2006-11-24 04:58:37 · 8 answers · asked by soar 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Hanukkah
The holiday is called Hanukkah meaning "dedication" because it marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration under Antiochus IV. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days - which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.
2006-11-24 05:08:26 · answer #1 · answered by roscoedeadbeat 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The driedle, the previous answers forgot the driedle. What is the driedle? its a four sided top. Children play the game during Hanukkah. The rabbis invented the game about 400 B.C. This simple game was a tool to help the Jewish children learn the Torah. (Those are the first five books of the Bible, the ones that Moses wrote.)
The Jews had been conquered by the Greeks. The Greeks closed down all the Synagogues and prohibited the reading of the Torah. However many rabbis had completely memorized the Torah. At twelve Jewish boys were expected to take their place as men in the congregation. To do so they had to read or recite part of the Torah.
Here is where the driedle came in. Rabbis and their students would play the game while the Rabbis taught the students the Torah. This was especially true when Greek soldiers were near by.
Today almost every Jewish home has driedles, and Jewish children still play them. I'm not sure but I suspect that the driedle is one of the oldest games in the world.
2006-11-24 16:53:48 · answer #2 · answered by free2bme55 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is the celebration of the overcoming of believing and following God's truth over believing and following ones own sense of truth, i.e. Judaism over Helenism. There is a miracle associated with this, etc. but you will find the prayers associated with the holiday and its history to reflect this meaning behind the holiday.
2006-11-24 05:06:58 · answer #3 · answered by David Botton 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am helping free to be out here the Torah was written by G-d, not Moses and the driedle is just a fun game that we play, the Greeks did close down the synagogues they burned them. Don't listen to him he has the whole thing wrong!
2006-11-25 04:11:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it's when the jews had only one day of oil left for their lamps but then the lord helped them and then that little bit of oil lasted for seven days instead. thats why hannukkah is celebrated for 7 days and thats the meaning.
2006-11-25 09:53:22 · answer #5 · answered by saillove 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its when the jews, after being attacked, only had oil enough for one day and it lasted for 8 days
2006-11-25 11:32:56 · answer #6 · answered by runner 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mah nish tunah huh lylla huhzeh?
2006-11-26 10:51:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
my answer is the same as roscoedea.he forgot to say that our children recieve 8 days of gifts(geld)and we eat lots of doughnuts.everything sweet and latkes,from mikhal in israel.
2006-11-24 05:20:17 · answer #8 · answered by mikhal k 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