What Believers in Messiah Need to Keep in Mind about Hanukkah

Here are a few things all believers in Messiah should know about Hanukkah, whether or not you choose to celebrate it.

This is not a Biblical holiday. While passages of Scripture such as Leviticus 23 give us instructions for keeping YHWH's set apart times, Hanukkah is not mentioned there. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to celebrate Hanukkah.

The nine-branch 'menorah' that is used during Hanukkah is not the lampstand of Scripture. The Creator himself specified in Exodus 25 that his menorah has seven lights. Should we be altering its design so that it doesn't follow Biblical instructions?

The story of the oil miraculously lasting eight days when the Temple was rededicated is not in the book of Maccabees. Not that it couldn't have happened, but it's important to not make claims that it is in the book when it's not.

Unlike the traditional Hanukkah blessing says, the Creator never commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights. Don't teach falsities about what the Living God says.

The mention of the Messiah being at the Temple during Hanukkah in John 10 does not prove that he was celebrating or ordained what was happening. Yahusha frequently spent time with sinners - that doesn't mean he approved of everything they did.

If you read the rest of John 10 you'll see that the Messiah's presence was so poorly received during the Hanukkah festivities that the leaders tried to stone him there! Does it sound like he was taking part in what they were doing?

If you view it as a minor holiday, you should treat it as such. Don't put more effort, time, or money into Hanukkah than you would Passover, Sukkot, or the other Biblical holidays.

Many cultures have a 'Festival of Lights' around this time of year. Including the Hindu celebration of Diwali, and the Babylonian/Persian festival of Chaharshanbe Suri, which is nearly 4,000 years old.

Please keep these things in mind before celebrating this manmade holiday. If you celebrate, know the facts, and make it clear that this holiday is not something YHWH commanded us to do.

Related posts:
The Case for the Seven Branch Menorah
Why I Don't Celebrate Hanukkah
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why Hanukkah is Not a Biblical Holiday

Sabbath Rest Remains - Hebrews 4:9

"So there remains a Sabbath keeping for the people of God." -Hebrews 4:9

This passage in Hebrews, written several decades after the ascension of the Messiah, has a simple reminder for us: Sabbath rest continues on. Many translations of Scripture even say, "there remains a Sabbath keeping duty for the people of YHWH." This is something he expects us to do, honor the fourth commandment. Many people teach that if you believe in the Messiah you don't need to do this, but Scripture says otherwise. And it says otherwise, in this passage specifically, around 30 years after Yahusha left this world.

This shouldn't be viewed as a burden, but rest that is needed for the hard work of living and creating and making and doing. Earlier in the passage we are reminded that YHWH himself rested on the seventh day from all his works (Hebrews 4:4). This verse is permission to rest and breathe and relax; actually it is a commandment given to us by YHWH himself.

Sabbath keeping is for you, today. 

More about the Sabbath: 
Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath After 15 Years
Six Reasons Believers Should Keep the Sabbath
Did Jesus Break the Sabbath?

DIY Shavuot Cupcake Toppers

Here's a simple way to add some Shavuot festivity to your upcoming feast! You can make these at home in just a few minutes. You probably have everything required. Just some tape, wooden skewers or toothpicks, and the printout of these cupcake toppers is all you need. I intentionally made it something that would print out well on a regular home printer using plain paper. Nothing fancy needed at all.

You will need:
Shavuot cupcake printable
Scissors
Double sided tape
Small wooden skewers or toothpicks

What to do:
First you'll need to cut out the hexagons. This shape makes it easy to cut and get nice edges. You will need two per cupcake topper, so print the appropriate number of sheets. One sheet will get you six toppers.

Flip over one hexagon and place a skewer in approximately the middle. Use double sided tape to secure it and then grab another hexagon. Connect the backside of it with the double sided tape. You may want to experiment with different skewer sizes to come up with a height that you prefer. And voila, you have your topper. Repeat as many times as you'd like and you're finished!

Use these to top cupcakes or dessert. Or use as you would toothpicks for snacks or appetizers at your Shavuot celebration.

Looking for a dessert idea to make? Try these milk and honey recipes for Shavuot!

Eat to Remember - Passover Pictures

I hope everyone had a very special celebration of Passover, First Fruits, and Unleavened Bread! Were you able to attend a Seder or did you host one yourself? Here are a few pictures from my congregation's.

We don't have our own building so for Passover we rent a small building in an area park. It's really just a large empty space with a kitchen and bathrooms. Which is perfect for us.

Other than the tables and chairs, everything is brought in for Seder. We do this potluck style with everyone pitching in. One person brings the plates, another silverware, someone else the glasses. Everyone brings serving spoons, tablecloths, and a menorah. It's a fair amount of work for everyone but it's doable.

If you're hosting a Seder or Passover celebration I would definitely recommend getting everyone involved with various tasks throughout the evening, whether that's candle lighting, refilling cups, or washing dishes afterwards. Doing work side by side with someone is a much more significant experience than having a few people cater to everyone else. More fun too!

