Rabbi's Blog

Chanukah, one of the most observed Jewish holidays – commemorates two miracles. The first, the victory of the Maccabees’ small, amateur army over the mighty Greek-Syrians, is the lesser-known of the two. The latter, the oil of the menorah lasting eight days instead of one, is relived every year when we kindle the menorah.

In effect, the rededication and kindling of the menorah in the Holy Temple would not have been possible without the military victory. Yet, why is there no overt celebration of this aspect of the Chanukah story? Isn’t the celebration of our religious freedom greater than the remarkable feat of the magical oil?

On Chanukah we were fighting for the soul of Judaism. The Greek-Syrians were happy to accept us… Read More »

As Chanukah approaches, we get excited about the spirit of the holiday. After all, Chanukah is a fun holiday. We don’t need to sit in Shul fasting all day. Nor do we need to go on a strict diet and stuff our face with matzah in record time. Who could complain about latkes, donuts and Chanukah gelt? Beautiful Candles and decorations bring the festive spirit to life.

There are two miraculous events that we are marking on Chanukah.

The miracle of Chanukah is the miracle of oil. The menorah burned for eight days instead of one. It’s also the miracle of the few versus the many. The tiny Maccabee militia defeated the huge Greek-Syrian army.

But more importantly, it’s a miracle of faith and spirit. After all, what were the Mac… Read More »

This is always the time of year that – as a Rabbi – I hear the most kvetching from Jewish parents.

Yesterday it was a shocked parent seeking guidance on how to answer their four-year-old who comes home from school and asks when are we putting up our tree. Or, it’s a mother wondering where she can buy the fanciest Chanukah decorations to outdo her non-Jewish neighbors.

To all of them, I have the same response. And, it’s highlighted in this week’s parsha, Vayishlach.

But, first a passage from Tehillim (Psalms). In Chapter 47, we read, “He chooses our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom He loves eternally.”

In the Hebrew, the term Ge’on Yaakov is colloquially used to connote Jewish pride… Read More »