The Miracle of Chanukah Is Within Us

One of the wonders of Chanukah is that its ancient theme of miracles – of the few defeating the many, the Temple being purified, the small cruse of oil lasting eight day – is never outdated but always relevant. The most obvious example is the history of the Jewish people itself, having survived all these centuries despite persecution and pogroms, a comparatively tiny nation that has outlasted the Greeks and Romans and 100 other world powers, to be blessed with a state of Israel that once again shines as a light unto the nations.
But the closer we study the Chanukah story and its message of the Maccabees’ victory, the more troubling – and perhaps pertinent – it is for those of us who try to live Jewish lives amidst a dominant secular culture. The fact is that for all of our glamorization of Chanukah, and our outrage and fear over the recent rise of religious fundamentalism in the world, we celebrate in Chanukah the military triumph of a small band of Jewish fundamentalists.
Indeed, the Maccabees, in opposing the spread of Hellenism in ancient Palestine, fought no only the Syrians but their fellow Jews who had assimilated into the dominant, cosmopolitan culture. If Judah Maccabee lived today, would he be waging war, literally, against the leadership of American Jewry? Certainly a militantly Orthodox leader like Rabbi Meir Kahane sought to portray himself as a modern-day Maccabee, suffering the criticism of his fellow Jews who resisted his message of taking arms to defend Jewish land and honor.
Any of us can take the story of Chanukah and make of it what we want. Religious Jews can emphasize the victory of the observant over the secular; militant Jews can point to the military victory of the Jews over the Syrians; Zionists can take pride in the conquering of Jerusalem and the establishment of a political base; liberal Jews can look to the lesson of religious freedom; and some American Jews can find in Chanukah the Jewish response to Christmas, an opportunity to give gifts to one’s children during the month of December.
The rabbis of the Talmud asked, “What is Chanukah?” They concluded that the emphasis should be on the spiritual rather than military significance of the story. The central incident became the purification of the Temple and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. As if to de-emphasize the military aspect of the holiday, the Haftarah portion read on the Shabbat of Chanukah climaxes with these words: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, thus says the Lord of Hosts.”
Yet in Israel, not surprisingly, the nationalistic and military qualities of the Maccabee victory are given prominence. And too many American Jews think more about giving present than giving thanks. But for all of us, the underlying and unifying theme of Chanukah is the commitment to the struggle, the willingness to persevere for one’s beliefs despite the odds. The difference between the Maccabee fundamentalists of 2,000 years ago and the Islamic fundamentalists of today is the Jews were not attempting to force their ways on the rest of the world but were simply defending their right to practice their own religion. It is a right that has been fought forever since, and remains precious today.
The particular message for American Jews, shaken by the despair of sociological studies that find assimilation increasing at an alarming rate, is not to lose heart. It’s true that we will not be able to transmit our love for our heritage and faith to all of our brethren. But we must do what we can to keep Judaism alive by staring with our families, our children and, perhaps most important, ourselves.
The miracle of Chanukah is the miracle of hope, of defying the odds, of keeping the flame burning within our own souls. That is as important for each of us today as it was for Judah Maccabee more than 2,000 years ago.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Orim Sameach. May you have a joyful Festival of Lights!