Tonight, the Jewish people will begin to commemorate Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, lighting the first of eight candles on the chanukiah. These eight nights represent the number of days that the oil burned when the Maccabees rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish people’s eternal capital. In the grand scheme of things, Chanukah is nowhere as spiritually significant as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, or any of the three major holidays, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot. Nevertheless, it represents an important cultural and spiritual moment in the Jewish people’s history.
Last year, I wrote a piece telling the real story of Chanukah. While most Jews learn that Chanukah represents the Jewish people’s triumphant victory over the Seleucid Empire, the truth is that the Maccabean Revolt was one of the greatest examples of fratricide between different camps of Jews in Judea. It all started with a broken promise the Seleucids made to the Jews and the desire of several Judean Jews to adopt Greek culture.
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