117-594: Hanukkah ( / ˈ h ɑː n ə k ə / ; חֲנֻכָּה Ḥănukkā listen ) is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to
234-485: A Geresh , represent the consonants [ t͡ʃ ] , [ d͡ʒ ] , [ ʒ ] . The consonant [ t͡ʃ ] may also be written as "תש" and "טש". [ w ] is represented interchangeably by a simple vav "ו", non-standard double vav "וו" and sometimes by non-standard geresh modified vav "ו׳". Modern Hebrew has fewer phonemes than Biblical Hebrew but it has developed its own phonological complexity. Israeli Hebrew has 25 to 27 consonants, depending on whether
351-531: A suzerainty over Judea, where they respected Jewish culture and protected Jewish institutions. This policy was drastically reversed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes , the son of Antiochus III, seemingly after what was either a dispute over leadership of the Temple in Jerusalem and the office of High Priest , or possibly a revolt whose nature was lost to time after being crushed. In 175 BCE, Antiochus IV invaded Judea at
468-566: A Greek official who was to enforce the government's behest (1 Mac. 2, 24–25). Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). By 166 BCE, Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered
585-518: A Hebrew form. Medieval Hebrew added 6421 words to (Modern) Hebrew. The approximate number of new lexical items in Israeli is 17,000 (cf. 14,762 in Even-Shoshan 1970 [...]). With the inclusion of foreign and technical terms [...], the total number of Israeli words, including words of biblical, rabbinic and medieval descent, is more than 60,000. Modern Hebrew has loanwords from Arabic (both from
702-509: A blessing over electric lamps only allow it if it is incandescent and battery operated (an incandescent flashlight would be acceptable for this purpose), while a blessing may not be recited over a plug-in menorah or lamp. Most Jewish homes have a special candelabrum referred to as either a Hanukkah menorah (the traditional name, menorah being Hebrew for 'lamp') or a Chanukiah (the modern Israeli term). Some families use an oil lamp menorah (traditionally filled with olive oil) for Hanukkah; like
819-643: A common noun. It was originally used to describe a blazed trail. The flower Anemone coronaria , called in Modern Hebrew kalanit , was formerly called in Hebrew shoshanat ha-melekh ('the king's flower'). For a simple comparison between the Sephardic and Yemenite versions of Mishnaic Hebrew, see Yemenite Hebrew . Modern Hebrew is classified as an Afroasiatic language of the Semitic family ,
936-484: A feast "in the manner of Sukkot (Booths)", it does not come with the corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the festive season . The name "Hanukkah" derives from
1053-652: A group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries of the Common Era ). However, the books of Maccabees were included among the deuterocanonical books added to the Septuagint , a Jewish scholarly Greek-language translation of the Hebrew Bible originally compiled in the mid- 3rd century BCE . The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider the books of Maccabees as a canonical part of
1170-543: A historical event. This belief has been adopted by most of Orthodox Judaism , in as much as Karo's Shulchan Aruch is a main code of Jewish Law. The menorah first began to be used as a symbol of Judaism in the Hasmonean period – appearing on coins issued by Hasmonean king Mattathias Antigonus between 40 and 37 BCE, but these coins depict a seven-branched Temple menorah , not a nine-branched vessel that would correspond to an eight-day oil miracle. Selected battles between
1287-406: A human life. At the most fundamental level, if there is any possibility whatsoever that action must be taken to save a life, Shabbat restrictions are set aside immediately, and without reservation. Where the danger to life is present but less immediate, there is some preference to minimize violation of Shabbat work restrictions where possible. The laws in this area are complex. The Torah specifies
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#17327718602531404-511: A miracle was wrought therein, and they lit [the lamp] therewith for eight days. The following year these [days] were appointed a Festival with [the recital of] Hallel and thanksgiving." —Shabbat 21b Tertiary sources in the Jewish tradition make reference to this account. Maimonides (12th century) described Hanukkah as follows: When, on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the Jews had emerged victorious over their foes and destroyed them, they re-entered
1521-425: A second festival day stemmed from delays in disseminating that information. Yom Kippur is not observed for two days anywhere because of the difficulty of maintaining a fast over two days. Adherents of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism generally do not observe the second day of festivals, although some do observe two days of Rosh Hashanah. Jewish law (halacha) accords Shabbat ( Hebrew : שבת )
1638-543: A seven-day holiday. This name reflects the fact that while in many respects Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday in its own right, in certain respects its celebration is linked to that of Sukkot . Outside Israel, meals are still taken in the Sukkah on this day. The main notable custom of this holiday is the celebration of Simchat Torah ( Hebrew : שמחת תורה ), meaning "rejoicing with the Torah". This name originally referred to
1755-436: A single date on the Jewish calendar for observance of holidays. Nevertheless, festivals of biblical origin other than Shabbat and Yom Kippur are observed for two days outside the land of Israel , and Rosh Hashanah is observed for two days even inside the land of Israel. Dates for holidays on the Jewish calendar are expressed in the Torah as "day x of month y". Accordingly, the beginning of month y needs to be determined before
1872-463: A special "ceremony": the last weekly Torah portion is read from Deuteronomy , completing the annual cycle, and is followed immediately by the reading of the first chapter of Genesis , beginning the new annual cycle. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved. This ceremony so dominates the holiday that in Israel, where the holiday is one day long, the whole holiday
