Today all around the world, Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Non-believers are also celebrating thanks to the secular world’s commercial spin on a day that was once a religious observance.
Today also marks the first day of Chanukah. While Protestant Christians are familiar with Chanukah as a Jewish story, many do not know that the story of the Maccabees can actually be found in the Old Testament. It makes sense since all of the Old Testament is Jewish History. While Christ is the center of the Christian faith, Jesus was not a Christian. He was born a Jew, of the House of David among God’s Chosen People. He came as the savior for Jews and Gentiles as foretold since the beginning of time. As a Jew, Jesus knew well the story of Chanukah, and observed the Eight-Day festival throughout His earthly life.
If you are wondering where in the Old Testament the story of Chanukah can be found, first you would need to have a Catholic Bible. As part of the reformation that spawned a division within the Universal Church and the establishment of an offshoot known today as Protestants, certain books of the Old Testament were removed from what would eventually become the edited Protestant Bible. Among the books cast aside were Maccabees I and Maccabees II. These books contain the story behind the Festival of Lights and God’s miracle that is older than Christianity.
In Judea more than 2,000 years ago a Syrian king ordered all Jewish people to abandon the Torah and publicly worship only the Greek gods. This act provoked a rebellion led by Judas Maccabeus. Although the Jewish army that rose up to fight the mightly king was small, they were victorious. The Temple in Jerusalem was retaken. This is because God was on the side of His chosen people. It was His temple. The victory was followed by an eight-day celebration as the rebels cleaned and rededicated the Temple. According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated oil to re-light the candelabra for one day, yet, miraculously, it remained lit for eight days. Chanukah means inauguration or dedication. After the rebellion, the Temple lay in ruin, including the alter. The Maccabees buried the stones of the alter and built a new one. Chanukah is the rededication of the Holy Temple and the alter.
I find it beautiful that this Christmas, with the world in such turmoil, a celebration that our Lord knew well should begin on a day so important the Christian Faith. To acknowledge Chanukah is not a betrayal of our Christian Faith, but a celebration of all that God has done.
They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before, during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year (2 Maccabess 10:6-8).
Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-sher ki-deh-shah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vah-noo leh-hahd-lik nayr kha-noo-kah
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.
Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-ah-sah nee-sim lah-ah-voh-tay-noo bah-yah-mim hah-haym biz-mahn hah-zeh
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.
(When lighting for the first time this year) Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-heh-kheh-yah-noo veh-kee-mah-noo ve-hig-ee-yah-noo liz-mahn hah-zeh
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
Potato Latkes with Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce
Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce
3 McIntosh Apples
3 ripe Bartlett Pears
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
6 Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
Sugar as desired to sweeten
Peel, core and chop apples into half-inch pieces. Peel, core and chop pears the same way.
Combine the apples, pears, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples and pears are very soft but still a bit chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the mixture and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if desired.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir a few times until the sauce is well combined with small chunks. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve. (For a smoother sauce, remove from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and then whisk the mixture until smooth before cooling.)
Potato Latkes
2 lb Russet Potatoes
1 small Yellow Onion
3 tablespoons Matzo Meal
1 large Egg
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
Vegetable Oil, for frying
1 tablespoon chopped Herbs
Sour Cream for Serving
Spiced Apple-pear Sauce for serving
Peel the potatoes and shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade; transfer the potatoes to a large bowl as the food processor fills up. Repeat with the onion. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the potatoes. Lightly beat egg, pour over the mixture. Stir in the matzo meal, baking powder and salt.
Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of potato into the oil; if the potato sizzles steadily, the oil is ready.
Working in batches, scoop the potato mixture by 1/4-cupfuls and add them carefully to the skillet, flattening each latke slightly with a spatula. Fry, turning the latkes once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove any loose bits of potato mixture between batches with a slotted spoon.
Serve the latkes immediately, or keep them warm in a 200 degree F oven. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with sour cream and Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce.
Note: If you need to fry a lot of latkes, it’s best to make multiple batches of the potatoes rather than one double batch. The longer the mixture sits, the wetter it becomes which makes the latkes fall apart more easily as they cook.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to His holy name.
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