Literally means the ninth of Av, seems to be a bit of an anomaly in the
summer, a day of mourning and fasting when we commemorate the destruction of
both Temples (the first in 586 BCE and the second in 70 CD), the expulsion of
the Jews of England (1290) and of Spain (1492). All these events are
said to have occurred on the ninth of Av and so Tisha Be'av is a solemn day
when we remember these times.
In 167 B.C., the Syrian king Antiochus IV began to outlaw Jewish religious
practices and forced Jews to adopt Greek rituals. His men took control of the
Jews' Holy Temple in Jerusalem, looted it and erected an idol of a Greek god
there. One Jewish family, the Hasmoneans (led by Mattityahu and his five
sons), decided to take a stand against the persecution. The Greek forces
arrived in the town of Modiin, near Jerusalem. It was here that after refusing
to violate his own religion by praying to the Greek god Zeus, Mattityahu
attacked the Greek soldiers.
This action began the Jewish rebellion. Mattityahu and his sons became
known as the Maccabees, which means "men who are as strong as hammers" in
Hebrew. The small army, led by Mattityahu's most famous son, Judah Maccabee,
fought sizeable Greek forces. In 165 B.C., the Maccabees were triumphant. On
the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev, the Maccabees reclaimed the Holy Temple.
They decided to rededicate the temple -- the word "Hanukkah" means
dedication. The Jewish army was unable to find enough oil to light the
Menorah, or candle holder, to be used in the service. The Maccabees found only
one bottle of oil, enough for only a single night. Miraculously, the oil
lasted eight nights, giving the Jews time to produce more oil.
The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates this miracle. By lighting candles for
eight nights, beginning every year on the 25th of Kislev (usually in December
on the Western calendar, but not always), Jews celebrate the triumph of the
Maccabees, the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of the oil
lasting for eight days.