1989-522: A spoken language. By the late 19th century, Russian-Jewish linguist Eliezer Ben-Yehuda had begun a popular movement to revive Hebrew as a living language, motivated by his desire to preserve Hebrew literature and a distinct Jewish nationality in the context of Zionism . Soon after, a large number of Yiddish and Judaeo-Spanish speakers were murdered in the Holocaust or fled to Israel , and many speakers of Judeo-Arabic emigrated to Israel in
2106-622: A symbolic casting off of the previous year's sins, during the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah. The Bible specifies Rosh Hashanah as a one-day holiday, but it is traditionally celebrated for two days, even within the Land of Israel . (See Second day of biblical festivals , above.) The Torah itself does not use any term like "New Year" in reference to Rosh Hashanah. The Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah specifies four different "New Year's Days" for different purposes: The first ten days of Tishrei (from
2223-485: A total of three blessings. The first blessing is recited before the candles are lit, and while most recite the other blessing(s) beforehand as well, some have the custom to recite them after. On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle or oil) is lit on the right side of the menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first but it is lit first, and so on, proceeding from placing candles right to left but lighting them from left to right over
2340-477: A traditional religion. The miracle of the oil is widely regarded as a legend and its authenticity has been questioned since the Middle Ages. However, given the famous question Joseph Karo (1488–1575) posed concerning why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days when the miracle was only for seven days (since there was enough oil for one day), it was clear that writing in the 16th century CE, he believed it to be
2457-482: A vow to perform, let him perform it. The Al HaNissim prayer is recited on Hanukkah as an addition to the Amidah prayer, which was formalized in the late 1st century. Al HaNissim describes the history of the holiday as follows: The Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus narrates in his book, Jewish Antiquities XII, how the victorious Judas Maccabeus ordered lavish yearly eight-day festivities after rededicating
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#17327718602532574-518: Is 8198, of which some 2000 are hapax legomena (the number of Biblical Hebrew roots, on which many of these words are based, is 2099). The number of attested Rabbinic Hebrew words is less than 20,000, of which (i) 7879 are Rabbinic par excellence, i.e. they did not appear in the Old Testament (the number of new Rabbinic Hebrew roots is 805); (ii) around 6000 are a subset of Biblical Hebrew; and (iii) several thousand are Aramaic words which can have
2691-534: Is Shabbat. However, the Talmud states explicitly that it took place on 3 Tishrei. As on all minor fast days, fasting from dawn to dusk is required, but other laws of mourning are not normally observed. A Torah reading is included in both the Shaharit and Minha prayers, and a haftarah is also included at Mincha . There are also some additions to the liturgy of both services. Yom Kippur ( Hebrew : יום כיפור )
2808-479: Is a minor Jewish fast day. It commemorates the assassination of the governor of Yehud province , Gedaliah , which ended any level of Jewish rule following the destruction of Solomon's Temple . According to the simple reading of the Bible, the assassination occurred on Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishrei), and if so, the fast is postponed to 3 Tishrei in respect for the holiday and it is further postponed to 4 Tishrei if 3 Tishrei
2925-487: Is a minor fast day, marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem as outlined in 2 Kings 25:1 Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew ( Hebrew : עִבְרִית חֲדָשָׁה [ʔivˈʁit χadaˈʃa] or [ʕivˈrit ħadaˈʃa] ), also called Israeli Hebrew or simply Hebrew , is the standard form of the Hebrew language spoken today. Developed as part of the revival of Hebrew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it
3042-591: Is based on using characters of the English alphabet as symbols to re-create the word's correct spelling in Hebrew, is the most common and the preferred choice of Merriam–Webster , Collins English Dictionary , the Oxford Style Manual , and the style guides of The New York Times and The Guardian . The sound represented by Ch ( [ χ ] , similar to the Scottish pronunciation of loch )
3159-505: Is completely and absolutely focused on the quest for atonement with God. Yom Kippur is also unique among holidays as having work-related restrictions identical to those of Shabbat. The fast and other prohibitions commence on 10 Tishrei at sunset—sunset being the beginning of the day in Jewish tradition. A traditional prayer in Aramaic called Kol Nidre ("All Vows") is traditionally recited just before sunset. Although often regarded as
3276-690: Is defined in halakha (Jewish law) by 39 categories of labor that were used in constructing the Tabernacle while the Jews wandered in the desert . As understood traditionally and in Orthodox Judaism : In principle, Conservative Judaism understands the requirement to refrain from melakha in the same way as Orthodox Judaism. In practice, Conservative rabbis frequently rule on prohibitions around melakha differently from Orthodox authorities. Still, there are some Conservative/Masorti communities around
3393-581: Is described in the Talmud , committed to writing about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees. The Talmud says that after the forces of Antiochus IV had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest , with enough oil to keep the menorah in
3510-510: Is forbidden. It specifies, "On the 25th of [Kislev] is Hanukkah of eight days, and one is not to eulogize" and then references the story of the rededication of the Temple. The Mishna (late 2nd century) mentions Hanukkah in several places, but never describes its laws in detail and never mentions any aspect of the history behind it. To explain the Mishna's lack of a systematic discussion of Hanukkah, Nissim ben Jacob postulated that information on
