Q:
What’s the significance of the fact that the story of Chanukah was a victory against Greek influence, when that influence is still today a test for the Jewish people?
A:
You have to know that these people who fought these battles, that generation, they were never the same. Those who survived could never again yield to the Greeks. They had learned the lesson of living and dying for Hakadosh Baruch Hu; they fought back with lives and they became inoculated against Greek civilization.
And don’t think it was a small accomplishment because the yetzer hara of Greece was a tremendous force. Greece was a very big attraction. The Greek cities were cities of gaiety — there was a lot of fun there. It doesn’t mean they were happy cities but they were always busy; something was always taking place. There was theatre and drama among the Greeks. There were races and hippodromes. There were big arenas where people came and saw fighting between men and lions.
Especially during the festivals the Greek cities were full of rejoicing and celebrations. The Greek festivals were drunken orgies. They were so drunk the bacchanalian celebrants were forbidden to enter the cities at certain times because they used to ruin the cities in their drunken orgies.
Whatever it was, there was always something doing among the Greeks and it was a very big attraction to people who longed for good times in this world. And so it was a tremendous test. And so when our nation rose like a lion against the culture we finally were rid of Greek influence once and for all. Greece with its pantheon, with its wickedness in all of its ways, was driven out of the heart of the Jewish people.
Of course there were always some Jews throughout all the generations, weaklings, who came under the influence of gentiles; but we have to know to a very big extent the yetzra de’avodah zarah of the Misyavnim, the yetzer hara of Greece was dead. In our nation, from then on, Greek civilization played only a very little part.
The brake was pulled by Mattisyahu and it all came to a screeching halt. No more traveling in the direction of Yavan. Of course the brake lining was worn out. Many people lost their lives. When you have to pull the brake very hard, in an emergency, there’s always some wear and tear – people died. But the Greek influence and the capitulation to the influence was stopped. It came to a screeching halt.
Of course nothing in this world is forever. Then other ordeals will arise. We’re being tested in every generation. Today we’re still being tested with various new yetzer haras, elohim chadashim, new gods that our forefathers didn’t know. We’re always being tested but at that great time the nation passed the ordeal so successfully that it continues to inspire us today. We use that push that the Chashmonaim gave us, that fire that was lit among our nation, to pass the ordeals of our generation.
And so when we light the lights of Chanukah, we celebrate that nes that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made to demonstrate that no matter how small the amount of oil is, our light is going to last forever because we are willing to live and even to die chas veshalom for Hakadosh Baruch Hu and His Torah.
Of course, it doesn’t mean the fakers, the ones who don’t mean business. If you pass a Reform temple and you see a menorah outside so you get the idea that Chanukah is a Reform temple business too. You could see a menorah in the State of Israel – they celebrate Chanukah too – so you get the idea that Chanukah is a Zionist business too.
No, that’s not the kind of a Chanukah that will be forever. The forever Chanukah is a Chanukah of the soul. The souls were set on fire then, a fire of mesiras nefesh, of ahavas Hashem, and that’s what Chanukah symbolizes – it’s the opposite of the backsliders who don’t mean business.
But we, the frummeh, we know that no matter how few the Jewish nation are, no matter how many fall by the wayside, no matter how dark it seems to be and all around us we see people are yielding to the avodah zarahs of liberalism, of wickedness, of assimilation, we should never despair because that little bit of oil is going to burn forever and ever. That’s a promise that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made to us, that we – those who are still lighting the Chanukah lamps and understand what the light means– will be forever. That’s the promise symbolized by Chanukah.
November 1988
