{"id":26505,"date":"2017-12-07T12:50:46","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T12:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/bb\/?page_id=26505"},"modified":"2026-03-16T01:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T01:38:05","slug":"hanukkah-meaning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/bb\/hanukkah-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Meaning of Hanukkah"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Meaning of Hanukkah<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}” alt=”Hanukkiah” title_text=”Hanukkiah” src=”https:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/bb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hanukkiah-3.jpg” align=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}” column_structure=”2_3,1_3″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”24″ max_width=”620px” custom_margin=”10px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”]Hanukkah, which starts on 25 Kislev (beginning-to-mid December), is the Festival of Lights. It marks the beginning of our experience of the spiritual reality, the initial crossing of the barrier between the corporeal (egoistic) and spiritual (altruistic) worlds. Hanukkah\u2019s concepts and customs\u2014the war of the Maccabees and the Greeks, the Hanukkah miracle, the candle, light, oil and wick\u2014all connect to the crossing of this barrier between corporeality and spirituality.
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In order to cross this barrier, we need to rise above our egoistic desires. This is the essence of the war between the Maccabees and the Greeks: it’s an inner war between a person’s egoistic desires, symbolized by the Greeks, and the aspiration to unite above them in mutual love and bestowal, symbolized by the Maccabees.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, since the ego is our very human nature, how can we muster the strength to overcome it? To make it more complicated, any altruistic desire we have is tiny in comparison to the ego, which constantly wants to absorb self-aimed pleasures into itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the Hanukkah miracle comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we\u2019re persistent with our efforts to unite above our egoistic attitudes, we attract the spiritual force of unity, love and bestowal, called \u201cthe light.\u201d Although our desire to unite is weak and almost imperceptible compared to our egoistic desires, the moment we reach a desperate point in our failing-yet-unrelenting efforts to overcome our ego, the spiritual light makes a miraculous appearance: it\u2019s the help we need in order to overcome egoism, and become drawn to intentions to unite, love and bestow. This is the meaning of the Maccabees winning the war against the Greeks. <\/span><\/p>\n

We triumph when we, on one hand, feel obligated to win the war, but on the other hand, find ourselves out of options, helpless and desperate. That is considered as the attack of the Greeks. While under attack, we feel like we need to keep fighting with all we\u2019ve got, yet with no victory in sight. However, we can\u2019t and don\u2019t give up, because giving up means remaining in the ego\u2019s prison. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then, the miracle happens. <\/span><\/p>\n

The spiritual light of unity, love and bestowal illuminates. It charges us with its omnipresent energy, and we win the war. <\/span><\/p>\n

The war at Hanukkah is an inner war on the barrier between the corporeal and spiritual worlds, i.e. egoistic powers versus those of unity, love and bestowal. Our egoistic desires and thoughts are what stand between us and the sensation of eternity, harmony and wholeness, which is what we rejoice in when we win the war that Hanukkah symbolizes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Contents<\/h2>\n
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  1. The Meaning of the War at Hanukkah<\/a>\n
      \n
    1. Why Would Jews Go to War Against Each Other?<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Beyond History: The War at Hanukkah Is an Inner War inside the Person<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    3. The Meaning of Hanukkah Concepts and Customs<\/a>\n
        \n
      1. The Meaning of Maccabees and Greeks<\/a><\/li>\n
      2. The Meaning of Oil, Wick and Candle at Hanukkah<\/a><\/li>\n
      3. The Meaning of the Miracle of Hanukkah<\/a><\/li>\n
      4. The Meaning of Eating Doughnuts at Hanukkah<\/a><\/li>\n
      5. The Meaning of Spinning a Dreidel at Hanukkah<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      6. Further Reading on Hanukkah<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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        Hanukkah Infographic<\/h2>\n

        [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/bb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hanukkah-meaning-infographic_310.png” url=”http:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/bb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hanukkah-meaning-infographic.png” url_new_window=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”0px|0px|22.8438px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.5em” custom_margin=”30px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”]