3627-404: Is genealogically a hybrid with Indo-European. Those theories have not been met with general acceptance, and the consensus among a majority of scholars is that Modern Hebrew, despite its non-Semitic influences, can correctly be classified as a Semitic language. Although European languages have had an impact on Modern Hebrew, the impact may often be overstated. Although Modern Hebrew has more of
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3744-440: Is lit by the shammash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs , playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot , and dairy foods. Since the 1970s, the worldwide Chabad Hasidic movement has initiated public menorah lightings in open public places in many countries. Originally instituted as
3861-465: Is not native to the English language . Furthermore, the letter ḥeth ( ח ), which is the first letter in the Hebrew spelling, is pronounced differently in modern Hebrew ( voiceless uvular fricative ) from in classical Hebrew ( voiceless pharyngeal fricative [ ħ ] ), and neither of those sounds is unambiguously representable in English spelling. However, its original sound is closer to
3978-454: Is not the consensus among scholars. Modern Hebrew is considered to be a koiné language based on historical layers of Hebrew that incorporates foreign elements, mainly those introduced during the most critical revival period between 1880 and 1920, as well as new elements created by speakers through natural linguistic evolution. A minority of scholars argue that the revived language had been so influenced by various substrate languages that it
4095-455: Is now used for ' plum ', but formerly meant ' jujube '. The word kishū’īm (formerly 'cucumbers') is now applied to a variety of summer squash ( Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica ), a plant native to the New World . Another example is the word kǝvīš ( כביש ), which now denotes a street or a road, but is actually an Aramaic adjective meaning 'trodden down' or 'blazed', rather than
4212-514: Is often referred to as Simchat Torah . Outside Israel, the holiday is two days long; the name Shemini Atzeret is used for the first day, while the second is normally called Simchat Torah . The story of Hanukkah ( Hebrew : חנוכה ) is preserved in the books of the First and Second Maccabees . These books are not part of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), they are apocryphal books instead. The miracle of
4329-605: Is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals ( shalosh regalim ) mentioned in the Bible. Sukkot commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. The word sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah , meaning booth. Jews are commanded to "dwell" in booths during the holiday. This generally means taking meals, but some sleep in
4446-412: Is referred to by that name exclusively. Similarly, Rosh Chodesh ( Hebrew : ראש חודש ) is referred to by that name exclusively. The most notable common feature of Shabbat and the biblical festivals is the requirement to refrain from the 39 Melakhot on these days. Melakha is most commonly translated as "work"; perhaps a better translation is "creative-constructive work". Strictly speaking, melakha
4563-420: Is the holiest day of the year for Jews. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation . This is accomplished through prayer and complete fasting—including abstinence from all food and drink (including water)—by all healthy adults. Bathing, wearing of perfume or cologne, wearing of leather shoes, and sexual relations are some of the other prohibitions on Yom Kippur—all them designed to ensure one's attention
4680-524: Is the official language of the State of Israel and the only Canaanite language still spoken as a native language. The revival of Hebrew predates the creation of the state of Israel, where it is now the national language . Modern Hebrew is often regarded as one of the most successful instances of language revitalization . Hebrew, a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family ,
4797-452: Is used in handwriting. When necessary, vowels are indicated by diacritic marks above or below the letters known as Nikkud , or by use of Matres lectionis , which are consonantal letters used as vowels. Further diacritics like Dagesh and Sin and Shin dots are used to indicate variations in the pronunciation of the consonants (e.g. bet / vet , shin / sin ). The letters " צ׳ ", " ג׳ ", " ז׳ ", each modified with
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4914-435: Is used. Modern Hebrew maintains classical syntactic properties associated with VSO languages: it is prepositional , rather than postpositional, in marking case and adverbial relations, auxiliary verbs precede main verbs; main verbs precede their complements, and noun modifiers ( adjectives , determiners other than the definite article [ה-] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) , and noun adjuncts ) follow
5031-850: Is usually Arabic ; and half a million are expatriate Israelis or diaspora Jews . Under Israeli law, the organization that officially directs the development of Modern Hebrew is the Academy of the Hebrew Language , headquartered at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem . The most common scholarly term for the language is "Modern Hebrew" ( עברית חדשה ). Most people refer to it simply as Hebrew ( עברית Hebrew pronunciation: [Ivrit] ). The term "Modern Hebrew" has been described as "somewhat problematic" as it implies unambiguous periodization from Biblical Hebrew . Haiim B. Rosén [ he ] (חיים רוזן) supported
5148-400: The haftarah reading features the entire Book of Jonah . Finally, the day concludes with Ne'ilah , a special service recited only on the day of Yom Kippur. Ne'ilah deals with the closing of the holiday, and contains a fervent final plea to God for forgiveness just before the conclusion of the fast. Yom Kippur comes to an end with the blowing of the shofar , which marks the conclusion of
5265-664: The Canaanite branch of the Northwest Semitic subgroup. While Modern Hebrew is largely based on Mishnaic and Biblical Hebrew as well as Sephardi and Ashkenazi liturgical and literary tradition from the Medieval and Haskalah eras and retains its Semitic character in its morphology and in much of its syntax, some scholars posit that Modern Hebrew represents a fundamentally new linguistic system, not directly continuing any previous linguistic state. Though this
