Why Do Jews Celebrate Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the annual celebration of a time long ago when one little jar of oil burned and shined its light for eight full days. For this reason, we have an eight-day holiday described as days of hallel ve-hoda'a, praise and thanksgiving.

Now, it's a beautiful holiday, but if we stop and think about it, is the miracle of the oil such a big deal that it's worth creating a whole new holiday? Our other holidays celebrate major miracles like the Exodus from Egypt on Passover, or the entire nation being saved from annihilation on Purim. But on Hanukah, the miracle is that the lights burned for longer than we expected? Why is that something we give thanks and praise for all of these years later? Would history have turned out so differently if the Maccabees had to wait a few days before they could relight the Menorah? Why do we celebrate Hanukkah?

Join Rabbi Fohrman as he addresses these questions head on. He leads us on a journey to another major event in our national history that seems to be a precursor of sorts to the Hanukah miracle. When we see how the seemingly minor miracle of the lights is part of a much larger story, we'll be able to understand the deeper, lasting meaning of this miracle and why it's something worth celebrating and giving thanks for all these years later.

When you’re done here, check out other great Hanukkah content at Aleph Beta including What Is Hanukkah, Hanukkah Values & Hanukkah vs Christmas.