The surprising legal debate behind how we light Hanukkah candles
While many celebrate Hanukkah as a festival of light, the way those lights are lit was once the subject of a fierce rabbinical dispute. It wasn't just about the flame, but about whether the miracle of the oil was best honored by increasing or decreasing the light.
The holiday of Hanukkah, meaning 'dedication,' commemorates the 2nd century BCE Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. After the forces of Antiochus IV Epiphanes were driven from Jerusalem, the Maccabees rededicated the Second Temple. This victory ended a period of intense Hellenization, where the Seleucid king had attempted to outlaw Jewish practices, such as circumcision, and had even erected an altar to Zeus within the Temple.
The specific ritual of lighting the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah carries a deeper history of religious disagreement. The holiday's lighting traditions were shaped by a conflict between two rablamical schools: the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel. The Shammai school argued for a descending order, starting with eight candles on the first night and decreasing to one. Conversely, the House of Hillel advocated for an ascending order, beginning with one candle and adding one each night until all eight are burning. Jewish law ultimately adopted the Hillel position, emphasizing a growing miracle.
Beyond the candles, the holiday's origins are layered with complexity. Some evidence suggests Hanukkah may have begun as a delayed observance of the eight-day festival of Sukkot, which could only be fully celebrated once the Temple was reclaimed. While the miracle of a single day's supply of oil lasting eight days is a central element of the Talmudic tradition, the historical accounts in the books of the Maccabees focus on the purification and restoration of the Temple. Today, the holiday remains a significant cultural event, often celebrated with fried foods like latke and sufganiyot.
Source: Hanukkah
