Page 13 - NHBZ Test

Message from

Rabbi Ze’ev Smason

We will soon begin to celebrate Chanukah, the Festival
of Lights. The content of the most well-known song of
Chanukah - "Maoz Tzur - Rock of Ages" - charts our
voyage through different Jewish experiences in the
Diaspora. After the opening praises to G-d,
succeeding stanzas speak to our exiles with the
Egyptian, Babylonian and Persian empires. The fifth
stanza, "Yevanim Nikbetzu" addresses the holiday of
Chanukah. It describes our battle with the Greeks and
their tempting culture, which ended with the military
victory by the Maccabees as well as the miracle of the
oil in the Temple. Finally, the last stanza calls upon
Hashem to deliver us from our current exile which has
lasted over 2000 years, and to bring comfort to His
people by rebuilding Jerusalem.

The word "Tzur", which refers to G-d, is translated as a
"Rock." A rock symbolizes something solid that one
can lean upon for support. Regardless of the
predicament we find ourselves in, we have a "Rock" to
lean on. The message of Maoz Tzur and of Chanukah
is that no matter the enemy, no matter the
predicament, our "Rock" is there to provide love,