The Significance of Oil on Hanukkah
During Hanukkah, oil plays a starring role. The miracle that occurred on what has become Hanukkah is all about this precious commodity, and in fact, it inspired the Jewish people, and gave them hope for the future.Jews were no strangers to persecution when Antiochus IV, a Greek emperor came to power, well over 2,000 years ago. Unlike his predecessor, Alexander the Great, Antiochus was not tolerant of other religions, especially the Jews. His reign was marked with persecution, murder, and the desecration of the Temple, a particularly painful event to the Jews.In spite of unfavorable odds, two groups decided to stand against this injustice, and rebel against the emperor’s authority and cruelty. Mattathias, a priest who had served at the Temple, and his son Judah Maccabee, stood against the Syrians and those Jews who had decided to join them. When asked to sacrifice to the Greek gods, Mattathias refused, killed the Greek government official, and the revolt was begun. Another group, the Chasidim, a religious group rebelled as well, denouncing those Jews who had given assimilated into the Greek society.Eventually, the Jews were successful, defeating the Greeks. Their next duty was to restore the religion, beginning with the Temple. This meant lighting the menorah, however, most of the oil had been defiled by the Greeks, and there was only enough left for one day. Oil was a precious commodity, and it would take over a week to obtain more. Nevertheless, the menorah was lit, and to everyone’s amazement, burned for eight days, until more oil could be found.This miracle is celebrated every year now as Hanukkah, and, just as then, oil has a place in the celebration. While Hanukkah does not rank high on the list of the most important religious observances, it is certainly a popular one. Recently, traditional methods are being revived by producing olive oil by hand, as it was originally made, and using this oil to light the menorah. Even if the menorah is lit with candles, oil has become symbolic in its use for cooking during these eight days. Latkes, fried doughnuts, and other treats are not only traditional Hanukkah foods, they are fried in the symbolic oil, that was once the center of a miracle.While oil is a part of the celebration of Hanukkah, and certainly a major factor in the miracle that occurred, it is also reminiscent of another victory of the Jewish people over their oppressors.
