Cheshvan 23 – And They Saw the Sanctuary Desolate, the Altar Profaned, and the Gates Burned…

November 23, 2024

08 – Cheshvan, 1 Maccabees, 5785_08_Cheshvan, Judah, Zion

Cheshvan 23, 5785; from sunset November 23, 2024, to sunset November 24, 2024

(The twenty-third day of the eighth month)

In Talmudic times (c. 400 CE), Cheshvan 23 was commemorated as the day on which the stones of the altar, which were defiled by the Greeks, were removed from the Holy Temple. This is a part of the Hanukkah revolution initiated by the Maccabees. A couple of days ago we read the bold prayer of Judah Maccabee for God to act on his army’s behalf. God responded to his prayer and Lysias’ army was routed.

Immediately, Judah set his sights on cleansing the Holy Temple. As a priest, this is what he and his brethren have been fighting so zealously for over the past three years.

Then said Judah and his brothers, “Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.” So all the army assembled and they went up to Mount Zion.

And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven.

Then Judah detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.

They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them.

Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. – 1 Maccabees 4:36-47 (RSV)

I like how they didn’t assume that they knew what to do with the profaned altar stones. They had the self-control to set them aside in a safe place until God provided a prophet to tell them what to do. Sometimes we feel the need to finish the story ourselves, when all we really need to do is our part. Our God has a plan for all of us and we all have a part to play. If we are overstepping our boundaries – are we not, in fact, stealing away something that was meant for one of our brothers or sisters in Christ? Even Moses didn’t get to complete the exodus from Egypt and cross into the Promised Land – that’s something that God had planned for Joshua. On the flip side, if we feel the Holy Spirit tugging at us to step up and use the gifts that God has given us, and we get too shy or perhaps think we “aren’t good enough,” then what blessing are we missing?

Over the next month, Judah and his brethren continued working to clean and sanctify the Temple. As a priestly family, this is what they’ve been fighting for! They fashioned new holy vessels and restored the curtains, menorah, incense altar, etc. Their work evokes memories of Betzalel and Oholiav, who would have been overseeing the creation of the original Tabernacle furnishings during this same time of year. As for the Maccabees, all of the work was completed between now and the 25th day of Kislev (just a little over a month from now) when the dedication of the Temple took place. What a day that must have been for them! Their dedication (chanach) of the Temple became the eight-day Hanukkah (Chanukkah) celebration we remember to this day.

We hope you’ll consider joining us as we continue to remember the Maccabees and the story of Hanukkah.

To see all of our posts revolving around the history of the Maccabees, just click on the image above.