Q:
Why was the family of the Chashmonaim picked that the nes should be done through them?
A:
And the answer is they weren’t ‘picked’ – they volunteered. The nes could have come through anybody. It was free for all and this family came along and chose greatness.
The same as in the beginning of history. The Jewish nation also wasn’t ‘picked’. They chose to be loyal to Hashem. Avraham Avinu chose on his own and so Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “You chose Me? Then I’m choosing you.”
And so the Chashmonaim chose greatness.
You have to know there was a certain quality, however, in the Chashmonaim and that’s the hot blood of the kohanim. Like the Navi says, ועמך כמריבי כהן – Your people are like the quarrelsome kohanim (Hoshea 4:4). כהנים קפדנים הם. You know kohanim are quarrelsome.
It goes all the way back to Shevet Levi. ארור אפם. Where their father said “Accursed is their anger” because they caused peril to Yaakov Avinu by committing a massacre in Shechem. He said ארור אפם – their anger is a curse. But their anger was caused by the desecration of their sister. Since then the Shevet Levi, of which the kohanim are the most important representative, are fiery advocates of the service of Hashem.
Pinchas Kanai! Pinchas was a kana’i. Kana’i means he was an angry man in the service of Hashem. Pinchas got up! He wouldn’t sit and be a spectator to any wickedness that was going on, and so he took his spear and he went and he executed those who were openly transgressing the Torah in public. And the same took place in all the generations. And Moshe Rabeinu foretold about the Shevet Levi, מחץ מתנים קמיו ומשנאיו מין יקומון – Someday, this family is going to smash the loins of those who rise up against him and against his enemies.
And this came true in the days of the Chashmonaim.
Kohanim were given a special enthusiasm, a special zeal. Now they could have used that zeal for wicked things. Anybody who has enthusiasm, who has a verve, who has a fire in him, he could use it for wicked things. Certainly. They could have been the biggest reshaim with their zealous anger. But they took their zeal, they took their anger, and they utilized it only for the service of Hashem. And that’s why they became the ones who had the privilege of bringing this nes to the Jewish people.
TAPE #388 (November 1981)
