The Dallas Express had the pleasure of speaking with the senior rabbi and spiritual leader of Temple Shalom in North Dallas, Andrew Paley, who told the news outlet about the special significance of Hanukkah.
“This is actually a joyous but serious holiday that commemorates the desire of people to express their beliefs in and the playing out of their connection with the Holy One in the way that they desire — and to be able to do that in freedom is worthy of celebrating,” said Rabbi Paley.
Hanukkah means “dedication.” This Jewish holiday is symbolized by a Hanukkah menorah (aka a hanukkiah), a nine-branched candelabrum that includes one branch for each night of the holiday and a “helper” candle called a “Shamash.”
Hanukkah begins at sunset on December 7 and ends at nightfall on December 15. This eight-day “festival of lights” is celebrated with the lighting of a candle each night, or, as it has come to be done, a lighting of a number of candles corresponding to the number of that night of Hanukkah (one the first night, two the second night, three the third night, and so forth).
The concept of a day in the Jewish calendar is based on the creation story.
“And there was evening, and there was morning, a first day … [when] days began in the evening, so evening to evening is one day,” said Rabbi Paley, explaining why the candles are lit each night of the holiday, which is considered the start of the day.
Part of the story behind the holiday can be found in the Book of Maccabees, which, interestingly enough, is not included in the Hebrew Bible. The four-part book speaks of religious persecution and “the fight against the overwhelming odds of an assimilated community and [the] work of a small group of people to maintain their religious identities,” Rabbi Paley said.
The Book of Maccabees recounts the story of that small titular group of Jews and their fight against the army of the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes. Despite overwhelming odds, the Jewish community emerged victorious. The king and his dynasty had imposed Greek culture on the Jewish people, which went against their beliefs. Antiochus also forbade Jews from celebrating the Sabbath, the declaration of the new lunar month (which was crucial to determining when holidays fell), circumcision, and study of the Torah.
Rabbi Paley explained that this became an issue for the Jewish people, stating that the people of that time had to ask themselves, “Do we fall in line with ways that are against who we are?”
The conflict lasted for around two years. During that time, the Syrian-Greek king and his armies captured the Temple in Jerusalem, putting an end to the daily service that took place there. When the Jewish people eventually recaptured the Temple from Greek control on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev, they rededicated the Temple and declared an annual celebration henceforth starting on that day.
The Babylonian Talmud describes how when the Jewish people returned to the Temple, which had been desecrated by the Syrian-Greeks, they managed to find one jar of pure olive oil that had not been defiled, a sufficient quantity to light the seven-branched menorah for only a single day. However, after the olive oil was poured into the menorah and it was lit, it wound up miraculously burning for eight days, just enough time to produce or obtain more olive oil so it could continue being lit on a daily basis.
This miracle of the olive oil lasting eight days — and the accompanying military victory of a small band of untrained soldiers over the mighty Syrian-Greek army — has been celebrated by the Hanukkah menorah lighting. Although the nicest way to light the Hanukkah menorah is using olive oil, some use candles instead.
Because of the miracle of the olive oil, it is customary to eat foods fried with oil, such as potato “latkes” (aka potato pancakes, which are similar in consistency to hash browns) and jelly-filled doughnuts called “sufganiyot” (in Hebrew).
Rabbi Paley made a comparison to the power of light, noting that “this is the darkest time of year — the sunlight is short — so bringing light to a dark world is a very important element to the Jewish outlook and expression. We intend to bring light to the world, and we have a duty to do that against the forces that bring darkness and despair.”
He referenced a well-known Jewish expression: “A little light dispels much darkness.”
“The desire of one group to mandate the religious expressions of another group is never appropriate. The timelessness of this message is important for people to hear,” concluded Rabbi Paley.
Temple Shalom Dallas is located at 6930 Alpha Rd. For more information, please visit their website.
