In 164 BCE, following the victory of the Maccabees, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was purified and rededicated. The stones of the Temple's altar which had been defiled by the Greeks were removed and placed in a storage chamber on the Temple Mount. In Talmudic times, this day was celebrated as a holiday.
Written by Rabbi Shraga Simmons Selected ideas from "Day by Day in Jewish History," by Abraham P. Bloch (Ktav.com) Dates follow the traditional Jewish calendar (and not the Gregorian calendar, which is at times 150 years different than Jewish computations).
November 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769Torah Reading: Chayei Sarah