I was discussing the Chanukah story with some eighth grade boys last week. I explained why we celebrate 8 days of Chanukah, about the miracle of the oil. One boy boldly stood up and said, “No Rabbi, you’re wrong! It’s not just the 8 days that the oil lasted. And it’s not just the miraculous victory of the weak and few versus the mighty and many. The real reason for celebration is that the Maccabees decided to search for oil. They could have simply given up. We celebrate (also) because they had the courage and determination to search for holy oil. And that’s why G-d made it last eight days – because they searched!”
It’s a profound statement. And, in a way, he was right.
Let me explain.
***
Chanukah is perhaps the most celebrated of Jewish holidays.
Lots of debate swirls around Chanukah’s lofty position on the Jewish calendar. But, I’d like to take a step back and discuss the “why” of Chanukah?
Why are we celebrating?
Most Jews will say something about a war and a miracle of oil lasting 8 days.
Okay, but what was the war about?
The Maccabees were fighting against the Hellenistic Greek-Syrians not because they were being physically attacked. In fact, conditions were far, far better than they were for Jews in Europe in the 1930s. The Hellenists did not consider themselves anti-Semites. They were not out to kill Jews.
Their attitude can be summed up in the decrees they enacted and their behavior in the Holy Temple.
Their goal was to outlaw the practice of Judaism. But, not all of it. They adored the ethical values of Judaism. They lavished praise on the history of the Jews. They adulated the rich philosophy of the Torah. And, they supported traditions that memorialized Jewish culture.
So, what did they outlaw?
They banned mitzvot such as Shabbat, brit milah (circumcision) and kosher. The common denominator is that these commandments are simply that – commandments! The only reason to observe a day of rest specifically on Saturday is because G-d said so in the Torah. Otherwise, there is nothing sacred about Shabbat more than Tuesday or Sunday. The only reason that certain foods are kosher and other – very similar nutritionally – foods are forbidden, is because G-d demands it. The necessity for circumcision is a Divine decree.
In short, they were supporters of culture and tradition – so long as it made sense. But, regarding traditions that are observed simply because G-d said so – they objected vehemently. A typical Greek refrain (paraphrased) would be: “Eat your matzah balls because you left Egypt many years ago; eta your gefilte fish because that’s Jewish cuisine; honor your parents because it’s the logical and ethical thing to do; support your local hospital and volunteer at the food bank. But don’t give me any of this nonsense that some G-d in Heaven is asking you to abstain from eating meat with milk. Don’t tell me that you have some type of covenant with G-d. “
So, it turns out the Greeks didn’t mind Torah, so long as it wasn’t G-d’s Torah!
Their goal was not to annihilate the Jewish people. The Greeks would have been happy had the Jews embraced Hellenism and Judaism side by side. ‘Remove the G-dly element from Judaism,’ the Greeks demanded, ‘And we will invite you to the highest offices of the land, to the most lucrative business deals and to the apex of culture and success.’
Many Jews followed after the Greeks. That’s why we refer to the Chanukah miracle as the battle of the Maccabees, and not the battle of the Jews. In fact, most Jews sided with the Greeks. The Maccabees were the minority, fighting to preserve Judaism. It’s safe to say that if not for them, no Jews would be here today.
Wow.
So, let’s be frank. In a Jewish world that is quickly assimilating, it’s fair to ask, “Which side would I be on?”
***
This is perhaps what I was taught this week. The Greeks didn’t destroy the Temple. They simply disqualified its oil. They took G-d out of the equation.
When the Maccabees came back to their Temple, they could have resigned themselves to accepting a new status quo. They could have breathed a sigh of relief at their against-the-odds survival, but succumbed to the notion that assimilation is inevitable. They could have accepted a compromise.
Instead they were determined to search for pure olive oil.
I, too, can succumb to the notion that keeping kosher is hard; that keeping Shabbat is difficult; that sticking with Jewish traditions in the 21st century is an oxymoron.
I hope that, had I been there, I would have been a Maccabee.
How about you?