The holiday of Chanukah has just arrived. And while more than 2,000 years have passed since the liberation from a dark regime led to the lights of Chanukah, our present-day challenges sometimes seem to be echoes of past events.
In Judaism, we are taught that the proper way to celebrate a holiday is to look at the event as if it were unfolding today. We’re told that we must find the relevant messages to help us achieve a better, more enlightened life and thus add a bit more light to the world.
So let’s recount some of the highlights of the Chanukah story. The scene is 2,200 years ago. The place is ancient Israel, and the atmosphere is rapidly changing. At this time, the Jewish people have been living in Israel for more than 1,000 years, and for the most part, there is great unity in terms of Jewish observances. The center of Judaism is Jerusalem, and Jews come here to express their spiritual connection through the different practices outlined in the Torah. The Temple Mount is a happening place. Three times a year, Jews travel to Jerusalem from all over Israel and gather to celebrate the holidays.
But this way of life is being challenged. The Syrian Greeks have become the ruling power of the land, and their cultural vision has no place for Judaism. They took Jerusalem in 167 BCE and are now enforcing its Hellenization. They’ve made a sweeping effort to rid the area of any culture that’s religious in nature so they can replace it with a paganism that defies much of what has been the moral guiding light to the Jews. The Syrians’ desire to erase the traces of “religion” is so great that they’ve resorted to rape and other horrific abuses to achieve their “goals.” Jewish rites are forbidden under penalty of death.
Many Jews are yielding to this great pressure to follow the “new age philosophy.” They are told again and again by the great advocates of Hellenism that the times have changed. They are warned that remaining faithful to their spiritual teachings will only hold them back from succeeding in “the modern world.”
Now it’s 164 BCE. Yehuda the Maccabee joins with a group of courageous Jews to reconquer Judea, tear down the altar of Zeus that’s been placed in the Holy Temple, and reconsecrate the site for Jewish services. Since the golden Menorah has been stolen by the Syrians, the Maccabees make one of cheaper metal. But when they want to light it, they find only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It is sufficient to light the Menorah only for one day. But by a miracle, it continues to burn for eight days until new oil is made available.
Now let’s return to the present.
Life in America more than 2,000 years later seems to have left behind all remnants of the policies of the Syrian Hellenists.
No longer are there impositions on people’s choice to express their individuality through their faith. No longer are there pressures for anyone to renounce tradition and conform to modern trends. No longer are there political authorities that want to establish their cultural and religious views as the law of the land.
Or are there?
While the names may have changed, the basic identity of the characters we must battle remains the same.
In Chassidic teachings, we learn about the dual characteristics or forces that drive us. One represents our Soul, and the other represents our inner animal. We can usually identify them by observing which way a thought is gravitating-the Soul always seeks a higher purpose even if it means sacrificing our comforts, while the animal side always gravitates toward the self. Whenever we’re inspired to follow our Soul, a great resistance flares up from the “animal” side; it makes convincing arguments and attempts to silence the voice of the Soul. It tells us that following the Soul is an old thing, that it no longer has a place in our time. But then comes the message of Chanukah, which says that if you believe with strong enough conviction in the rules of righteousness, miracles can and will happen.
Don’t let the size of the opposition fool you. Your voice of goodness may sound small, but you should never underestimate its power; quality can overcome quantity. All it takes is one person to bring light to a dark environment. Who says it can’t be you?
Chabad of Malibu will be hosting a Chanukah festival at the Malibu Colony Shopping center this Sunday between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.