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Philemon Angwanga,

In a post by another person who denounced the observance of Chanukkah, which you then shared to the Min Hazaqen Torah Study Group, you asked this question, "What's the truth then?"

I assume that you posted his message, because you have heard varying opinions on social media and have come to us for wisdom in this matter. I'm hoping that the following rebuttals to that person's post will help you better understand the truth about Chanukkah, and that not all of the opinions you have heard are based on an understanding of all the facts.

In the post that you shared, the author said:

**"The holiday of Hanukkah revolves around the LIE of the nine Branch candlestick that was born from the LIE of the miracle of the oil. This is very similar to the way that the holiday of Christmas revolves around a tree that is rooted in paganism once again a fableistic lie. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to lie to our children in fact we're told to train up a child in the way he is to go which of course would not be the way of a liar. Nowhere in the books of Maccabees will you find any evidence of the supposed miracle of oil that brought about the 8th Day celebration of Hanukkah you see this holiday is based off of lies just like Christmas. The dreidel game is an attempt by the evil one to teach our children to gamble which relates to the god of luck. This holiday of gift giving and merry making is none other than a Jewish appeasement to Christmas."**

In the quote, that man began his comment with an assertion, "The holiday of Hanukkah revolves around the LIE of the nine Branch candlestick that was born from the LIE of the miracle of the oil."

This statement is incorrect, since the observance of Chanukkah, which means "dedication", is founded upon the events in the book of Maccabees, and it would be beneficial to you and others to read it for yourselves. We will be posting two chapters each day for the eight days of Chanukkah, and if you read them, you will get a better understanding of Chanukkah, and hopefully, you will see how those men and women who stood up against the Greeks actually did so to preserve the Torah and the observation of the commandments of YHWH. To say that Chanukkah is a LIE is a very bold assertion from ignorance of the truth.

The facts are that the Greeks tried to destroy the Torah and those who observed the Torah, but those who intended evil were defied and defeated; the altar, having been defiled with pigs' blood, had to be rededicated for the proper use as a place of worship of YHWH Most High. It took eight days to cleanse the Temple and the priests. If you know the Torah concerning the red heifer and the cleansing of a man defiled by a corpse, you would know that the Maccabees, who fought against the Greeks, were priests and had to endure a seven-day ritual of cleansing after having touched dead bodies. They had to do this so that they could officiate at the altar. Thus, the eighth day was the time when they could start.

He continued, "This is very similar to the way that the holiday of Christmas revolves around a tree that is rooted in paganism once again a fableistic (sic) lie."

The rest of his words equated Chanukkah to Christmas, but we understand that the Maccabees were fighting against those pagans who would pervert the worship of YHWH, changing the truth into a lie. There are many ways to remember the Maccabees and what YHWH did through them. The practice of observing these events using dreidel and gelt was a diversion tactic in the first millennium AD, when Rome was severely persecuting all the Yehudi (Jews) and those who would gather to remember the Torah and the things that YHWH had done. It was a terrible time, and the “gambling” game helped the children to remember and acted as a cover for the meeting of the adults. Think of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, with decrees to torture and kill any who would defy the authority of Rome by gathering for Torah readings and fellowship. The soldiers would diligently seek out Torah observant people to kill them, but when they went into a home where the kids were playing a game like popular Roman games, they were less likely to be noticed as gathering for Chanukkah or any other religious meeting.

Do your own research. You asked, "What is the truth?" Read the book for yourself and settle it in your own mind about how you will remember it, or not.

We celebrate Chanukkah, because we remember the men and women who fought and died to preserve the Torah and the way of YHWH. Without that dedication and rededication of the Temple and the altar, where would Yeshua have gone three times a year in observation of the moedym found in Leviticus 23? Where would his mother have gone to bring the lamb required as a substitute for the first-born son? Where would the people have gone to hear the Torah taught? Where?

YHWH could have preserved His Torah and altar some other way, but He did it with the Maccabees, and we are thankful that He preserved His house, otherwise Yeshua would not be able to say, "My house is a house of prayer for all people," because there would have been no house. Instead of a house of prayer, the Temple grounds would have been a place of sexual orgies and a shrine for every deity known to man – except YHWH.

Others will try to distract you from the truth, because there will be many false teachers and those who claim opinion as fact. They will steer you away from remembering the wonders of YHWH and the Torah. Just as Antiochus Epiphanes, the Greek ruler of the time, they want you to forget YHWH.

As long as we live and breathe on this planet, may we NEVER forget that the world hates YHWH and those who love Him. Yeshua said, “They hate you because they hated me first.” The usurper prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, and he will not stop until he is destroyed. We remember the Maccabees’ events, because the world’s oppression of the people of YHWH is not over. It will grow worse until Yeshua returns, so the question is: “Will we hold fast to the Torah and the ways of YHWH, or will we submit to the world’s corruption of the truth?”

