In the Jewish tradition there is the idea that the Beith HaMikdash/Holy Temple exists physically during the holiday of Hanukah wherever we light the menorah. With this we may understand that the true physical location of the “Holy House” moves around the earth as does the Holy Land expand her borders to all lands(prophecy of aggadah/legends). This “Holy land” we are told in midrash on Torah was tidily wrapped up completely under Jacob’s head while he dreamed of the people of wisdom moving out in all directions around the globe. This month of kislev we have the sign/mazal of the Keshet, the bow which is the rainbow and the seven colors. In America we have aboriginal peoples who also honor greatly the seven chiefs of the color lodges who surround the center of all that is. In fact the ancient Pueblo people saw one of these chiefs returning to the human world as the red kachina/dancer and bringing in the era where all people live in the way of wisdom of the pollen path. The Hopi elders have been waiting for some white bearded priests to come to this land with a stone that completes their migration dream. The people of the Jewish Qumran community also saw that the place of the great Temple would move “far away” as you can read this fragment from the Qumran scrolls:
4Q529, 6Q23
1 Wording of text which Michael addressed the angels of God[...]2 Michael said, "I have located there an army of angels[1][...]3[...] nine big hills: two to the Eas[t...]4[and two to the] South. It was at this place Michael met with the Angel Gabriel [...][2] 5... During their meeting Michael translated a dream of Gabriel'. Gabriel then said to Michael:[...]6 It was written in his text that God, the all powerful,[...]7 the boys of Ham to the boys of Shem. And see my Supreme being, the god of the earth[...]8 When it rains freely[...]9 view a city Made to worship the Supreme being, Lo[rd Eternal...]10Anything that is bad will be performed before God[3], the Almighty Lo[rd Eternal...]11 God will remember his people[...]12 the Supreme being; to him the prizes and praises and to him[...]13 in a far away place there will be a man[...]14 the man will say to him: 'Observe this[...]15 bring to me silver and gold[...]... [...]16 the good man[4] (The Dead Sea Scrolls Collection at The Gnostic Society Library)
We light the eight candles of the temple and honor the hearth fires of the earth lodge that dance with the promise of the people who sanctify the Center from where blessings flow. In native America this parallels the "The Seven Fires Prophecies of the Anishinabe" people and the lighting of the "Eighth Fire" which inaugurates an era of the great peace. The famous work of the Jews called “Tikkun Olam”, reapairing the world actually involves “repairing” the eighth of the omakim/depths listed in the first words of Torah, as HaLaylah, the Night and the candlelit nights of kislev are deep in the night of the yea.r This the only holiday that occurs in the dark of the month. We are celebrating the “event” of the Tikkun Lail, the healing of the Night with the new stories and legends being told and created.
