Steven Rogers

Wishing You a Happy Chanukah And a Merry Christmas



Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009

by Steven Rogers

It's time again for Christmas. Everyone is getting in the spirit by lighting up their houses, decorating trees, and shopping for presents. People everywhere are reciting the stories of Jesus and Good ole St. Nick. I would like to shift gears for a moment and talk about something else happening this season. Another holiday that has been celebrated for over 2100 years. It is Chanukah ( Hanukkah), the festival of lights.

It all started way back when the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully subvert the faith of the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and rededicated it to the service of God . When they sought to light the Temple's menorah , they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously , the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity . This started the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of Kislev 25th. It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over unrighteousness, and spirituality over materiality. At the heart of the celebration is the nightly menorah lighting. One candle is lit every night until all eight lights are burning. There are prayers said to give thanks for delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, and the wicked into the hands of the righteous.

The menorah used during Chanukah is different from the menorah used in the temple. The temple menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum, which has been a symbol of Judaism for almost 3000 years and is the emblem of Israel. The Chanukah Menorah is an eight-branched candelabrum. The ninth holder, called the shamash ("helper or servant"), is for a candle used to light all other candles.

This is but one of the fascinating traditions of the most oppressed people in the history of our planet. The Jewish people are still God's people and the bible says that Those Who Bless Israel Will Be Blessed, and Those Who Curse Israel Will Be Cursed ! In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 12, Verse 1-3, we see what God says about His response to how people treat Israel: "And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed." In the Book of Numbers, where the Bible is telling us about the Nation of Israel that God delivers out of bondage in Egypt, it tells us: "He crouched. He lay down as a lion, and as a great lion. Who shall stir him up? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you."

This Christmas, as you unwrap all your presents and read the Christmas story, remember to say a little prayer for our brothers and sisters in Israel. I wish you all a very Happy Chanukah and a very Merry Christmas.

Steven is a self proclaimed right wing Christian extremist. He is a former Marine and currently work in the laboratory of a cancer research and treatment facility. He is the father of three and is referred to as genius by his wife (mostly as a sarcastic term of endearment!)

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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Marijo Phelps
 2 years 137 days ago.
141 fans.
thank you for a good, informative piece and the reminder to pray for Israel! Really enjoyed this! Marijo
» left by Steven Rogers 2 years 131 days ago.
20 fans.
thanks for your comment
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