From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (Second Temple). The temple was taken by Syrian-Greek soldiers in 168 BCE and polytheism reigned. This same year Perseus, the last Macedonian king, dies. The Roman Empire is on the march, but King of Syria Antiochus IV Epiphanes has been fingered by history as the bad guy in this story. According to the Talmud, following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, they decided to cleanse the temple with consecrated olive oil (to get rid of all the cooties from the foreign gods)--but there was only enough 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 fresh olive oil.
The Macabees had two choices--give up, or try and hope for the best--they opted, so the story goes, to hope for the best. They chose hope. I think there is not enough of that going around these days, so this Hanukkah season, I plan to focus on what I hope for and how to live as if it will happen.
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