Pure Miracles - Pre-Chanukah 5786

 It’s almost Chanukah!  What a beautiful, inspiring and enlightening holiday this is!  And no, it’s not just an alternative winter holiday.  Chanukah is a uniquely Jewish celebration with a global message, marking the victory of the faithful to Torah against those who tried to secularize Jewish life, and sending a powerful message of religious freedom.

The threat against the Jews from the Greeks was not a physical one, at least that was not the original intent.  They had taken control of Israel and occupied the Temple, but their goal was not to commit physical genocide like Hamas and their supporters around the world.  They wanted to show the superiority of their culture, their “moral path” and their “superior” intellectual teachings.  And like all good people who can’t win an argument, they would make the Jews accept the truth of their views by force.

The Greeks did not care if the Jews studied their books along with the Greek books, or if they followed those rules and customs that made logical sense.  As long as they did not attribute it to Hashem.  They wanted to uproot the unique Jewish connection to the Source of Torah.  As we say in the special Chanukah prayer of Ve’al Hanissim - “When the evil Greek kingdom stood up against Your people Israel to make them forget YOUR Torah and to remove them from the decrees of YOUR will.”

The Jews knew that Jewish culture is only Torah with the recognition that it is Hashem’s will and wisdom.  “Jewish values” are not what some Jews decide should be Jewish values.  Jewish values are Torah values, given by Hashem on Mt’ Sinai for all time.  And for that they were willing to sacrifice their lives.   A relatively tiny band of faithful Jews went against theJewish Hellenists and the Greek/Syrian army, and miraculously won the war.  As the code of Jewish law puts it: Hashem delivered them into our hands - the powerful in the hands of the weak, the many in the hands of the few, and the defiled in the hands of the pure.

This was a fight not only for the Jewish community and “Judaism.” This was a fight for the purity of Judaism and its traditions.  Then came two miracles that happened with the oil.  First, the fact that they found any oil at all sealed with the High Priest’s seal was miraculous. The Greeks had systematically broken all the seals and defiled the oil, but the Jews found one bottle that had been miraculously spared.  Then came the miracle of the oil that was enough for one day, yet lasted eight.

These miracles seem unnecessary.  The law is that in a situation where there is no pure oil, impure oil may be used, and they had plenty of that.  Yet Hashem made two miracles in order for them to have pure oil for eight days until more could be manufactured.  But this was the reward for the Jews’ sacrifice for the purity of Torah.  The Greeks did not destroy the oil, just as they did not try to destroy the intellectual study of Torah  They were after the High Priest’s seal of purity just as they were after the pure connection to Hashem that the Torah and Jewish law brings.  That was what the Jews fought and died for, and Hashem showed them that their sacrifice was righteous by providing the miraculous oil for eight days.

As we consider how we will celebrate Chanukah and what we will teach our children about it I think that it is extremely important not to try to minimize this point.  It is very sad when a Jewish teacher at a Jewish school teaches Jewish kids that the miracle of the oil is a myth.  (I’m not making this up.)  Or when celebrations are crafted to follow other types of current celebrations so that the kids “don’t feel left out” or different from the popular culture.  Or when the stories are about heroism on the battlefield without mention of the tenacious observance of those warriors in the face of mortal danger.

Chanukah is one of the holidays that has brought the concept of religious freedom to the world, and it is something that we should stand up and be proud of.  This was what the Rebbe taught when he encouraged public Menorah lightings around the world.  What used to be opposed by the Jewish "establishment" has now become common practice, even among those who fought Chabad bitterly trying to ban these events.

It is gratifying to see the number of public Chanukah celebrations happening now.  Let’s remember the core message and be proud of our true heritage - our connection to Hashem and our fierce adherence to HIS commandments.  Happy Chanukah!  Please join us at various local Menorah lighting at City Hall in Palo Alto, in Los Altos, Menlo Park, Mountain View and Sunnyvale, as well as in many other communities in the area.  The Palo Alto lighting will be at City Hall on Sunday at 4:30, and the kids and adults alike will love the Gelt drop from the fire truck.  See you there!