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Torat HaMizrachi

Rabbi Doron Perez

CHURCHILL

AND THE

Hasmonean Spirit

n August 20th, 1940, Winston One Man, One Family extinguished. They displayed an almost
Churchill, the newly elected superhuman courageousness and faith
O British Prime Minister, made Our Sages describe the Chanukah story in the face of impossible political and
a speech to the British Parliament in as the victory of “the few against the military odds. They rebelled against the
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the midst of the Battle of Britain, soon many.” Indeed, one man, Matityahu harsh decrees of the Seleucid Greek King
after the swift fall of France. Hitler the Priest, and his five sons: Yehuda, Antiochus Epiphanes, who threatened
was attempting to gain supremacy by Shimon, Yochanan, Elazar and Yonatan to uproot every last vestige of Torah
destroying the Royal Air Force (RAF), – one small priestly family known as the observance and Jewish custom. This
employing massive aerial bombing, Hasmoneans – changed the course of small group of believers grew in number,
and launching a land invasion of Jewish history forever. sparked a revolution, revived a Jewish
the British Isles. This would give political sovereign state, brought cultural
him total domination over Europe. The events took place 2,300 years ago independence to Judea, rededicated
yet continue to echo into eternity. It
About 2,500 RAF pilots heroically the Temple in Jerusalem and removed
defended Britain during those months was a time of Greek world domination, all traces of idolatry. They succeeded
and somehow managed to hold off global acculturation and the assimilation in not only stemming the tide, but in
and repel the German onslaught. of the citizens of conquered nations reinvigorating the Jewish people’s belief
and minorities throughout the Empire. in themselves and in G-d, enabling them
In his famous speech to the British Judea, the Jewish province, was no to overcome the military, political and
Parliament, Churchill declared: “Never in exception. The Jewish people were in cultural onslaught of the world's leading
the field of human conflict was so much owed grave danger of losing their national superpower.
by so many to so few.” These courageous and spiritual identity and, G-d forbid, Sadly, Matityahu died only a few months
pilots became popularly known as ‘The vanishing as a distinct culture from the after the rebellion began: “And the days of
Few.’ stage of human history.
Matityahu drew near…
We can also say this about Chanukah Had this small Hasmonean family not
and the Hasmoneans. Never in the placed its finger into the dike, standing
1 Al Hanissim prayer we say in the Amidah and
struggle for Jewish survival was so firm against the raging waters of cultural
much owed by so many to so few. assimilation, the flame of Torah and in Grace after Meals.
They are the ‘The Few’ of our people. Jewish destiny may very well have been Continued on page 4

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