Last year, I was asked to teach about Chanukah with a church group in Dallas. I don’t always remember the nature of all the speaking engagements I do in all, or even most of the churches and among Christian groups that host me around the world, but this one was memorable. I entered the conversation thinking it was really quite straightforward, that most Christians, at least in America, surrounded by a Judeo-Christian culture, know at least the basics about Chanukah. Interestingly, that’s not always true, and especially not in other countries where Jewish life is less visible or celebrated.
What Is Hanukkah?
I began by relating a story about when I did a teaching two years ago with a group of pastors in Africa, people who love Israel and the Jewish people but who typically have no interaction with Jews or Jewish culture. One pastor excitedly stated that Chanukah seemed like such a great holiday that we should celebrate it more often. I always found that one of the most charming jumping-off points for discussion, even with Christians in America who know much more but typically don’t know as much as one would think.
Hanukkah is the celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by Syrian-Greek enemies of Israel. Rather than destroying the Temple, again, they desecrated it, which left it unfit for ritual use.
The answer to my African pastor friend as to why we don’t celebrate Hanukkah more often is because Hanukkah is always celebrated on the 25th of the Biblical month of Kislev, the day that the Temple was rededicated, some 2200 years ago. It never fails to impress Christians that Jews actually know the dates of when these events took place, not because it’s a secret revealed only to Jews but because we follow the scripture literally. Events throughout Biblical history that are noted on specific dates according to the Biblical calendar remain central as we follow that calendar (along with the Gregorian calendar) for anniversaries of birth, marriages, death, and, of course, holidays.
The restoration of the Temple was made possible by a military victory under the leadership of Judah Maccabi. The name Maccabi has become synonymous with strength and overcoming enemies. It has also been adapted for use in popular culture, among other things, as the name of a popular musical group and a line of frozen kosher foods in America, as well as the name of one of Israel’s largest health funds and even a beer.
Most Western (or at least American) Christians know that Hanukkah is an eight-day holiday commemorating the miracle that during the rededication of the Temple, enough pure oil was found to light the menorah for one day, but which miraculously lasted for eight days. For eight days, we light candles, increasing one candle each night. We eat traditional foods that are fried in oil, commemorating the miracle of the oil. They are not so healthy but decadent and tasty.
Why Are Psalms 113-118 Important during Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is also a musical holiday during which it is customary to sing Psalms 113 to 118, called Hallel, thanking God for the miracles He has performed. There are also many songs celebrating the miraculous victory over Israel‘s enemies. (Please be in touch for a list of popular recipes, songs, and more.) If there’s ever a Biblical holiday celebrating heroism, Hanukkah is it. And if Israel and the Jewish people ever needed to have an extra cause to celebrate heroism and a military defeat over enemies who want to destroy us, this is the year.
Interestingly, my son, who has served in Gaza and Lebanon this past year, has lost eight soldiers who he was close to: men he served with, trained, or friends from other parts of his life. He collected the shells of large weapons he and other soldiers fired in combat, and is creating his own chanukiah with each shell to hold a candle in commemoration of one of his soldiers, but also the war that we are in the midst of.
But even if you were a biblically literate Christian with a deep knowledge of Judaism, how would you know all this about Hanukkah since it is not featured prominently in the Bible? To answer this and other questions delving into the how and why of what we do, I hosted Rabbi Avi Baumol on the Inspiration from Zion podcast to discuss the significance of Chanukah in Israel today.
Why Is a Gift Given Each Day of Hanukkah?
While teaching in Dallas, I received questions about who lights the candles, why, and the meaning of that. There were questions relating to the giving of presents as well, with a popular misconception that every family gives every member of the family a present every night. The premise behind this was that there are Christian children who think Hanukkah is “better” than Christmas because of the abundance of gifts. For Jews to think that Christians would be envious of Jews (in any way) was a new spin I had never considered. I explained that each family has its traditions, and surely a gift for every person each night is not the norm.
Also, because Hanukkah is not one of the Biblical pilgrimage festivals during which all forms of labor are prohibited, as instructed in the Bible, it offers an opportunity for families to have larger social gatherings and employ different traditions. Especially in Israel, where it is a public holiday and schools are closed, it’s common for people to travel throughout the country or even overseas during our popular winter vacation.
