Chanukah and the BoM (per request of Pam)

[thekabalist]

Chanukah is a season when the Jewish people commemorates the light of G-d. Some think that Chanukah is about commemorating the military victory of the Macabbees over the army of Antiochus Epiphany but the truth is that Chanukah is a celebration of the miracle of the light.

When the Jewish Temple was defiled by the enemies of Israel there was not enough oil for the Menorah to keep burning continuously as it was supposed to. Oil for the Menorah took about eight days to be prepared by Jewish law. Therefore G-d made a miracle and the oil they had which was only good for one day lasted for eight days.

Because of this miracle Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights. Every year in Jewish homes we light up a 9-branch Menorah called "Chanukiah". The 8 main branches are because of the eight-day miracle and the additional branch is called the "Shammash" or "Servant" and is used to light up the other 8 branches.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe said about the Menorah:

"The lights kindled in the Holy Temple served a higher purpose. The Temple was the “house of G-d” where the harmony and perfection of the Divine were manifest in all their glory. Does such a place—asks the Talmud—require illumination? But the lights of the Temple’s menorah, answers the Talmud, served as “a testimony to the entire world that the divine presence rests in Israel."

Now notice how Jesus celebrated this feast:

"At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon." (John 10:22-23)

Right before that Jesus had said to his disciples:

"While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." (John 9:5)

It looks like Jesus was saying to his disciples that he was the "shammash", the servant branch of the Menorah that gave light in the feast of Chanukah.

What could have meant being the "shammash" then?

The Rebbe thus describes the role of the shammash:

"Night after night, the shammash dutifully goes about his task of kindling lights. Each evening, he welcomes the newcomer and settles him into his rightful place in the growing row: two flames, three flames, four flames.... The shammash coaxes them to life and then stands watch over them, lest one falter and require a fresh boost of light.

Still the shammash doesn’t count. An imparter of light to others, he never attains the status of a Chanukah light in his own right.

Despite—indeed because—of this, the shammash towers above all the other lights of the menorah. To forgo one’s own luminary potential in order to awaken a flame in others—there is no greater virtue."

So what Jesus was saying is that he came to awaken the flame in others so that they too could develop their potential of burning with the divine presence. This is how the Jewish public of the time would have understood these events.

The most interesting thing is that we see a similar theme in the BoM:

"And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us? And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you. And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed. And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire." (Hel. 5:40-43)

For obvious reasons the israelites from the BoM would not have known about the actual feast of Chanukah. However the same message is preached by the followers of Christ in the BoM. The only way to properly understand that passage of John is to either know about Chanukah or to read the description given by Hel. 5:40-43. This only confirms that indeed the BoM could have been given to clarify the meaning of the New Testament.

Happy Chanukah everyone! :)

[Vort]

I understand Chanukah (or Hannukah) to be a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, made more important only by its proximity to the western Christian tradition of celebrating Christmas. Is this so?

[thekabalist]

I understand Chanukah (or Hannukah) to be a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, made more important only by its proximity to the western Christian tradition of celebrating Christmas. Is this so?

Not really. It's not minor neither is it "Jewish Christmas". These are both myths. Chanukah isn't what we call a moed or a time originally appointed by the Torah. The moadim (Torah feasts) are more important indeed than other celebrations such as Purim or Chanukah. But that doesn't make these celebrations minor. Chanukah predates Christmas and it has always been a very important festival for our people.

Because of assimilation evidently the non-religious Jewish families sometimes use Chanukah as a social substitute for Christmas especially when they have young kids. But it really isn't the way it should be.

[pam]

The Kabalist,

Besides the lighting of the menorah, what are some of the other Jewish traditions during this time? Traditional foods? Ceremonies? Anything else?

[Maxel]

thekabalist-

I enjoyed your entire post, but the Rebbe's following words particularly struck me as dealing with the nature of Christ's mission:

Despite—indeed because—of this, the shammash towers above all the other lights of the menorah. To forgo one’s own luminary potential in order to awaken a flame in others—there is no greater virtue.

I don't know how much you know about our beliefs, but we do believe that Christ, as the Only Begotten of the Father, was the Father and God of heaven and earth, and the one who makes possible our eternal salvation and exaltation. The idea of "forgoing one's own luminary potential" (for a time) is similar to the "condescension of God", or Christ's voluntary sacrifice to leave His throne on high and be born as a mortal man (see 1 Nephi 11:16-28). We learn that the purpose of this condescension was to perform the Atonement and bring to pass the salvation of mankind- analagous to a greater candle sacrificing its height and place to stoop down and light a yet-unlit candle.