5382-531: The Hebrew calendar , which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar . The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. One branch is typically placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called the shammash ( שַׁמָּשׁ , "attendant"). Each night, one additional candle
5499-408: The Hebrew calendar . They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from three sources: mitzvot ("biblical commandments"), rabbinic mandates , the history of Judaism , and the State of Israel . Jewish holidays occur on the same dates every year in the Hebrew calendar, but the dates vary in the Gregorian . This is because the Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar (based on
5616-572: The Jewish exodus from the Muslim world , where many adapted to Modern Hebrew. Currently, Hebrew is spoken by approximately 9–10 million people, counting native, fluent, and non-fluent speakers. Some 6 million of these speak it as their native language, the overwhelming majority of whom are Jews who were born in Israel or immigrated during infancy. The rest is split: 2 million are immigrants to Israel; 1.5 million are Israeli Arabs , whose first language
5733-619: The Septuagint to refer specifically to Hanukkah. This Greek word was chosen because the Hebrew word for 'consecration' or 'dedication' is Hanukkah ( חנכה ). The Aramaic New Testament uses the Aramaic word hawdata (a close synonym), which literally means 'renewal' or 'to make new'. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE , Judea became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE, when King Antiochus III
5850-652: The Temple in Jerusalem . The eight-day festival is marked by the kindling of lights—one on the first night, two on the second, and so on—using a special candle holder called a Hanukkiah , or a Hanukkah menorah. Religiously, Hanukkah is a minor holiday. Except on Shabbat, restrictions on work do not apply. Aside from the kindling of lights, formal religious observance is restricted to changes in liturgy . Hanukkah celebration tends to be informal and based on custom rather than law. Three widely practiced customs include: The Tenth of Tevet ( Hebrew : עשרה בטבת , Asarah B'Tevet )
5967-523: The kingdoms of Israel and Judah , during about 1200 to 586 BCE. Scholars debate the degree to which Hebrew remained a spoken vernacular following the Babylonian captivity , when Old Aramaic became the predominant international language in the region. Hebrew died out as a vernacular language somewhere between 200 and 400 CE, declining after the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132–136 CE, which devastated
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#17327718602536084-430: The mitzvah , the number of lights lit is increased by one each night. An extra light called a shammash , meaning "attendant" or "sexton," is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher, lower, or to the side of the others. Among Ashkenazim the tendency is for every male member of the household (and in many families, girls as well) to light a full set of lights each night, while among Sephardim
6201-423: The shammash candle would be available, and one would avoid using the prohibited lights. Some, especially Ashkenazim, light the shammash candle first and then use it to light the others. So altogether, including the shammash , two lights are lit on the first night, three on the second and so on, ending with nine on the last night, for a total of 44 (36, excluding the shammash ). It is Sephardic custom not to light
6318-469: The sukkah as well, particularly in Israel. There are specific rules for constructing a sukkah . Along with dwelling in a sukkah, the principal ritual unique to this holiday is use of the Four Species : lulav (palm) , hadass (myrtle) , aravah (willow) and etrog (citron) . On each day of the holiday other than Shabbat, these are waved in association with the recitation of Hallel in
6435-483: The "illumination of the house without," so that passersby should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle (i.e. that the sole cruse of pure oil found which held enough oil to burn for one night actually burned for eight nights). Accordingly, lamps are set up at a prominent window or near the door leading to the street. It is customary amongst some Ashkenazi Jews to have a separate menorah for each family member (customs vary), whereas most Sephardi Jews light one for
6552-483: The English H than to the Scottish Ch , and Hanukkah more accurately represents the spelling in the Hebrew alphabet. Moreover, the 'kaf' consonant is geminate in classical (but not modern) Hebrew. Adapting the classical Hebrew pronunciation with the geminate and pharyngeal Ḥeth can lead to the spelling Hanukkah , while adapting the modern Hebrew pronunciation with no gemination and uvular Ḥeth leads to
6669-530: The Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panium . Judea then became part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. King Antiochus III the Great, wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects, guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Seleucids, like the Ptolemies before them, held
6786-490: The Hebrew verb " חנך ", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. Many homiletical explanations have been given for the name: In Hebrew , the word Hanukkah is written חֲנֻכָּה or חֲנוּכָּה ( Ḥănukā ). It is most commonly transliterated to English as Hanukkah or Chanukah . The spelling Hanukkah , which
6903-473: The Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months. When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in
7020-595: The Maccabean Jews and the Hellenized Jews in Jerusalem. These competed violently over who would be the High Priest, with traditionalists with Hebrew/Aramaic names like Onias contesting with Hellenizing High Priests with Greek names like Jason and Menelaus . In particular, Jason's Hellenistic reforms would prove to be a decisive factor leading to eventual conflict within the ranks of Judaism. Other authors point to possible socioeconomic reasons in addition to
7137-523: The Maccabees and the Seleucid Syrian-Greeks: Hanukkah is celebrated with a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the eight-day holiday, some are family-based and others communal. There are special additions to the daily prayer service , and a section is added to the blessing after meals . Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on
