Chanukah: It's a Tradition, Not a Commandment

My Chanukiah Menorah

Like I mentioned before, some Messianics pagan-ize everything. I was told that a guest at our Chanukah Fair was making a fuss that Chanukiahs, Dreidels, and other Jewish traditions—are pagan. But I saw this individual playing with a Dreidel, so maybe it's not that pagan? I don't know how this pagan-izing thing works because everything seems to be pagan. How do these kinds of people function in this pagan society? I do admit that some Chanukah traditions have come from other cultures, but it does not mean that they are pagan. I would say they are secular, or neutral. To quote from a previous blog post:

In case you haven’t noticed, borrowing from surrounding cultures is a very Jewish thing. Think about it; Klezmer music, the Yiddish language, gefilte fish, lox and bagels, dreidels, latkes, homentashn, kreplach, kugel – all of these are considered to be Jewish customs and traditions, however they were all influenced by the Eastern European culture that surrounded the Ashkenazi Jews. - Are Chanukah Presents Pagan? Dec 20, 2011

Chanukiahs (9-branched candelabras), Dreidels (spinning tops), Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiot (donuts) are man-made Chanukah traditions. Chanukah is a man-made tradition. Because of this fact, and because of its close proximity to Christmas, you will find all kinds of gimmicks and mixtures out there in order to make a buck. Chanukah Bushes, Chrismukkah Decorations and Santa Dreidels are only a few examples. I’ve seen Chanukiah Menorahs with Sports themes, Disney themes, and even one with a Star Trek theme. I’ve seen Chanukiahs made out of Liquor Bottles, Beer Bottles, Pez Dispensers and Surfboards. I’ve seen them shaped like Automobiles, Animals and even People. But, I guarantee, you will not find a 7-branched Menorah shaped like a person in an Orthodox Synagogue. This is because the 7-branched Menorah represents the Presence of Hashem. However, observant Jews will use the ‘creatively shaped’ Chanukiah Menorahs in their homes during Chanukah. They believe these Chanukiahs are okay to use because Chanukah is not a Biblical Festival.

You typically do not find this same kind of 'mixing' with the traditions of the commanded Biblical Festivals like Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) or Shabbat (Sabbath). You may stumble upon a grocery store with a sale on ham for Passover, but that is out of total ignorance. Have you ever noticed that the other minor Jewish festival, Purim, does not get as much attention from retailers as Chanukah? Retailers can make much more money on Chanukah because it falls so close to Christmas and it’s 8-days of gift giving, for some anyway; and Purim does not have a popular, nationwide holiday that is close to it. Mardi Gras? Maybe. But we will talk about that later.

Another thing—Chanukiahs, Latkes and Sufganiot commemorate the so-called Miracle of the Oil. Did it really happen? I don’t know. And where are Dreidels mentioned in the books of the Maccabees? They’re not. These Chanukah traditions do not do justice to the real story and the real miracle, which is the Maccabees victory over the Greeks and their fight against forced assimilation. During Chanukah, I focus on the Maccabee story with my family. Yes we do the traditional stuff too, but I make sure that the Maccabee story is central.

While it is true that Hashem performed miracles for the Maccabees and delivered the mighty Greek army into their hands, it was they, the Maccabees—not Hashem, who instituted this celebration. Although we recognize it, celebrate it and participate in the traditional festivities, there is a big difference between Chanukah and the Moedim (Appointed Times). Chanukah is a man-made tradition but Hashem commands us to celebrate the Moedim.

Finally, are Dreidels pagan? No. They're secular. They're neutral. The Dreidel, or Sevivon in Hebrew, is a traditional, cultural toy. The spinning top is not unique to the Jewish people and no, the Maccabees did not invent it. Many cultures have their own version of a spinning top game and some date back to before the time of the Maccabees. Is the Dreidel holy? No. If it is, then so are Latkes, Sufganiot and all of those crazy shaped Chanukiahs. These things are only traditions and most of them are borrowed from and/or influenced by other cultures.

We should not be afraid to enjoy these traditions. However, we do need to be on the lookout for mixtures that would not be honoring to Hashem. Below are some unique Chanukiah and Dreidel ideas that I found on the Internet. Some are pretty cool, some are downright wrong.

Chanukiot