Happy Hanukkah!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

TG wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Figures all them Rich Jews in Metro Detroit have snow for Hanukkah for their holiday


But all the snow here will be gone Christmas Eve

Well.... The meaning of Christmas is Jesus' birth, although it has been adapted for the entire community to enjoy instead of just Christians. But if you are speaking of the Christian holiday of Christmas, there was no snow in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth.

Very true TG!

If GS wants more snow, he needs to move to the snowbelt area 40 miles east to west of Cleveland. He could still see the Tigers at the Prog Field.

Like I could find a good paying job in Ohio or anywhere



Only reason I got the job I have now is because of my uncle


And that may not last much longer

But the government won't bail me out

And if I sent my resume to the big 3

It be in the garbage

gs78 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

At least you have snow, I don't and what we get before Christmas will be gone.

But Christmas is not about snow, It is about remembering that Jesus was willing to come to earth in human form (as a baby), go through the trials and troubles we all go through, then be falsely accused and died a horrible death, VOLUNTARILY, so that we could have our sins forgiven! Be happy that someone loved you enough to die FOR YOUR SINS, so you could be acceptable to God.

Don't forget that the PC Police want people to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas because we can't offend the non Christians; agnostics or atheists

What's wrong with that? Not everyone is Christian. There's way more Christians than there are Jewish people in this country, but Hannukah and Christmas usually are at about the same time as is New Years so why not wish everyone a happy all of those? Plus you're covered for Kwanzaa and Boxing Day, too.

catbox_9 wrote:

Back to the actual topic, Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC

That leads me to a question....
I'm assuming the rededication of the temple is mentioned in the Old Testament (Torah) so why is it that Muslims and Christians don't celebrate Hanukkah (or most Jewish holidays for that matter?). Or am I wrong - is this event only mentioned in the Talmud?

Jesus was Jewish. He went to the temples and prayed.... but yet a new religion was created because of him. He may have followed the Jewish religion's holidays, however with the new religion that he created you don't need to follow the same holidays because the belief system has changed.

Also, many Christmas candle sets are actually the Menorah. Also, Messanic (completed Jews who have accepted Christ) still do follow many of the Jewish holidays.

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Hanukkah Traditions

Hanukkah is the story of a great victory of the Jews over the Syrian-Greeks. In 165 BCE, led by the Hasmonean family of Mattathias the High Priest and his youngest son, Judah, the Jews succeeded in evicting the Syrian-Greeks from Israel and restored the Temple.

According to the Talmud, after the Temple had been cleaned and the Priests were ready to light the Temple menorah, they could find only one jug of oil that was fit to use. This was only enough for one day, but it lasted for eight. This is why Hanukah is eight days long. For eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev we light the menorah to celebrate the victory and the miracle of Hanukah.

Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word "Khanu" meaning 'and they rested,' and from the Hebrew date Kaf Hey which equals 25. That is why we celebrate Hanukah beginning on the 25th of the month of Kislev.

Miracle of the Oil

Why is it important that the oil lasted eight days?

In the temple, a menorah was lit every day. The oil used in the menorah was the purest olive oil. The rabbis say the oil was so pure, only the first drop of oil from each olive could be used. Because of the need for strict purity of the oil, it took seven days to make a single batch of oil.

The small jar of oil that had not been disturbed lasted for the one day it was expected to last and continued for the full week it took to make new oil.

Hannah and her seven sons

Hanukah is the story of heroes and bravery. It took great courage to go against the king and not worship idols. It took courage to fight against a powerful enemy and win as the Maccabees did.

One of the most amazing parts of Hanukah is in the Book of the Maccabees. It is the story of Hannah and her sons. She loved them very much and they were loyal to HaShem. They would not do what the king wanted them to do and worship idols.

One day the soldiers came and took Hannah and her sons away. They brought them to the church where there was an idol of Zeus and ordered them to bow down and worship and say that they accepted Zeus as their god. Hannah and her sons refused.

The soldiers killed her oldest son, hoping that when the others saw this they would worship their idol. But they did not. One after the other they were killed as was Hannah. She died declaring her faith in HaShem.

Judah Ha Maccabee

For three years Judah the Maccabee led his followers, those loyal to HaShem, against the Syrians. The Syrian Greeks had weapons, the Maccabees did not. The Jews were greatly outnumbered.

They hid in the Judean hills, and attacked whenever they could. Slowly but surely, they wore down the enemies, and retook Jerusalem and cleaned out the temple of the idols and restored it. That is the festival of rededication called Hanukah.

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