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#17327718602537254-401: The Old Testament. The eight-day rededication of the temple is described in 1 Maccabees, though the miracle of the oil does not appear here. A story similar in character, and older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees according to which the relighting of the altar fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the 25th of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for
7371-659: The Sabbath , as specified in the Shulkhan Arukh . Adherents go to work as usual but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although in Israel schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah. Many families exchange gifts each night, such as books or games, and "Hanukkah Gelt" is often given to children. Fried foods—such as latkes (potato pancakes), jelly doughnuts ( sufganiyot ) and Sephardic bimuelos —are eaten to commemorate
7488-725: The Temple in Jerusalem that had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes . Josephus does not say the festival was called Hanukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights": In the New Testament , John 10:22–23 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade " (NIV). The Greek noun used appears in the neuter plural as "the renewals" or "the consecrations" ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : τὰ ἐγκαίνια ; ta enkaínia ). The same root appears in 2 Esdras 6:16 in
7605-401: The Temple lit for a single day. They used this, yet it burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready). The Talmud presents three options: Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door, on the opposite side of the mezuza , or in the window closest to the street. Rashi , in a note to Shabbat 21b, says their purpose is to publicize
7722-574: The Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made. According to the Talmud, "For when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the kohen gadol (high priest), but which contained sufficient [oil] for one day's lighting only; yet
7839-467: The Temple where they found only one jar of pure oil, enough to be lit for only a single day; yet they used it for lighting the required set of lamps for eight days, until they managed to press olives and produce pure oil. Because of this, the sages of that generation ruled that the eight days beginning with the twenty-fifth of Kislev should be observed as days of rejoicing and praising the Lord. Lamps are lit in
7956-445: The Temple. He banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple. Antiochus's actions provoked a large-scale revolt . Mattathias (Mattityahu), a Jewish priest , and his five sons Jochanan , Simeon , Eleazar , Jonathan , and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. It started with Mattathias killing first a Jew who wanted to comply with Antiochus's order to sacrifice to Zeus, and then
8073-663: The beginning of Rosh Hashana until the end of Yom Kippur) are known as the Ten Days of Repentance (עשרת ימי תשובה, Aseret Yemei Teshuva ). During this time, in anticipation of Yom Kippur, it is "exceedingly appropriate" for Jews to practice repentance , an examination of one's deeds and repentance for sins one has committed against other people and God. This repentance can take the form of additional supplications, confessing one's deeds before God, fasting, self-reflection, and an increase of involvement with, or donations to, tzedakah "charity". The Fast of Gedalia ( Hebrew : צום גדליה )
8190-406: The beginning of a ten-day period leading up to Yom Kippur. According to one of two Talmudic opinions, the creation of the world was completed on Rosh Hashanah. Morning prayer services are lengthy on Rosh Hashanah, and focus on the themes described above: majesty and judgment, remembrance, the birth of the world, and the blowing of the shofar . Most communities recite the brief Tashlikh prayer,
8307-550: The candle version, it has eight wicks to light plus the additional shammash light. In the United States, Hanukkah became a more visible festival in the public sphere from the 1970s when Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson called for public awareness and observance of the festival and encouraged the lighting of public menorahs . The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for
8424-649: The cycles of both the sun and moon), whereas the Gregorian is a solar calendar . Each holiday can only occur on certain days of the week, four for most, but five for holidays in Tevet and Shevat and six for Hanukkah (see Days of week on Hebrew calendar ). Certain terms are used very commonly for groups of holidays. Certain terminology is used in referring to different categories of holidays, depending on their source and their nature: Shabbat ( Hebrew : שבת ) ( Ashkenazi pron. from Yiddish shabbos ), or Sabbath,
8541-522: The daily prayers, except on Shabbat. Sephardi Jews add these prayers each weekday during Elul. Ashkenazi Jews recite them from the last Sunday (or Saturday night) preceding Rosh Hashanah that allows at least four days of recitations. According to oral tradition , Rosh Hashanah ( Hebrew : ראש השנה ) (lit., "Head of the Year") is the Day of Memorial or Remembrance ( Hebrew : יום הזכרון , Yom HaZikaron ), and
8658-411: The day of judgment ( Hebrew : יום הדין , Yom HaDin ). God appears in the role of King, remembering and judging each person individually according to his/her deeds, and making a decree for each person for the following year. The holiday is characterized by one specific mitzvah : blowing the shofar . According to the Torah, this is the first day of the seventh month of the calendar year, and marks
8775-496: The day's customs also resemble those of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hoshanah Rabbah is traditionally taken to be the day of the "delivery" of the final judgment of Yom Kippur, and offers a last opportunity for pleas of repentance before the holiday season closes. The holiday of Shemini Atzeret ( Hebrew : שמיני עצרת ) immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot. The Hebrew word shemini means "eighth", and refers to its position on "the eighth day" of Sukkot, actually
