CHANUKAH -- part 3

8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel

3. What about the miraculous oil?

You’re referring to the wonderful story that, when the Temple had been purified and there was nothing left to do but light the eternal lamp, they found only enough pure oil to burn for a single day. By a miracle, the oil lasted for eight days – long enough to process more kosher oil and rush it to the Temple.

The story of the oil offers an alternate reason for why the festival is eight-days long. It comes from the Talmud, which contains the law and lore of the early rabbis. And while the earliest rabbis lived long after the pious, honorable Maccabees, they were contemporaries of the Maccabees’ despotic descendants, who ruled Judea by combining the offices of king and high priest, corrupting both.

The miracle of the oil was the rabbis’ spin on Chanukah, which enhanced the holiday’s religious meaning while de-emphasizing the political role of the Maccabees.