Hanukkah VII

While we have the Book of Maccabees which tells of the fight against the Greeks, this book is not actually in the Bible, and Hanukkah is our only significant historical holiday without a corresponding book in the Bible.

Additionally, many people throughout our history have found the theme of military power to be troubling. The Rabbis sought to add more meaning to Hanukkah through the liturgy that we recite on the Shabbat of Hanukkah. This past Shabbat, the haftarah we read was from the book of Zekhariah, which concludes, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, said Adonai” (Zekhariah 4:6).

The Rabbis chose this message to remind us that it’s more important to celebrate God’s Spirit, and how that Spirit can move us in our lives, than it is to celebrate might or power. What are the ways that we can use God’s spirit as a motivating force in our lives?

As we light the Hanukkah candles tonight, let’s remember these words from Zekhariah, and think about how the light of the Hanukkiah can be a reminder God’s Spirit.