8892-494: The early Jewish immigrants to Ottoman Palestine was caused primarily by support from the organisations of Edmond James de Rothschild in the 1880s and the official status it received in the 1922 constitution of the British Mandate for Palestine . Ben-Yehuda codified and planned Modern Hebrew using 8,000 words from the Bible and 20,000 words from rabbinical commentaries. Many new words were borrowed from Arabic, due to
9009-694: The eight nights. Transliteration: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner Hanukkah. Jewish holidays Hebrew Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Arabic Other Jewish diaspora languages Jewish folklore Jewish poetry Jewish holidays , also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim ( Hebrew : יָמִים טוֹבִים , romanized : yāmīm ṭōvīm , lit. 'Good Days', or singular Hebrew : יוֹם טוֹב Yom Tov , in transliterated Hebrew [ English: / ˈ j ɔː m ˈ t ɔː v , j oʊ m ˈ t oʊ v / ]), are holidays observed by Jews throughout
9126-440: The evening over the doors of the homes, on each of the eight nights, so as to display the miracle. These days are called Hanukkah, when it is forbidden to lament or to fast, just as it is on the days of Purim. Lighting the lamps during the eight days of Hanukkah is a religious duty imposed by the sages. Some modern scholars, following the account in 2 Maccabees, observe that the king was intervening in an internal civil war between
9243-476: The fast. It is always observed as a one-day holiday, both inside and outside the boundaries of the Land of Israel . Yom Kippur is considered, along with 15th of Av, as the happiest days of the year (Talmud Bavli—Tractate Ta'anit). Sukkot ( Hebrew : סוכות or Hebrew : סֻכּוֹת , sukkōt ) or Succoth is a seven-day festival , also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or just Tabernacles. It
9360-428: The features attributed to Standard Average European than Biblical Hebrew, it is still quite distant, and has fewer such features than Modern Standard Arabic. Modern Hebrew is written from right to left using the Hebrew alphabet , which is an abjad , or consonant-only script of 22 letters based on the "square" letter form, known as Ashurit (Assyrian), which was developed from the Aramaic script . A cursive script
9477-421: The head noun; and in genitive constructions, the possessee noun precedes the possessor. Moreover, Modern Hebrew allows and sometimes requires sentences with a predicate initial. Modern Hebrew has expanded its vocabulary effectively to meet the needs of casual vernacular, of science and technology, of journalism and belles-lettres . According to Ghil'ad Zuckermann : The number of attested Biblical Hebrew words
9594-658: The holiday was so commonplace that the Mishna felt no need to explain it. Modern scholar Reuvein Margolies suggests that as the Mishnah was redacted after the Bar Kochba revolt , its editors were reluctant to include explicit discussion of a holiday celebrating another relatively recent revolt against a foreign ruler, for fear of antagonizing the Romans. The miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days
9711-449: The importance of oil during the celebration of Hanukkah. Some also have a custom of eating dairy products to remember Judith and how she overcame Holofernes by feeding him cheese, which made him thirsty, and giving him wine to drink. When Holofernes became very drunk, Judith cut off his head . Each night throughout the eight-day holiday, a candle or oil-based light is lit. As a universally practiced "beautification" ( hiddur mitzvah ) of
9828-429: The influence of different contact languages to which its speakers have been exposed during the revival period and over the past century. The word order of Modern Hebrew is predominately SVO ( subject–verb–object ). Biblical Hebrew was originally verb–subject–object (VSO), but drifted into SVO. In the modern language, a sentence may correctly be arranged in any order but its meaning might be hard to understand unless אֶת
9945-662: The language's common Semitic roots with Hebrew, but changed to fit Hebrew phonology and grammar, for example the words gerev (sing.) and garbayim (pl.) are now applied to 'socks', a diminutive of the Arabic ğuwārib ('socks'). In addition, early Jewish immigrants, borrowing from the local Arabs, and later immigrants from Arab lands introduced many nouns as loanwords from Arabic (such as nana , zaatar , mishmish , kusbara , ḥilba , lubiya , hummus , gezer , rayḥan , etc.), as well as much of Modern Hebrew's slang. Despite Ben-Yehuda's fame as
10062-546: The lighting of the Shabbat candles. Therefore, the Hanukkah menorah is lit first with larger candles than usual, followed by the Shabbat candles . At the end of the Shabbat, there are those who light the Hanukkah lights before Havdalah and those who make Havdalah before the lighting Hanukkah lights. If for whatever reason one didn't light at sunset or nightfall, the lights should be kindled later, as long as there are people in
10179-509: The local Palestinian dialect and from the dialects of Jewish immigrants from Arab countries ), Aramaic , Yiddish , Judaeo-Spanish , German , Polish , Russian , English and other languages. Simultaneously, Israeli Hebrew makes use of words that were originally loanwords from the languages of surrounding nations from ancient times: Canaanite languages as well as Akkadian. Mishnaic Hebrew borrowed many nouns from Aramaic (including Persian words borrowed by Aramaic), as well as from Greek and to
10296-466: The longest of the year. In some traditional synagogues prayers run continuously from morning until nightfall, or nearly so. Two highlights of the morning prayers in traditional synagogues are the recitation of Yizkor , the prayer of remembrance, and of liturgical poems ( piyyutim ) describing the temple service of Yom Kippur . Two other highlights happen late in the day. During the Minchah prayer,
10413-416: The majority of nouns and adjectives are formed by the classically Semitic devices of triconsonantal roots ( shoresh ) with affixed patterns ( mishkal ). Mishnaic attributive patterns are often used to create nouns, and Classical patterns are often used to create adjectives. Blended words are created by merging two bound stems or parts of words. The syntax of Modern Hebrew is mainly Mishnaic but also shows
