(Note: This is an opinion piece. You are free to disagree. But if you do, perhaps you can tell me in the comments section available below. I'd be interested in what you have to say. Thanks )
(Last update: December 18, 2020)
Despite the fact that the Chanukah story took place more than 2100 years ago, this story is no fanciful ancient tale. It is instead a story that keeps repeating itself--even today.
We might be wise to remember this.
On one level, Chanukah is about the clash of fundamental ideas about man, the world--and G-d. The Greeks of the Chanukah story believed in the existence of gods who ruled over our world. They believed in the power of Reason. They celebrated the human body.
The religious Jews of the Chanukah period would have none of this. They didn't believe in multiple gods. They didn't believe that the Divine had physical form. Instead, they believed that their Heavenly Ruler was, in fact, not visible. Finally, they certainly didn't believe in celebrating the beauty of the human form.
The Chanukah story is about two cultures. One culture, the "enlightened" Greeks, was called Hellenist. The other culture was religious Judaism. If ever there were two cultures which were diametrically opposed to each other, it was Greek Hellenism and religious Judaism.
Hellenists believed in gods, all right--multiple gods who had form, shape, physical appearance and all-too-human appetites. Religious Jews believed in a G-d who was a single, singular Divinity who had no shape, no form, no physical appearance and none of the Greek gods' human appetites and failings.
The Greeks could not believe that anyone would worship something invisible. That, to the Greeks, made no sense.
Religious Jews didn't care what Hellenists thought. The Hellenists, meanwhile, were offended by a Jewish G-d no one could see.
To the Hellenist, Reason was everything: it drove their philosophy. It drove their inquiries into the natural world. It stood above all else.
Religious Jews didn't buy that. For them, it wasn't Reason that was Supreme. It was G-d Himself. Reason, while important in Judaism, was secondary, not primary.
This was heresy to the Greeks. Again, to those so committed to the Supremacy of Reason, such an assertion--that there was something higher than Reason--made no sense. It was impossible.
The religious Jews of Israel were simply not interested in Hellenism. These Jews would not accept the idea of worshiping multiple gods. They would not accept Reason as Supreme. They would not glorify the human form. They would not, as Hellenists often did, surrender to and then ennoble their carnal desires.
The classical Hellenist world and the world of religious Judaism were poles apart (here). They were like water and oil--unmixable.
During that period in the 2nd Century BCE, many non-religious Jews flocked to Hellenism. They embraced the Greek culture--all aspects of it. Religious Jews rejected Hellenism.
Israel society became divided, Hellenism vs Judaism. Some Jews embraced Hellenism and rejected their own Judaism. Other Jews clung to their traditions.
That divide--along with a growing number of seriously anti-Jewish actions by the Hellenists ruling over Israel--led to open conflict between the 'enlightened' Hellenist (both Jew and not Jew) against a band of Jews led by an "ultra-religious" Jewish family of Priests.
Of course, the Chanukah story is about the wars fought between these Jews of Israel against their Hellenist enemies. The Jews at that time fought to throw the Greeks/Greek sympathizers out of the Jewish Holy Temple. They fought for the right to worship as they pleased. They won.
But this Chanukah story has another side to it. We can describe that 'second side' as, Jew vs Jew.
Assimilation--specifically, the movement of Jews away from their own religious traditions to other non-Jewish (and sometimes anti-Jewish) traditions--has been a Jewish problem for more than 2,000 years (here). Since the time of the Tanach, the history of the Jewish people has been characterized by two recurring themes: a history of the struggle of Jews against nations intent upon destroying the Jewish nation; and a story of Jews resisting other Jews who would stamp out major aspects of our Judaism.
That double theme continues today. Even in 2020, there are groups in the world who seek the destruction of Israel. Even in today's Israel, there are individuals and politicians who demonize Israel's ultra-religious population--or who express disgust at Israel's Zionists who wish to settle our land.
Even in 2020, we see in Israel political leaders who decry the 'Jewish' nature of Israel. They speak openly of making Israel into a 'democratic' state. They want to erase what is 'Jewish' about Israel.
This is the modern Chanukah story: Jew vs Jew, Leftist vs (Rightist) Zionist. This Jew vs Jew story echoes the original Hellenism vs Judaism conflict. It's the modern version of the original.
The point of the Chanukah story of 2020 is that Hellenists--both old and new--forever attempt to destroy the Jewish religion in Israel. The Hellenists of old failed. But then, so do their modern spiritual descendants.
My life--thanks to HaShem--has spanned, literally, three generations. During that time, I have been blessed to have seen multiple Jewish, Chanukah-like victories. For me, the first such Jewish victory of these generations occurred in 1948 with the founding of the world's only Jewish State, Israel.
Since then, I have seen other generational Jewish-Chanukah-like victories. These include the fact that, by 2020, there is more Torah in Israel that in any other place in the world--and, just as important--there are now more Jews in Israel today who believe that HaShem's Divine Hand affects our daily lives, than in any other place in the world.
As one looks back across the last 72 years of religious Judaism's struggles in Israel, one is startled. What we see is nothing less than the echoes of the original Chanukah story. We see Jewish victories.
These are the lessons of the Chanukah story in our generation: first, the population of Israel's Torah-oriented Jews only grows stronger as time passes, not weaker; and, second, religion in Israel, despite what you might read in the news, is ever-more-bright, decade after decade. You can actually see this happening, especially when you compare 2020 to the period, 1946-48, when the founding of modern Israel unfolded.
The struggle of the Chanukah-like Jew vs Jew conflict in Israel continues. But as this struggle continues, the Chanukah story is nevertheless retold every year, not just by the symbolic lighting of candles. It is retold as well because each year, our religion continues to spread--not recede--among Israeli Jews; and by that spread, Judaism triumphs.
That's why it's so important to celebrate Chanukah. The existence of Israel has proven that religious Jews are winning the modern battle for religious freedom. In small ways each year, we do relive the victory of the original Chanukah.
Perhaps this awareness can help us enjoy the victory of the original Chanukah. Indeed, perhaps this is why it might be wise to keep these ongoing Jewish victories in mind when you light candles tonight for the last day of Chanukah, 2020. It may give you reason to celebrate the Jewish victories within your own generation.
Happy Chanukah!
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