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Eight Thoughts for Chanukah

Inspired by Faith, We Can Change had faith that something would have The First Clash of Civilizations
the World survived. The miracle of the first night Chanukah is about one of the first great
When Israel was under Greek rule, was that of faith itself, the faith that clashes of civilizations, between the
Antiochus decided to force the pace of something would remain with which to Greeks and the Jews. The ancient Greeks
Hellenization, setting up a statue of Zeus begin again. produced one of the most remarkable
in the Temple and forbidding Jews to civilizations of all time, yet they were
practice their religion. So it has always been in Jewish history. defeated by the Maccabees. Mighty
Jews gathered what remained, rebuilt Greece went into rapid decline while the
This was too much to bear, and a group our people, and lit a light that tells tiny Jewish people survived every exile
of Jews, the Maccabees, fought for their us, and the world, of the power of the and persecution and are still alive and
religious freedom, winning a stunning human spirit to overcome every tragedy well today.
victory against the most powerful army and refuse to accept defeat. From
of the ancient world. After three years the burning bush to the lights of the What was the difference? The Greeks,
they reconquered Jerusalem, rededicated Menorah, Judaism is humanity’s “ner who did not believe in a single, loving
the Temple and relit the Menorah with tamid,” an everlasting light that no power G-d, gave the world the concept of
the one cruse of undefiled oil they found can extinguish. tragedy. We strive, we struggle, at times
among the wreckage. we achieve greatness, but life has no
Chanukah in Our Time
As we say in our prayers, it was a victory In 1991, I lit Chanukah candles with ultimate purpose. The universe neither
knows nor cares that we exist.
of the few over the many, the weak over Mikhail Gorbachev, former President
the strong. It’s summed up in a line from of the Soviet Union. For 70 years, the Ancient Israel gave the world the idea of
the prophet Zechariah: “not by might practice of Judaism had been banned in hope. We are here because G-d created
nor by strength but by my spirit says communist Russia. The Germans had us in love, and through love we discover
the Lord”. The Maccabees had neither sought to kill Jews; the Russians tried to the meaning and purpose of life.
might nor strength, neither weapons kill Judaism.
nor numbers. But they had a double Judaism and its culture of hope survived,
portion of the Jewish spirit that longs for Gorbachev had realized that the Soviet and the Chanukah lights are the symbol
freedom and is prepared to fight for it. system was unworkable. Communism had of that survival; of Judaism’s refusal
brought not freedom and equality, but to jettison its values for the glamour,
Inspired by faith, a handful of dedicated repression and a police state. In the end it immediacy and prestige of secular
people showed they could change the collapsed, and Jews regained the freedom culture. Then and now.
world. So, today, can we. to practice Judaism and to go to Israel.
A candle may seem a small thing but
The Light of the Spirit Never Dies After we had lit the candles together, the very survival of a civilization may
For eight nights we light lights, and Gorbachev asked me what we had just depend on it.
make the blessing over miracles: she- done. I told him these lights were the
asah nissim la-avotenu. But what was the symbol of regained Jewish freedom after The Light of War and the
miracle of the first night? The light that the public practice of Judaism had been Light of Peace
should have lasted one day lasted eight. banned by the Greeks. “70 years ago,” There is a very moving and profound law
There was something miraculous about I said, “Jews suffered the same loss of about Chanukah. Maimonides writes that
days 2-8 but nothing miraculous about freedom in Russia, and now you have ‘the command of Chanukah lights is very
the first day. helped them regain it. You too have precious. One who lacks the money to buy
become part of the Chanukah story.” lights should sell something, or if necessary
There was no reason to suppose that borrow, to be able to fulfil the mitzvah.’
anything would have survived the The Chanukah story still inspires, telling
Greeks’ systematic desecration. Yet the not just us but the world that freedom, But what if, on Friday afternoon, you find
Maccabees searched and found that one with G-d’s help, will always win the final yourself with only one candle? Do you
jar. Why did they search? Because they battle. light a Shabbat candle or a Chanukah

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