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73-483: Dorot was established during Hanukkah in 1941 by Jewish refugees from Germany , who farmed grain, fruit trees, and vegetables. Soil erosion was a particular problem for the kibbutz. It was named after three members of the Hoz family, Do v , R ivka and T irtza, who had died in a car accident the year before. The founders were later joined by native Israelis and immigrants from Czechoslovakia and Latvia . In 1947 it had

146-462: A Chanukiah (the modern Israeli term). Some families use an oil lamp menorah (traditionally filled with olive oil) for Hanukkah; like the candle version, it has eight wicks to light plus the additional shammash light. In the United States, Hanukkah became a more visible festival in the public sphere from the 1970s when Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson called for public awareness and observance of

219-523: A suzerainty over Judea, where they respected Jewish culture and protected Jewish institutions. This policy was drastically reversed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes , the son of Antiochus III, seemingly after what was either a dispute over leadership of the Temple in Jerusalem and the office of High Priest , or possibly a revolt whose nature was lost to time after being crushed. In 175 BCE, Antiochus IV invaded Judea at

292-555: A Greek official who was to enforce the government's behest (1 Mac. 2, 24–25 ). Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). By 166 BCE, Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered

365-523: A fast [on those days], and anyone who has a vow to perform, let him perform it. The Al HaNissim prayer is recited on Hanukkah as an addition to the Amidah prayer, which was formalized in the late 1st century. Al HaNissim describes the history of the holiday as follows: The Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus narrates in his book, Jewish Antiquities XII, how the victorious Judas Maccabeus ordered lavish yearly eight-day festivities after rededicating

438-629: A group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries of the Common Era ). However, the books of Maccabees were included among the deuterocanonical books added to the Septuagint , a Jewish scholarly Greek-language translation of the Hebrew Bible originally compiled in the mid- 3rd century BCE . The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider the books of Maccabees as a canonical part of

511-540: A historical event. This belief has been adopted by most of Orthodox Judaism , in as much as Karo's Shulchan Aruch is a main code of Jewish Law. The menorah first began to be used as a symbol of Judaism in the Hasmonean period – appearing on coins issued by Hasmonean king Mattathias Antigonus between 40 and 37 BCE, but these coins depict a seven-branched Temple menorah , not a nine-branched vessel that would correspond to an eight-day oil miracle. Selected battles between

584-508: A miracle was wrought therein, and they lit [the lamp] therewith for eight days. The following year these [days] were appointed a Festival with [the recital of] Hallel and thanksgiving." —Shabbat 21b Tertiary sources in the Jewish tradition make reference to this account. Maimonides (12th century) described Hanukkah as follows: When, on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the Jews had emerged victorious over their foes and destroyed them, they re-entered

657-636: A phrase was sufficient. Others, more controversial, signaled a shift from linguistic prescriptivism and towards describing American English as it was used at that time. With the ninth edition ( Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (WNNCD), published in 1983), the Collegiate adopted changes which distinguish it as a separate entity rather than merely an abridgment of the Third New International (the main text of which has remained virtually unrevised since 1961). Some proper names were returned to

730-585: A population of 300. In the summer of 1946, Dorot and the neighbouring village of Ruhama were occupied by the British army. In their search for illicit arms in the village, the British troops inflicted considerable material damage on the village. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war , and the battle for the Negev , Dorot was cut off and had to be supplied by air until it was liberated in October 1948. After 1948, Dorot expanded on

803-692: A prominent window or near the door leading to the street. It is customary amongst some Ashkenazi Jews to have a separate menorah for each family member (customs vary), whereas most Sephardi Jews light one for the whole household. Only when there was danger of antisemitic persecution were lamps supposed to be hidden from public view, as was the case in Persia under the rule of the Zoroastrians , or in parts of Europe before and during World War II. However, most Hasidic groups light lamps near an inside doorway, not necessarily in public view. According to this tradition,