10530-457: The miracle. The blessings for Hanukkah lights are discussed in tractate Succah, p. 46a. Megillat Antiochus (probably composed in the 2nd century) concludes with the following words: ...After this, the sons of Israel went up to the Temple and rebuilt its gates and purified the Temple from the dead bodies and from the defilement. And they sought after pure olive oil to light the lamps therewith, but could not find any, except one bowl that
10647-474: The month') is a minor holiday or observance occurring on the first day of each month of the Jewish calendar, as well as the last day of the preceding month if it has thirty days. Beyond the preceding, current observance is limited to changes in liturgy . Related observances: The month of Elul that precedes Rosh Hashanah is considered to be a propitious time for repentance . For this reason, additional penitential prayers called Selichot are added to
10764-408: The now widely used term "Israeli Hebrew" on the basis that it "represented the non-chronological nature of Hebrew". In 1999, Israeli linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann proposed the term "Israeli" to represent the multiple origins of the language. The history of the Hebrew language can be divided into four major periods: Jewish contemporary sources describe Hebrew flourishing as a spoken language in
10881-402: The obligation of publicizing the miracle by the presence of their Hasidim when they kindle the lights. Inexpensive small wax candles sold for Hanukkah burn for approximately half an hour so should be lit no earlier than nightfall. Friday night presents a problem, however. Since candles may not be lit on Shabbat itself, the candles must be lit before sunset. However, they must remain lit through
10998-641: The oil", emphasizing reflection on energy conservation and energy independence . An example of this is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's renewable energy campaign. Hanukkah lights should usually burn for at least half an hour after it gets dark. Many light at sundown and those who do so should be careful to have enough oil or wax to last until half an hour after dark. Most Hasidim and many other communities light later, generally around nightfall. Many Hasidic Rebbes light much later to fulfill
11115-407: The one-day supply of olive oil miraculously lasting eight days is first described in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b) , written about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees. Hanukkah marks the defeat of Seleucid Empire forces that had tried to prevent the people of Israel from practicing Judaism. Judah Maccabee and his brothers destroyed overwhelming forces, and rededicated
11232-476: The opposite side from the mezuzah , so people passing through the door are surrounded by the holiness of mitzvot (the commandments ). Generally, women are exempt in Jewish law from time-bound positive commandments, although the Talmud requires that women engage in the mitzvah of lighting Hanukkah candles "for they too were involved in the miracle." Some Jews in North America and Israel have taken up environmental concerns in relation to Hanukkah's "miracle of
11349-738: The population of Judea . After the exile , Hebrew became restricted to liturgical and literary use. Hebrew had been spoken at various times and for a number of purposes throughout the Diaspora, and during the Old Yishuv it had developed into a spoken lingua franca among the Jews of Palestine . Eliezer Ben-Yehuda then led a revival of the Hebrew language as a mother tongue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Modern Hebrew used Biblical Hebrew morphemes , Mishnaic spelling and grammar, and Sephardic pronunciation. Many idioms and calques were made from Yiddish . Its acceptance by
11466-428: The prevalent custom is to have one set of lights for the entire household. The purpose of the shammash is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud, against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah miracle. This differs from Sabbath candles which are meant to be used for illumination and lighting. Hence, if one were to need extra illumination on Hanukkah,
11583-531: The proper date of the holiday on day x can be fixed. Months in the Jewish calendar are lunar , and originally were thought to have been proclaimed by the blowing of a shofar . Later, the Sanhedrin received testimony of witnesses saying they saw the new crescent moon. Then the Sanhedrin would inform Jewish communities away from its meeting place that it had proclaimed a new moon. The practice of observing
11700-661: The religious reasons behind the civil war. What began in many respects as a civil war escalated when the Hellenistic kingdom of Syria sided with the Hellenizing Jews in their conflict with the traditionalists. As the conflict escalated, Antiochus took the side of the Hellenizers by prohibiting the religious practices the traditionalists had rallied around. This may explain why the king, in a total departure from Seleucid practice in all other places and times, banned
11817-475: The renewer of Hebrew, the most productive renewer of Hebrew words was poet Haim Nahman Bialik . One of the phenomena seen with the revival of the Hebrew language is that old meanings of nouns were occasionally changed for altogether different meanings, such as bardelas ( ברדלס ), which in Mishnaic Hebrew meant ' hyena ', but in Modern Hebrew it now means ' cheetah '; or shezīph ( שְׁזִיף ) which
11934-478: The request of the sons of Tobias. The Tobiads , who led the Hellenizing Jewish faction in Jerusalem, were expelled to Syria around 170 BCE when the high priest Onias and his pro-Egyptian faction wrested control from them. The exiled Tobiads lobbied Antiochus IV Epiphanes to recapture Jerusalem. As Flavius Josephus relates: The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon
12051-424: The selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee. The above account in 1 Maccabees, as well as 2 Maccabees portrays the feast as a delayed observation of the eight-day Feast of Booths ( Sukkot ); similarly 2 Maccabees explains the length of the feast as "in the manner of the Feast of Booths". Megillat Taanit (1st century) contains a list of festive days on which fasting or eulogizing