Very interesting!

[thekabalist]

The Kabalist,

Besides the lighting of the menorah, what are some of the other Jewish traditions during this time? Traditional foods? Ceremonies? Anything else?

Hi Pam,

The main tradition is to light up the chanukiah (9-branch menorah). Some eastern groups also have a holiday within Chanukah that is called the festival of the daughters. It is celebrated in honor of the Shechinah which in Kabbalah is the female consort of the Heavenly Father though they are both emanations of G-d. The festival of the daughters is usually celebrated with making a fire and giving gifts to women. Some Reform groups have taken this ritual and created a liturgy in praise of the female-side of G-d but this is a more recent move.

Two other traditions are to play the dreidel which is a sort of gambling game with the first letters of the sentence "A great miracle happened there". Usually kids play for candy.

We also eat deep-fried potato pancakes which are called latkes and they are the best part! :)

b'shalom!

[pam]

I've actually tried latkes and you are right. They are very good.

[Traveler]

Chanukah is a season when the Jewish people commemorates the light of G-d. Some think that Chanukah is about commemorating the military victory of the Macabbees over the army of Antiochus Epiphany but the truth is that Chanukah is a celebration of the miracle of the light.

When the Jewish Temple was defiled by the enemies of Israel there was not enough oil for the Menorah to keep burning continuously as it was supposed to. Oil for the Menorah took about eight days to be prepared by Jewish law. Therefore G-d made a miracle and the oil they had which was only good for one day lasted for eight days.

Because of this miracle Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights. Every year in Jewish homes we light up a 9-branch Menorah called "Chanukiah". The 8 main branches are because of the eight-day miracle and the additional branch is called the "Shammash" or "Servant" and is used to light up the other 8 branches.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe said about the Menorah:

"The lights kindled in the Holy Temple served a higher purpose. The Temple was the “house of G-d” where the harmony and perfection of the Divine were manifest in all their glory. Does such a place—asks the Talmud—require illumination? But the lights of the Temple’s menorah, answers the Talmud, served as “a testimony to the entire world that the divine presence rests in Israel."

Now notice how Jesus celebrated this feast:

"At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon." (John 10:22-23)

Right before that Jesus had said to his disciples:

"While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." (John 9:5)

It looks like Jesus was saying to his disciples that he was the "shammash", the servant branch of the Menorah that gave light in the feast of Chanukah.

What could have meant being the "shammash" then?

The Rebbe thus describes the role of the shammash:

"Night after night, the shammash dutifully goes about his task of kindling lights. Each evening, he welcomes the newcomer and settles him into his rightful place in the growing row: two flames, three flames, four flames.... The shammash coaxes them to life and then stands watch over them, lest one falter and require a fresh boost of light.

Still the shammash doesn’t count. An imparter of light to others, he never attains the status of a Chanukah light in his own right.

Despite—indeed because—of this, the shammash towers above all the other lights of the menorah. To forgo one’s own luminary potential in order to awaken a flame in others—there is no greater virtue."

So what Jesus was saying is that he came to awaken the flame in others so that they too could develop their potential of burning with the divine presence. This is how the Jewish public of the time would have understood these events.

The most interesting thing is that we see a similar theme in the BoM:

"And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us? And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you. And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed. And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire." (Hel. 5:40-43)

For obvious reasons the israelites from the BoM would not have known about the actual feast of Chanukah. However the same message is preached by the followers of Christ in the BoM. The only way to properly understand that passage of John is to either know about Chanukah or to read the description given by Hel. 5:40-43. This only confirms that indeed the BoM could have been given to clarify the meaning of the New Testament.

Happy Chanukah everyone! :)

I have thought and believed for some time that the day would come when we Mormons (LDS) would be able to teach you Jews a great many wonderful things we have received from G-d in the restoration of the house of Ephraim. I find it most interesting that the first step in this process is that you (a Jew) teach us (Mormons – LDS) the significance of the many great and wonderful things we have received from G-d in our restoration. The prophesy, concerning the uniting of Ephraim and Judah, in Ezekiel 37 is taking on a whole new meaning to me.

The Traveler

[pam]

Wonderful thought Traveler. I totally agree.