Philemon Angwanga, 
 
In a post by another person who denounced the observance of Chanukkah, which you then shared to the Min Hazaqen Torah Study Group, you asked this question, "What's the truth then?" 
 
I assume that you posted his message, because you have heard varying opinions on social media and have come to us for wisdom in this matter. I'm hoping that the following rebuttals to that person's post will help you better understand the truth about Chanukkah, and that not all of the opinions you have heard are based on an understanding of all the facts. 
 
In the post that you shared, the author said: 
 
**"The holiday of Hanukkah revolves around the LIE of the nine Branch candlestick that was born from the LIE of the miracle of the oil. This is very similar to the way that the holiday of Christmas revolves around a tree that is rooted in paganism once again a fableistic lie. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to lie to our children in fact we're told to train up a child in the way he is to go which of course would not be the way of a liar. Nowhere in the books of Maccabees will you find any evidence of the supposed miracle of oil that brought about the 8th Day celebration of Hanukkah you see this holiday is based off of lies just like Christmas. The dreidel game is an attempt by the evil one to teach our children to gamble which relates to the god of luck. This holiday of gift giving and merry making is none other than a Jewish appeasement to Christmas."** 
 
In the quote, that man began his comment with an assertion, "The holiday of Hanukkah revolves around the LIE of the nine Branch candlestick that was born from the LIE of the miracle of the oil." 
 
This statement is incorrect, since the observance of Chanukkah, which means "dedication", is founded upon the events in the book of Maccabees, and it would be beneficial to you and others to read it for yourselves. We will be posting two chapters each day for the eight days of Chanukkah, and if you read them, you will get a better understanding of Chanukkah, and hopefully, you will see how those men and women who stood up against the Greeks actually did so to preserve the Torah and the observation of the commandments of YHWH. To say that Chanukkah is a LIE is a very bold assertion from ignorance of the truth. 
 
The facts are that the Greeks tried to destroy the Torah and those who observed the Torah, but those who intended evil were defied and defeated; the altar, having been defiled with pigs' blood, had to be rededicated for the proper use as a place of worship of YHWH Most High. It took eight days to cleanse the Temple and the priests. If you know the Torah concerning the red heifer and the cleansing of a man defiled by a corpse, you would know that the Maccabees, who fought against the Greeks, were priests and had to endure a seven-day ritual of cleansing after having touched dead bodies. They had to do this so that they could officiate at the altar. Thus, the eighth day was the time when they could start. 
 
He continued, "This is very similar to the way that the holiday of Christmas revolves around a tree that is rooted in paganism once again a fableistic (sic) lie." 
 
The rest of his words equated Chanukkah to Christmas, but we understand that the Maccabees were fighting against those pagans who would pervert the worship of YHWH, changing the truth into a lie. There are many ways to remember the Maccabees and what YHWH did through them. The practice of observing these events using dreidel and gelt was a diversion tactic in the first millennium AD, when Rome was severely persecuting all the Yehudi (Jews) and those who would gather to remember the Torah and the things that YHWH had done. It was a terrible time, and the “gambling” game helped the children to remember and acted as a cover for the meeting of the adults. Think of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, with decrees to torture and kill any who would defy the authority of Rome by gathering for Torah readings and fellowship. The soldiers would diligently seek out Torah observant people to kill them, but when they went into a home where the kids were playing a game like popular Roman games, they were less likely to be noticed as gathering for Chanukkah or any other religious meeting. 
 
Do your own research. You asked, "What is the truth?" Read the book for yourself and settle it in your own mind about how you will remember it, or not. 
 
We celebrate Chanukkah, because we remember the men and women who fought and died to preserve the Torah and the way of YHWH. Without that dedication and rededication of the Temple and the altar, where would Yeshua have gone three times a year in observation of the moedym found in Leviticus 23? Where would his mother have gone to bring the lamb required as a substitute for the first-born son? Where would the people have gone to hear the Torah taught? Where? 
 
YHWH could have preserved His Torah and altar some other way, but He did it with the Maccabees, and we are thankful that He preserved His house, otherwise Yeshua would not be able to say, "My house is a house of prayer for all people," because there would have been no house. Instead of a house of prayer, the Temple grounds would have been a place of sexual orgies and a shrine for every deity known to man – except YHWH. 
 
Others will try to distract you from the truth, because there will be many false teachers and those who claim opinion as fact. They will steer you away from remembering the wonders of YHWH and the Torah. Just as Antiochus Epiphanes, the Greek ruler of the time, they want you to forget YHWH. 
 
As long as we live and breathe on this planet, may we NEVER forget that the world hates YHWH and those who love Him. Yeshua said, “They hate you because they hated me first.” The usurper prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, and he will not stop until he is destroyed. We remember the Maccabees’ events, because the world’s oppression of the people of YHWH is not over. It will grow worse until Yeshua returns, so the question is: “Will we hold fast to the Torah and the ways of YHWH, or will we submit to the world’s corruption of the truth?”

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