Flowers double as decor and favors with each household getting to take some home.

Biggest day of the year for the matzah pinata!

This is my body broken for you.

Here's this year's version of the famous one page Haggadah. Would you anyone be interested in being able to download it?

Passover menu:

Smoked lamb
Roasted root vegetable medley of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and beets

Rice and lentil pilaf

Einkorn matzah

Local greens with roasted chickpeas, green olives, and shallots

Hummus two ways: garlic and jalapeno cilantro

Avocado hard boiled eggs

Grain free tabbouli

Fresh vegetables

Roasted red pepper sauce

Tahini sauce

Apple cider vinaigrette

Baked charoset

"Eat to remember this all your life." -Deuteronomy 16:3

Go to Passover dessert: two kinds of cheesecake without crust, chocolate ganache, berries, and a raspberry meringue.

Happy Passover!

DIY Menorah Ring Dish

I have a fun and easy DIY project for you today! It seems as though we are overdue for a good DIY, the last one here was the Ten Commandments Gummies and before that it was matzah jewelry for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

As you've probably noticed, box stores and mass retailers are not exactly packed with things that represent the Hebrew faith. You won't find many menorahs or Happy Passover banners or Torah portion chalkboards readily available for purchase, so making an item for a feast or just faith encouragement is often the best option. (Though I am super happy to report a growing number of small businesses are making Hebrew minded items!) It's nice to have a few items in your home or workplace to remind you of your faith even when you aren't sitting down to study Scripture or getting ready for a formal Shabbat service. This ring dish does just that, while being lovely and functional.

Making this is a pretty straightforward process.

You will need:
air dry clay
rolling pin
knife or cookie cutter
bowl
menorah (this is what I used)
spray paint

Roll the clay out to about 1/8 inch thickness. You want this to be pretty even but it doesn't have to be perfect. Then cut out a circle, using either a large cookie cutter or set a bowl (or other round object) on your clay and use a sharp knife to cut along that.

Once you have your circle you'll need your menorah. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll recognize my small metal menorah from various photos. That's what I used for this ring dish but there are other options you could use too. Simcha Central's menorah cupcake toppers would also work, as would a stamp like this, or a fondant cutter. You could also press lightly with a menorah cookie cutter to imprint the design but don't go all the way through.

Position your menorah how you would like it and then lightly press to leave an impression in the clay. I used the rolling pin to apply even pressure and it worked well. There can be some trial and error to this, so if you aren't happy with how it's looking just start again. :)

If you're happy with that it's time to shape into a bowl (if you're not just re-roll the clay and start over). I used the same bowl I cut my circle from earlier to shape my dish. Just center it on the bottom and gently contour the edges around the sides. How you have it now will be the final shape of your dish, so don't stop until you are pleased. Keep your clay dish on the bowl as it dries. Check the package directions of your clay for how long this should take. I let mine dry overnight.

Once your dish feels completely dry to the touch, gently remove it from the bowl and you'll have something like this. So fun, right?!

I spray painted mine in a metallic gold but you could obviously use any color of spray paint. Or you could paint just the menorah and the rim. Or leave as is if you like. My air dry clay was white but there are some colored options as well. You could even try for a marbled effect with a couple of colors. It's totally up to you!

This has been my ring dish for a few months now and I love the pretty reminder of YHWH's presence and Kingdom. It's also very functional to always know where my wedding ring is if I am not wearing it. It's held up very well; I was concerned the paint may scratch off but so far it has not. These dishes also work to hold keys or spare change. They could be used as place card holders for Passover or another feast...how fun would that be?

PS - If you decide to try making a menorah dish, use your leftover clay for matzah jewelry! :)

Welcome to My Sukkah

This is my sukkah this year, come on in and have a look around!

Since Vayikra 23:39 tells us that Sukkot starts after the corn is harvested, I brought the mini blue popcorn I grew into the sukkah as a beautiful decoration (love that color!) and reminder of YHWH's provision.

My dog spent a lot of time here.

Before we added the roof made of tree branches I hung sedum flowers from the bamboo.

As you can see our design is very simple this year. Bamboo polls and twine comprised the structure, while thrifted curtains were the 'walls.'

This was our temporary dwelling this year. It held up really well (no collapses this time), and I was happy with the design. Obviously it wasn't weatherproof, but I haven't seen a sukkah that is. At night we took in the table and chairs and the blanket we used for a rug. The next day we would take out whatever we felt like. Sometimes the table again, or a chair for reading, or even just the rug. Nothing was too heavy so it worked pretty well.

This bowl of apples brought such a nice perfume to the sukkah.

2 Cornithians 5:1 - if our earthly tent is destroyed we have an eternal building from YHWH.

The lanterns are regular ball jars with twine wrapped around them. The candles are the battery operated kind.

This was such a peaceful place to study and read or sit and talk.

He is light.

What was your sukkah like this year? I am sharing a few of my favorites next week, so please send me a photo of yours if I can include it!