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876-458: A solemn vow, they and the sons of Israel, all of them, to publish amongst the sons of Israel, [to the end] that they might observe these eight days of joy and honour, as the days of the feasts written in [the book of] the Law; [even] to light in them so as to make known to those who come after them that their God wrought for them salvation from heaven. In them, it is not permitted to mourn, neither to decree

949-486: A total of three blessings. The first blessing is recited before the candles are lit, and while most recite the other blessing(s) beforehand as well, some have the custom to recite them after. On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle or oil) is lit on the right side of the menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first but it is lit first, and so on, proceeding from placing candles right to left but lighting them from left to right over

1022-474: A traditional religion. The miracle of the oil is widely regarded as a legend and its authenticity has been questioned since the Middle Ages. However, given the famous question Joseph Karo (1488–1575) posed concerning why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days when the miracle was only for seven days (since there was enough oil for one day), it was clear that writing in the 16th century CE, he believed it to be

1095-469: A unique set of phonetic symbols in their dictionaries—intended to help people from different parts of the United States learn how to pronounce words the same way as others who spoke with the same accent or dialect did. Unicode accommodated IPA symbols from Unicode version 1.1 published in 1993, but did not support the phonetic symbols specific to Merriam-Webster dictionaries until Unicode version 4.0 published in 2003. Hence, to enable computerized access to

1168-552: Is described in the Talmud , committed to writing about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees. The Talmud says that after the forces of Antiochus IV had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest , with enough oil to keep

1241-508: Is forbidden. It specifies, "On the 25th of [Kislev] is Hanukkah of eight days, and one is not to eulogize" and then references the story of the rededication of the Temple. The Mishna (late 2nd century) mentions Hanukkah in several places, but never describes its laws in detail and never mentions any aspect of the history behind it. To explain the Mishna's lack of a systematic discussion of Hanukkah, Nissim ben Jacob postulated that information on

1314-480: Is now in its eleventh edition. Following the publication of Webster's International in 1890, two Collegiate editions were issued as abridgments of each of their Unabridged editions. Merriam overhauled the dictionary again with the 1961 Webster's Third New International under the direction of Philip B. Gove , making changes that sparked public controversy. Many of these changes were in formatting, omitting needless punctuation , or avoiding complete sentences when

1387-415: Is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. One branch is typically placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called the shammash ( שַׁמָּשׁ ‎, "attendant"). Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shammash until all eight candles are lit together on

1460-553: Is the first letter in the Hebrew spelling, is pronounced differently in modern Hebrew ( voiceless uvular fricative ) from in classical Hebrew ( voiceless pharyngeal fricative [ ħ ] ), and neither of those sounds is unambiguously representable in English spelling. However, its original sound is closer to the English H than to the Scottish Ch , and Hanukkah more accurately represents

1533-409: Is to publicize the miracle. The blessings for Hanukkah lights are discussed in tractate Succah, p. 46a. Megillat Antiochus (probably composed in the 2nd century ) concludes with the following words: ...After this, the sons of Israel went up to the Temple and rebuilt its gates and purified the Temple from the dead bodies and from the defilement. And they sought after pure olive oil to light

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1606-564: The Festival of Lights ( חַג הַאוּרִים ‎, Ḥag HaUrim ), based on a comment by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews , καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγομεν καλοῦντες αὐτὴν φῶτα "And from then on we celebrate this festival, and we call it Lights". The first Hebrew translation of Antiquities (1864) used ( חַג הַמְּאֹרוֹת ‎) "Festival of Lamps", but the translation "Festival of Lights" ( חַג הַאוּרִים ‎) appeared by

1679-603: The Septuagint to refer specifically to Hanukkah. This Greek word was chosen because the Hebrew word for 'consecration' or 'dedication' is Hanukkah ( חנכה ). The Aramaic New Testament uses the Aramaic word hawdata (a close synonym), which literally means 'renewal' or 'to make new'. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE , Judea became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE, when King Antiochus III

