” in Classical and Mizrahi Hebrew literally means, “Weeks.”  Known as the “Feast of Weeks” in English, and as “Pentecost” in Ancient Greek, is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of “Sivan” (our late May or early June).  In the “third month, that is, the month Sivan,” Esther 8:9.  See my Bible Study:  “FEASTS, THE BIBLICAL,” because this feast truly falls on the “third month,” on the 6th day of the month.

 

“Shavu’ot” commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the “Torah” to the entire nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai; although the association between the giving of the “Torah” (“Matan Torah”) and “Shavu’ot” is not explicit in the Biblical text.  The holiday is one of the “Shalosh Regalim” (the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals).  It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and its date is directly linked to that of “Passover.”  The “Torah” mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of “Passover,” to be immediately followed by Shavu’ot.

 

This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the giving of the “Torah.”  On “Passover,” the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on “Shavu’ot” they were given the “Torah” and became a nation committed to serving God.  The festival of “Shavu’ot” also marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between “Passover” and “Shavu’ot.”

 

“Shavu’ot” is one of the lesser-known Jewish holidays among secular Jews in the Jewish Diaspora; while those in in the land of Israel are more aware of it.  According to Jewish law, “Shavu’ot” is celebrated in Israel for one day, and in the Diaspora (outside of Israel), for two days.  Reform Judaism celebrates only one day, even in the Diaspora.

 

 

F) SHEMINI ATZERET

 

 

“Shemini Atzeret” literally means, “Eighth [day of] Assembly.”  It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of “Tishrei,” in the Land of Israel; and on the 22nd and 23rd outside of the Land of Israel (our late September and/or early October).  It directly follows the Jewish festival of “Sukkot,” which is celebrated for seven days, and thus “Shemini Atzeret” is literally the eighth day.  However, it is a separate, yet connected holy day, devoted to the spiritual aspects of the festival of “Sukkot.”  Part of its duality as a holy day is that it is simultaneously considered to be and celebrated as being both connected to “Sukkot,” yet also being a separate festival in its own right.

 

Outside of the Land of Israel, this is further complicated by the additional day added to all Biblical holidays except “Yom Kippur.”  The first day of “Shemini Atzeret” therefore coincides with the eighth day of “Sukkot,” outside of the Land of Israel, leading to sometimes involved analysis as to which practices of each holiday are to apply.

 

The celebration of “Simchat Torah” is the most distinctive feature of the holiday.  But it is a later rabbinical innovation.  In the Land of Israel, the celebrations of “Shemini Atzeret” and “Simchat Torah,” are combined on a single day, and the names are used interchangeably.  In the “Diaspora,” the celebration of “Simchat Torah” is deferred to the second day of the holiday.  Commonly, only the first day is referred to as “Shemini Atzeret,” while the second is called “Simchat Torah.”

 

 

G) SIMCHAT TORAH

 

 

“Simchat Torah,” or better “Simḥath Torah” (also “Simkhes Toreh”), literally means, “Rejoicing of / [with the] Torah.”  It is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public “Torah” readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.  “Simhat Torah” is a component of the Biblical Jewish holiday of “Shemini Atzeret” (“Eighth Day of Assembly”), which follows immediately after the festival of “Sukkot,” in the month of Tishrei (occurring in mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar).

 

The main celebration of “Simhat Torah” takes place in the Synagogue during the evening and morning services.  In Orthodox, as well as many Conservative congregations, this is the only time of year on which the “Torah Scrolls” are taken out of the Ark and read at night.  In the morning, the last portion (Hebrew, “parashah”) of the Book of Deuteronomy and the first portion of the Book of Genesis are read in the Synagogue.  On each occasion, when the Ark is opened, the worshippers leave their seats to dance and sing with the “Torah Scrolls” in a joyous celebration that can last for several hours.

 

The morning service is also uniquely characterized by the calling up of each male member (in some Orthodox, and in the majority of non-Orthodox congregations, male and female members) of the congregation for an “aliyah” (immigration to the land of Israel).  There is also a special “Aliyah” for all the children (under 13 or 12 for boys and girls).

 

 

H) SUKKOT

 

 

“Sukkot,” “Succot,” or “Sukkos,” is the Biblical “Feast of Booths,” or “Feast of Tabernacles,” which occurs on the “fifteenth day of the seventh month,” Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:34-36, 39-43; Numbers 29:12-39; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Zechariah 14:16-19.

 

This Jewish Holiday is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (varies from our late September to late October).  It is one of the three Biblically mandated festivals on which Hebrews were Commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.  It follows the solemn holiday of “Yom Kippur,” know as the “Day of Atonement.”  The holiday lasts seven days (eight in the “Diaspora” regions).  The first day (and second in the “Diaspora”) is a Sabbath-like “yom tov” (holiday), when work is forbidden, followed by the intermediate “Chol Hamoed” and “Shemini Atzeret.”  The Hebrew word “Sukkot” is the plural of “Sukkah,” meaning, “booth” or “tabernacle,” which is a walled structure covered with “schach” (plant material such as leafy tree overgrowth or palm leaves).

 

The “Sukkah” is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt.  Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the “Sukkah” and some people sleep there as well.  On each day of the holiday, members of the household recite a blessing over the “lulav” (closed frond of the date palm tree, bound with boughs and branches of the willow and myrtle trees) and “etrog” (yellow citron).

 

 

I) TISHA B’AV

 

 

“Tisha B’Av” literally means, “the ninth of Av [Hebrew month],” and is an annual fast day in Judaism, which commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of the Jews from the land of Israel.  The day also commemorates other tragedies which occurred on the same day; including the Roman massacre of over 100,000 Jews at Betar in B.C. 132.  Instituted by the Rabbis of 2nd Century Palestine.  “Tisha B’Av” is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar and a day which is destined for tragedy.

 

In addition to the basic five prohibitions, all pleasurable activity is forbidden.  The Book of Lamentations, which mourns the destruction of Jerusalem, is read in the Synagogue, followed by the “kinnot,” a series of liturgical dirges, which lament the loss of the Temple and Jerusalem.  As the day has become associated with remembrance of other major calamities which have befallen the Jewish people, some “kinnot” recall events such as the murder of the Ten Martyrs, the decimation of numerous medieval Jewish communities during the Crusades, and the destruction of European Jewry in the Holocaust.

 

 

J) TU B’SHEVAT

 

 

“Tu Bishvat” is a minor Jewish holiday occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of “Shevat,” our January / February.  It is also called “Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot,” literally meaning, “New Year of the Trees.”  In contemporary Israel the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day and trees are planted in celebration.

 

 

K) YOM KIPPUR

 

 

This is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people.  “Yom” means “day” in Hebrew, and “Kippur” comes from a root that means “to atone,” but actually a better translation would be, “to cover,” as in the covering up of your sins is the thought process.  This word is used in the Qur’an as “Kafir,” meaning in their thought process that the Jewish Rabbis, in their Babylonian Talmud, covered up the true meaning of their original Scriptures.  However, in the Qur’an, it is mostly incorrectly translated as “infidels.”  Those scholars who know better understand the original meaning.

Getting back to the original Jewish meaning, “Yom Kippur” has come to mean, “Day of Atonement,” occurring on the “tenth day of this seventh month,” Leviticus 16:ALL; Leviticus 23:27-32; Numbers 29:7-11.

 

Its central themes are atonement and repentance.  Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer; often spending most of the day in the Synagogue services.  “Yom Kippur” is also regarded as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.”