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The dedication of the Tabernacle happened on the first day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. But the Midrash tells us that the Tabernacle was actually completed several months beforehand, on the 25th of Kislev, only G-d told Moses to wait until Nissan. So the 25th of Kislev lodged a complaint against G-d! It felt that the date when the Tabernacle was completed deserved to be a special holiday. G-d reassured the 25th of Kislev that the day will come, and she too will be proclaimed a holiday.
Sure enough, on the 25th of Kislev, 1173 years later, the Maccabees proudly rededicated the altar of the Holy Temple after years of defilement by the Greeks, and the holiday of Chanukah debuted on the Jewish calendar.
The commandment of kindling the menorah read on Chanukah alludes to the Maccabees, who were priests, and descendants of Aaron, and kindled the menorah in the Temple.
This commandment is an allusion to the Maccabees, who were priests, and descendants of Aaron, who kindled the menorah in the Temple, this resulted in the constant kindling of the menorah in every Jewish home on the wonderful holiday of Chanukah.
On the Shabbat of Chanukah we take out two Sifrei Torah, one for the reading of the weekly Torah Portion and one for the Chanukah reading. The Haftorah we read is "Rani V'Simchi" (Sing and Rejoice daughter of Zion) from the Book of Zechariah.2 The Haftorah talks of Zechariah's prophecy concerning a menorah. If there are two Shabbatot on Chanukah, on the second Shabbat the Haftorah is from Kings I3, and it describes the menorot which were produced for use in the First Temple.4
Rosh Chodesh Tevet (which, depending on the year, could be one or two days), always falls out during Chanukah. On Rosh Chodesh we also take out two Sifrei Torah and read both the normal reading of Rosh Chodesh and the reading of the day for Chanukah. If Rosh Chodesh happens to be on Shabbat, we take out three Sifrei Torah one for the reading of the weekly Torah portion, one for the Rosh Chodesh reading and one for the Chanukah reading.
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Shabbat » Reading of the Torah » Torah Reading