1752-816: The Trump administration . In one viral tweet, Merriam Webster subtly accused Kyle Rittenhouse of fake crying at his trial. In 1996, Merriam-Webster launched its first website, which provided free access to an online dictionary and thesaurus . Merriam-Webster has also published dictionaries of synonyms , English usage , geography ( Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary ), biography , proper names , medical terms , sports terms, slang , Spanish/English, and numerous others. Non-dictionary publications include Collegiate Thesaurus , Secretarial Handbook , Manual for Writers and Editors , Collegiate Encyclopedia , Encyclopedia of Literature , and Encyclopedia of World Religions . On February 16, 2007, Merriam-Webster announced

1825-542: The University of Cambridge . His 1820s book contained 70,000 words, of which about 12,000 had never appeared in a dictionary before. As a spelling reformer , Webster believed that English spelling rules were unnecessarily complex, so his dictionary introduced American English spellings, replacing colour with color , waggon with wagon , and centre with center . He also added American words, including skunk and squash , that did not appear in British dictionaries. At

1898-435: The mitzvah , the number of lights lit is increased by one each night. An extra light called a shammash , meaning "attendant" or "sexton," is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher, lower, or to the side of the others. Among Ashkenazim the tendency is for every male member of the household (and in many families, girls as well) to light a full set of lights each night, while among Sephardim

1971-424: The shammash candle would be available, and one would avoid using the prohibited lights. Some, especially Ashkenazim, light the shammash candle first and then use it to light the others. So altogether, including the shammash , two lights are lit on the first night, three on the second and so on, ending with nine on the last night, for a total of 44 (36, excluding the shammash ). It is Sephardic custom not to light

2044-640: The English Language . In 1807 Webster started two decades of intensive work to expand his publication into a fully comprehensive dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language . To help him trace the etymology of words, Webster learned 26 languages. Webster hoped to standardize American speech, since Americans in different parts of the country used somewhat different vocabularies and spelled, pronounced, and used words differently. Webster completed his dictionary during his year abroad in 1825 in Paris, and at

2117-580: The Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panium . Judea then became part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. King Antiochus III the Great, wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects, guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Seleucids, like the Ptolemies before them, held

2190-528: The Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months. When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in

2263-645: The Maccabean Jews and the Hellenized Jews in Jerusalem. These competed violently over who would be the High Priest, with traditionalists with Hebrew/Aramaic names like Onias contesting with Hellenizing High Priests with Greek names like Jason and Menelaus . In particular, Jason's Hellenistic reforms would prove to be a decisive factor leading to eventual conflict within the ranks of Judaism. Other authors point to possible socioeconomic reasons in addition to

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2336-436: The Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. Many homiletical explanations have been given for the name: In Hebrew , the word Hanukkah is written חֲנֻכָּה ‎ or חֲנוּכָּה ‎ ( Ḥănukā ). It is most commonly transliterated to English as Hanukkah or Chanukah . The spelling Hanukkah , which is based on using characters of the English alphabet as symbols to re-create

2409-511: The Maccabees and the Seleucid Syrian-Greeks: Hanukkah is celebrated with a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the eight-day holiday, some are family-based and others communal. There are special additions to the daily prayer service , and a section is added to the blessing after meals . Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on

2482-460: The Old Testament. The eight-day rededication of the temple is described in 1 Maccabees, though the miracle of the oil does not appear here. A story similar in character, and older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees according to which the relighting of the altar fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the 25th of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for

2555-700: The Sabbath , as specified in the Shulkhan Arukh . Adherents go to work as usual but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although in Israel schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah. Many families exchange gifts each night, such as books or games, and "Hanukkah Gelt" is often given to children. Fried foods—such as latkes (potato pancakes), jelly doughnuts ( sufganiyot ) and Sephardic bimuelos —are eaten to commemorate

2628-703: The Temple in Jerusalem that had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes . Josephus does not say the festival was called Hanukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights": In the New Testament , John 10:22–23 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade " (NIV). The Greek noun used appears in the neuter plural as "the renewals" or "the consecrations" ( Ancient Greek : τὰ ἐγκαίνια ; ta enkaínia ). The same root appears in 2 Esdras 6:16 in