I also related how, in Israel, weeks and sometimes months before Hanukkah, the whole culture begins to focus on the holiday. This includes Hanukkah displays in stores, the increasing number of Hanukkah delicacies being offered for sale, and more. It’s not as extensive as Christmas displays in stores, often as early as September, which I observed on my last trip to the US. It’s also displayed in ways as mundane as hearing Hanukkah songs as background music in malls and other public places, replete with seasonal sales that also employ the holiday themes.
Where Is Hanukkah Mentioned in the New Testament?
As much as this was new information for many of the participants, I especially liked engaging them about the place in the New Testament where Hanukkah is mentioned. Interestingly, the fact that Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible but only in the New Testament gives one engaged in Jewish-Christian relations cause to think about why and what that means for us today. Certainly, Hanukkah should be more prevalent among Bible-believing Christians, as all the Biblical festivals ought to be.
But the mentioning of Hanukkah is so subtle that if you don’t know what First Century Jewish culture is about, you wouldn’t necessarily know that John 10:22 is talking about Jesus celebrating Hanukkah in Jerusalem. If you don’t know what “the Festival of the Dedication” is, you would have no idea that Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday.
"It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication." - John 10:22 NLT
As an Orthodox Jew less familiar with the New Testament, this raised many interesting questions, which we discussed, but many of which were still unanswered.
Since Hanukkah is not a pilgrimage holiday like Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), or Sukkot (Tabernacles), when Jews were expected to worship and bring offerings to the Temple, I asked why Jesus was in Jerusalem anyway.
I wanted to understand why this one reference in all of the New Testament was there, to begin with. Was it the only time that Jesus came to Jerusalem for the holiday, and if so, why and what was going on? Or is there something unique about this one particular visit, and it’s assumed that Jesus spent many winters celebrating Hanukkah in Jerusalem? Certainly, in the Hebrew Bible, every word and its use has significance. So I wondered why John even mentioned in passing, almost in a way that could go unnoticed, that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah in Jerusalem. Unlike today, when one can drive between Nazareth and Jerusalem in under three hours, making a pilgrimage by foot or donkey would take days and days of planning. Forget the time off work. There’s something significant in the very mention of Hanukkah there.
While the conversation was going on, one person googled and shared some information that affirmed that it was customary for first-century Jews to go to the Temple. After all, the military conquest and rededication of the Temple was relatively modern history to them. Just as I suppose in 50 and 100 years from now, the outcome of this war and the defeat of our Islamic jihadi enemies will be still relatively current.
Why Is it Important for Christians to Know Jesus Was Jewish?
This did not answer my questions, but it did affirm something that should not be forgotten: that Jesus was a First Century Jew, his life and culture were Jewish, and he worshiped in the Temple according to Jewish tradition. In a world where replacement theology remains widespread, and some try to erase the centrality of Jerusalem to Jews (and therefore Christians), it’s important that we remember this and that Christians understand that everything Jesus did was essentially Jewish.
Knowing this and that Hanukkah and Christmas overlap this year, whether one’s custom is to give a gift for everyone each day, just one gift, or anything in between, this year, there’s all the more opportunity to share the cheer and joy of the season and to be a blessing to Israelis in need through the Israel Emergency Campaign.
There’s a standard joke that most Jewish holidays have the same theme: they tried to kill us, we won, let's eat. That is not totally untrue, especially this year; while the victory is not complete, there’s reason to celebrate, and there is a need to bring joy to those who have sacrificed and are still sacrificing.
Part 1: The Story Behind Hanukkah and its Enduring Spiritual Power
Part 2: Exploring the Spiritual Significance of Hanukkah for Christians
Part 3: 7 Differences and Similarities between Hanukkah and Christmas
Photo Credit: SWN Design
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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of the Salem Web Network.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians. He was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. He is a leader working with and among Christian supporters of Israel, and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, writing, and as host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast.
Recently he published the highly acclaimed book, Israel the Miracle, which makes a great gift for Chanukah and Christmas.
He can be reached at [email protected].
