Chashmonaim and Makabi

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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah

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proudmom

Wed, Dec 13 2006, 10:49 pm

Why are the Makabi called the chashmonaim ?

Tefila

Thu, Dec 14 2006, 2:27 am

Hi nice to see you back Very Happy

proudmom

Thu, Dec 14 2006, 6:20 pm

Thank you very much!!

Ribbie Danzinger

Sat, Dec 16 2006, 6:27 pm

Actually, it's the other way around, the Chashmonaim (cohanim of the Beit Mikdash who became a dynasty of kings) are called Macabbim because they inscribed on their shields the letters mem, kaf, bet, yud which stand for "mi kamocha ba'elim Hashem" (Who is like You among the gods, Hashem?)

bandcm

Sat, Dec 16 2006, 6:32 pm

And did you know that the Chashmonai dynasty lasted until Herod I.e. Roman times?
They were from the family of Levi and not Yehuda, so they shouldn´t really have called themselves kings. Only the non-frum (Tzadoki) rulers called themselves `king`.

Motek

Sat, Dec 16 2006, 7:32 pm

and they were killed out because they should not have been kings

proudmom - good question, most places that refer to Chashmonaim don't say why they are called that! Someone told me that Chashmonai was a nickname for Yochanan, the leader and another explanation is that Chashmonai means great

by the way, in parshas Masei where it lists all the journeys of the Jews in the desert, guess which location is the 25th? Yup, a place called "Chashmona" (and of course Chanuka is on the 25th of Kislev)

TzenaRena

Sat, Dec 16 2006, 7:43 pm

Chashmonai is the gematria of Moshiach Now! Actually, the same letters!

Also, GoSHNaH, the letters of Nun, Gimmel Hei Shin is b'gmatria Moshiach!

proudmom

Sun, Dec 17 2006, 9:32 am

Thank you very much for the the answers, I asked the Rabbi where I live andhe told me that the reason why they wre called the chashmonaim is because they come from a city called Chashmonai.

Quote:

Chashmonai is the gematria of Moshiach Now! Actually, the same letters!

very interesting

Quote:

proudmom - good question

I went to a shuir and someone there asked the question, andi was trying to do research and try to find the answer and I had no luck so I decided to post it here on Imamother.com

I asked on askmoses the question and they gave me a total different answer, they told me the reason why they are called chashmonaim is because that is their last name. Did anyone else here this?

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