2701-615: The Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made. According to the Talmud, "For when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the kohen gadol (high priest), but which contained sufficient [oil] for one day's lighting only; yet

2774-463: The Temple where they found only one jar of pure oil, enough to be lit for only a single day; yet they used it for lighting the required set of lamps for eight days, until they managed to press olives and produce pure oil. Because of this, the sages of that generation ruled that the eight days beginning with the twenty-fifth of Kislev should be observed as days of rejoicing and praising the Lord. Lamps are lit in

2847-446: The Temple. He banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple. Antiochus's actions provoked a large-scale revolt . Mattathias (Mattityahu), a Jewish priest , and his five sons Jochanan , Simeon , Eleazar , Jonathan , and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. It started with Mattathias killing first a Jew who wanted to comply with Antiochus's order to sacrifice to Zeus, and then

2920-421: The age of 70 in 1828, Webster published his dictionary; it sold poorly, with only 2,500 copies, and put him in debt. However, in 1840, he published the second edition in two volumes with much greater success. In 1843, after Webster's death, George Merriam and Charles Merriam secured publishing and revision rights to the 1840 edition of the dictionary. They published a revision in 1847, which did not change any of

2993-590: The company as G & C Merriam Co. in Springfield, Massachusetts . In 1843, after Noah Webster died, the company bought the rights to An American Dictionary of the English Language from Webster's estate. All Merriam-Webster dictionaries trace their lineage to this source. In 1964, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. , acquired Merriam-Webster, Inc., as a subsidiary. The company adopted its current name, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, in 1982. In 1806, Webster published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of

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3066-480: The corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the festive season . The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb " חנך ‎", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah,

3139-518: The edition of 1890, the dictionary was retitled Webster's International . The vocabulary was vastly expanded in Webster's New International editions of 1909 and 1934, totaling over half a million words, with the 1934 edition retrospectively called Webster's Second International or simply "The Second Edition" of the New International. The Collegiate Dictionary was introduced in 1898 and the series

3212-428: The eight nights. Transliteration: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner Hanukkah. Merriam%E2%80%93Webster Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an American company that publishes reference books and is mostly known for its dictionaries . It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States. In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded

3285-624: The end of the nineteenth century. The story of Hanukkah is told in the books of the First and Second Maccabees , which describe in detail the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah . These books, however, are not a part of the canonized Masoretic Text version of the Tanakh (Hebrew and Aramaic language Jewish Bible) used and accepted by normative Rabbinical Judaism and therefore modern Jews (as copied, edited and distributed by

3358-441: The evening over the doors of the homes, on each of the eight nights, so as to display the miracle. These days are called Hanukkah, when it is forbidden to lament or to fast, just as it is on the days of Purim. Lighting the lamps during the eight days of Hanukkah is a religious duty imposed by the sages. Some modern scholars, following the account in 2 Maccabees, observe that the king was intervening in an internal civil war between

3431-486: The festival and encouraged the lighting of public menorahs . The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without," so that passersby should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle (i.e. that the sole cruse of pure oil found which held enough oil to burn for one night actually burned for eight nights). Accordingly, lamps are set up at

3504-441: The final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs , playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot , and dairy foods. Since the 1970s, the worldwide Chabad Hasidic movement has initiated public menorah lightings in open public places in many countries. Originally instituted as a feast "in the manner of Sukkot (Booths)", it does not come with

3577-640: The holiday was so commonplace that the Mishna felt no need to explain it. Modern scholar Reuvein Margolies suggests that as the Mishnah was redacted after the Bar Kochba revolt , its editors were reluctant to include explicit discussion of a holiday celebrating another relatively recent revolt against a foreign ruler, for fear of antagonizing the Romans. The miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days

3650-450: The importance of oil during the celebration of Hanukkah. Some also have a custom of eating dairy products to remember Judith and how she overcame Holofernes by feeding him cheese, which made him thirsty, and giving him wine to drink. When Holofernes became very drunk, Judith cut off his head . Each night throughout the eight-day holiday, a candle or oil-based light is lit. As a universally practiced "beautification" ( hiddur mitzvah ) of