12168-461: The shammash first and use it to light the rest. Instead, the shammash candle is the last to be lit, and a different candle or a match is used to light all the candles. Some Hasidic Jews follow this Sephardic custom as well. The lights can be candles or oil lamps. Electric lights are sometimes used and are acceptable in places where open flame is not permitted, such as a hospital room, or for the very elderly and infirm; however, those who permit reciting
12285-481: The sons of Israel, all of them, to publish amongst the sons of Israel, [to the end] that they might observe these eight days of joy and honour, as the days of the feasts written in [the book of] the Law; [even] to light in them so as to make known to those who come after them that their God wrought for them salvation from heaven. In them, it is not permitted to mourn, neither to decree a fast [on those days], and anyone who has
12402-425: The speaker has pharyngeals . It has 5 to 10 vowels, depending on whether diphthongs and vowels are counted, varying with the speaker and the analysis. Modern Hebrew morphology (formation, structure, and interrelationship of words in a language) is essentially Biblical . Modern Hebrew showcases much of the inflectional morphology of the classical upon which it was based. In the formation of new words, all verbs and
12519-577: The spelling Chanukah . In Modern Hebrew , Hanukkah may also be called the Festival of Lights ( חַג הַאוּרִים , Ḥag HaUrim ), based on a comment by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews , καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγομεν καλοῦντες αὐτὴν φῶτα "And from then on we celebrate this festival, and we call it Lights". The first Hebrew translation of Antiquities (1864) used ( חַג הַמְּאֹרוֹת ) "Festival of Lamps", but
12636-471: The start of the Yom Kippur evening service—to such a degree that Erev Yom Kippur ("Yom Kippur Evening") is often called "Kol Nidre" (also spelled "Kol Nidrei")—it is technically a separate tradition. This is especially so because, being recited before sunset, it is actually recited on 9 Tishrei, which is the day before Yom Kippur; it is not recited on Yom Kippur itself (on 10 Tishrei, which begins after
12753-463: The status of a holiday, a day of rest celebrated on the seventh day of each week. Jewish law defines a day as ending at either sundown or nightfall, when the next day then begins. Thus, The fundamental rituals and observances of Shabbat include: In many ways, halakha (Jewish law) sees Shabbat as the most important holy day in the Jewish calendar. Rosh Chodesh ( Hebrew : ראש חודש , romanized : roš ḥoḏeš , lit. 'head of
12870-467: The streets. Later than that, the lights should still be kindled, but the blessings should be recited only if there is at least somebody else awake in the house and present at the lighting of the Hannukah lights. Typically two blessings ( brachot ; singular: brachah ) are recited during this eight-day festival when lighting the candles. On the first night only, the shehecheyanu blessing is added, making
12987-406: The sun sets). A Tallit (four-cornered prayer shawl) is donned for evening and afternoon prayers–the only day of the year in which this is done. In traditional Ashkenazi communities, men wear the kittel throughout the day's prayers. The prayers on Yom Kippur evening are lengthier than on any other night of the year. Once services reconvene in the morning, the services (in all traditions) are
13104-525: The synagogue, then walked in a procession around the synagogue called the Hoshanot . The seventh day of the Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah , the "Great Hoshanah" (singular of Hoshanot and the source of the English word hosanna ). The climax of the day's prayers includes seven processions of Hoshanot around the synagogue. This tradition mimics practices from the Temple in Jerusalem . Many aspects of
13221-556: The translation "Festival of Lights" ( חַג הַאוּרִים ) appeared by the end of the nineteenth century. The story of Hanukkah is told in the books of the First and Second Maccabees , which describe in detail the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah . These books, however, are not a part of the canonized Masoretic Text version of the Tanakh (Hebrew and Aramaic language Jewish Bible) used and accepted by normative Rabbinical Judaism and therefore modern Jews (as copied, edited and distributed by
13338-511: The whole household. Only when there was danger of antisemitic persecution were lamps supposed to be hidden from public view, as was the case in Persia under the rule of the Zoroastrians , or in parts of Europe before and during World War II. However, most Hasidic groups light lamps near an inside doorway, not necessarily in public view. According to this tradition, the lamps are placed on
13455-650: The world where Shabbat and festival observance fairly closely resembles Orthodox observance. However, many, if not most, lay members of Conservative congregations in North America do not consider themselves Shabbat observant , even by Conservative standards. At the same time, adherents of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism do not accept traditional halakha, and therefore restrictions on melakha, as binding at all. Jews fitting any of these descriptions refrain from melakha in practice only as they see fit. Shabbat and holiday work restrictions are always put aside in cases of pikuach nefesh , which are actions to save
13572-459: Was sealed with the signet ring of the High Priest from the days of Samuel the prophet and they knew that it was pure. There was in it [enough oil] to light [the lamps therewith] for one day, but the God of heaven whose name dwells there put therein his blessing and they were able to light from it eight days. Therefore, the sons of Ḥashmonai made this covenant and took upon themselves a solemn vow, they and
13689-466: Was spoken since antiquity and the vernacular of the Jewish people until the 3rd century BCE, when it was supplanted by Western Aramaic , a dialect of the Aramaic language , the local or dominant languages of the regions Jews migrated to, and later Judeo-Arabic , Judaeo-Spanish , Yiddish , and other Jewish languages . Although Hebrew continued to be used for Jewish liturgy , poetry and literature , and written correspondence, it became extinct as
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