The Story of Hanukkah 12/15 Monday Meditation

I am going to post something a little different today. LEP'S FAITH QUOTES: The Story of Hanukkah 12/15 Monday Meditation This Sunday evening, we will be lighting the first candle of Chanukah. Chanukah is not just about a miracle of light, it is a story about reclaiming the land of promise and defending the values that God has given us to follow. When the Seleucid Empire took over in 175 BCE, they brought with them Hellenistic culture. In the beginning it was peaceful, but in 167 BCE things took a turn for the worse. Antiochus IV banned: Torah reading Circumcision Shabbat observance Kosher laws Prayer and sacrifices Furthermore, he desecrated the Temple by setting up an altar to Zeus, sacrificed pigs on the altar, stopped the daily offerings, and installed Greek idols throughout Jerusalem. As well, soldiers were forced Jews to eat pork, mothers who circumcised their sons were killed, Torah scrolls were burned, and thousands were murdered for refusing to assimilate. This extreme persecution under Antiochus IV is what sparked the Maccabean Revolt. The Macabees, who were a family of priests, stood up for what they believed in and pushed back the darkness. They were outnumbered, not as skilled in fighting, didn’t have the military strength and equipment as the Seleucid Empire, but against all odds… From that time, Israel, which was then called Judea, enjoyed 100 years of Jewish independence.- — Chaim Malespin, founder of the Aliyah Return Center in Israel