3723-426: The influential The Chicago Manual of Style , which is followed by many book publishers and magazines in the United States. The Chicago Manual states that it "normally opts for" the first spelling listed. The G. & C. Merriam Company lost its right to exclusive use of the name "Webster" after a series of lawsuits placed that name in public domain . Its name was changed to " Merriam-Webster, Incorporated ", with

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3796-503: The lamps are placed on the opposite side from the mezuzah , so people passing through the door are surrounded by the holiness of mitzvot (the commandments ). Generally, women are exempt in Jewish law from time-bound positive commandments, although the Talmud requires that women engage in the mitzvah of lighting Hanukkah candles "for they too were involved in the miracle." Some Jews in North America and Israel have taken up environmental concerns in relation to Hanukkah's "miracle of

3869-499: The lamps therewith, but could not find any, except one bowl that was sealed with the signet ring of the High Priest from the days of Samuel the prophet and they knew that it was pure. There was in it [enough oil] to light [the lamps therewith] for one day, but the God of heaven whose name dwells there put therein his blessing and they were able to light from it eight days. Therefore, the sons of Ḥashmonai made this covenant and took upon themselves

3942-600: The land of the Palestinian Arab village of Huj , which was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . The Jewish National Fund established a forest on the settlement's land called the Pioneer Women's Forest , funded by donor contributions from the United States . Hanukkah Hanukkah ( / ˈ h ɑː n ə k ə / ; חֲנֻכָּה ‎ Ḥănukkā listen ) is a Jewish festival commemorating

4015-499: The launch of a mobile dictionary and thesaurus service developed with mobile search-and-information provider AskMeNow . Consumers use the service to access definitions, spelling and synonyms via text message . Services also include Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day —and Open Dictionary , a wiki service that provides subscribers the opportunity to create and submit their own new words and definitions. The Merriam-Webster company once used

4088-538: The lighting of the Shabbat candles. Therefore, the Hanukkah menorah is lit first with larger candles than usual, followed by the Shabbat candles . At the end of the Shabbat, there are those who light the Hanukkah lights before Havdalah and those who make Havdalah before the lighting Hanukkah lights. If for whatever reason one didn't light at sunset or nightfall, the lights should be kindled later, as long as there are people in

4161-490: The main text but merely added new sections, and a second update with illustrations in 1859. In 1864, Merriam published a greatly expanded edition, which was the first version to change Webster's text, largely overhauling his work yet retaining many of his definitions and the title " An American Dictionary " . This began a series of revisions that were described as being "unabridged" in content. In 1884 it contained 118,000 words, "3000 more than any other English dictionary". With

4234-402: The menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. They used this, yet it burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready). The Talmud presents three options: Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door, on the opposite side of the mezuza , or in the window closest to the street. Rashi , in a note to Shabbat 21b, says their purpose

4307-405: The obligation of publicizing the miracle by the presence of their Hasidim when they kindle the lights. Inexpensive small wax candles sold for Hanukkah burn for approximately half an hour so should be lit no earlier than nightfall. Friday night presents a problem, however. Since candles may not be lit on Shabbat itself, the candles must be lit before sunset. However, they must remain lit through

4380-635: The oil", emphasizing reflection on energy conservation and energy independence . An example of this is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's renewable energy campaign. Hanukkah lights should usually burn for at least half an hour after it gets dark. Many light at sundown and those who do so should be careful to have enough oil or wax to last until half an hour after dark. Most Hasidim and many other communities light later, generally around nightfall. Many Hasidic Rebbes light much later to fulfill

4453-430: The prevalent custom is to have one set of lights for the entire household. The purpose of the shammash is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud, against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah miracle. This differs from Sabbath candles which are meant to be used for illumination and lighting. Hence, if one were to need extra illumination on Hanukkah,

