• Historical significance of 25 Kislev

• The Syrian-Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes IV ruled over the Land of Israel during the time of the Second Temple

• The Syrian-Greek empire resented Judea's spiritual and cultural separateness in its midst

• Greek Hellenists spread Greek culture and incited Jews to forsake the Torah

• The Greeks outlawed the Jewish religion, specifically Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Circumcision

• Anitochus sent his armies to force Jews into submission or to slaughter them

• The Greeks defiled the holy Temple

• The Jewish Revolt: Matityahu, The High Priest from the Hasmonean family had 5 sons. He appointed his son Judah as the commander of the Jewish army. They fought the Greeks and triumphed.

• Judah was known as Judah the Maccabee - the hammer - because he pounded away at the enemy

• The Kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years till the destruction of the second Temple

• After the Greeks had been chased out of Jerusalem the Jews found the Temple completely defiled

• They repaired and rebuilt it and by 25 Kislev they were ready to rededicate the Sanctuary to God

• The Hasmoneans found a small jar of oil with the seal of the High Priest, containing enough oil to last one day - miraculously it lasted for eight - until a new supply arrived.

• The Greeks had no designs on the bodily freedom of the Jews, rather they plotted their spiritual enslavement

• Hellenist Greek culture represents the antithesis of Jewish values

• We rejoice during the festival, eulogies (except for a scholar) and fasting are prohibited

• Lights are lit on the entrance to every Jewish home to publicize the miracle

• Women do not work while the lights are burning

• Quasi-festive meals are enjoyed

• "Chanukah Money" is given to the children

• Children play "dreidel"

• Oily foods - latkes and doughnuts are eaten to remind us of the miracle of the oil

• The entire "Hallel" prayer is said at Shacharit every day of the holiday

• The paragraph "Al Hanissim" is inserted in the Shmonah Esrei prayer and in the Birchat Hamazon (Grace After Meals)

• The account of the "Nesi'im" is read, the "Parsha" of one "Nasi" is read and not repeated the next day,on the eighth day the Torah reading begins with the passage of the 8th "Nasi" and continues through to the conclusion of the entire passage on the "Nesi'im" till "thus did he make the Menorah" in the parsha of Beha'alotcha

• "Hanerot Hallalu" is said while the lights are being kindled in which the miracles of Chanukah are recalled

• "Ma'oz Tzur" is sung after the lights have been lit to thank God for repeatedly saving the Jews from their enemies

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