After the defeats of their enemies, Maccabeus and his army, led by the Lord, worked to restore the temple and the city. They tore down the altars that had been built in the public square and purified the sanctuary. They once again were able to worship at the altar. They implored the Lord that they might never again fall into such misfortunes, that, if they did sin, the Lord would not turn them over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.
They celebrated the purification of the sanctuary for eight days of rejoicing, a custom that continues as Hannukah, also known as the Feast of Lights (1 Maccabees 4:52-59). The date they completed the purification was the date of the holiday Chislev, the festival of booths that commemorated their ancestors' escape from slavery in Egypt.
Attacks by the enemy continued, and Maccabeus, imploring the help of God, continued resistance. Some of the enemies were internal.
How much of holiday celebration is based on memory?
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