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4526-482: The pronunciation without having to rework all dictionaries to IPA notation, the online services of Merriam-Webster specify phonetics using a less-specific set of ASCII characters. Merriam creates entries by finding uses of a particular word in print and recording them in a database of citations . Editors at Merriam spend about an hour a day looking at print sources, from books and newspapers to less formal publications, like advertisements and product packaging, to study

4599-643: The publication of Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary in 1983. Previous publications had used " A Merriam-Webster Dictionary " as a subtitle for many years and will be found on older editions. Since the 1940s, the company has added many specialized dictionaries, language aides, and other references to its repertoire. The company has been a subsidiary of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. , since 1964. The dictionary maintains an active social media presence, where it frequently posts dictionary related content as well as its takes on politics. Its Twitter account has frequently used dictionary jargon to criticize and lampoon

4672-564: The recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar , which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar . The festival

4745-643: The religious reasons behind the civil war. What began in many respects as a civil war escalated when the Hellenistic kingdom of Syria sided with the Hellenizing Jews in their conflict with the traditionalists. As the conflict escalated, Antiochus took the side of the Hellenizers by prohibiting the religious practices the traditionalists had rallied around. This may explain why the king, in a total departure from Seleucid practice in all other places and times, banned

4818-471: The request of the sons of Tobias. The Tobiads , who led the Hellenizing Jewish faction in Jerusalem, were expelled to Syria around 170 BCE when the high priest Onias and his pro-Egyptian faction wrested control from them. The exiled Tobiads lobbied Antiochus IV Epiphanes to recapture Jerusalem. As Flavius Josephus relates: The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon

4891-475: The selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee. The above account in 1 Maccabees, as well as 2 Maccabees portrays the feast as a delayed observation of the eight-day Feast of Booths ( Sukkot ); similarly 2 Maccabees explains the length of the feast as "in the manner of the Feast of Booths". Megillat Taanit (1st century) contains a list of festive days on which fasting or eulogizing

4964-399: The shammash first and use it to light the rest. Instead, the shammash candle is the last to be lit, and a different candle or a match is used to light all the candles. Some Hasidic Jews follow this Sephardic custom as well. The lights can be candles or oil lamps. Electric lights are sometimes used and are acceptable in places where open flame is not permitted, such as a hospital room, or for

5037-420: The spelling in the Hebrew alphabet. Moreover, the 'kaf' consonant is geminate in classical (but not modern) Hebrew. Adapting the classical Hebrew pronunciation with the geminate and pharyngeal Ḥeth can lead to the spelling Hanukkah , while adapting the modern Hebrew pronunciation with no gemination and uvular Ḥeth leads to the spelling Chanukah . In Modern Hebrew , Hanukkah may also be called

5110-464: The streets. Later than that, the lights should still be kindled, but the blessings should be recited only if there is at least somebody else awake in the house and present at the lighting of the Hannukah lights. Typically two blessings ( brachot ; singular: brachah ) are recited during this eight-day festival when lighting the candles. On the first night only, the shehecheyanu blessing is added, making

5183-437: The very elderly and infirm; however, those who permit reciting a blessing over electric lamps only allow it if it is incandescent and battery operated (an incandescent flashlight would be acceptable for this purpose), while a blessing may not be recited over a plug-in menorah or lamp. Most Jewish homes have a special candelabrum referred to as either a Hanukkah menorah (the traditional name, menorah being Hebrew for 'lamp') or

5256-498: The word list, including names of Knights of the Round Table . The most notable change was the inclusion of the date of the first known citation of each word, to document its entry into the English language. The eleventh edition (published in 2003) includes more than 225,000 definitions, and more than 165,000 entries. A CD-ROM of the text is sometimes included. This dictionary is preferred as a source "for general matters of spelling" by

5329-595: The word's correct spelling in Hebrew, is the most common and the preferred choice of Merriam–Webster , Collins English Dictionary , the Oxford Style Manual , and the style guides of The New York Times and The Guardian . The sound represented by Ch ( [ χ ] , similar to the Scottish pronunciation of loch ) is not native to the English language . Furthermore, the letter ḥeth ( ח ‎), which

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