Page 46 - HaMizrachi Chanukah 2021 - USA

What Is Chanul<ah?

Rabbi Shaul Feldman

T he Gemara (Shabbat 21b) asks: will not be delivered into your hands.' vines, figs and pomegranates, a land

"What is Chanukah, and why
are lights kindled on Chanu- The following day ... they sent up a pig to of olive oil and honey"' (Berachot
them. Once the pig reached halfway up
41a). As the word Bretz (land) appears
kah?" According to Rashi, the wall, it inserted its hooves into the twice, the foods stated closest to Bretz
the Gemara asks: o~ il!'l5 ':i~ - il;_)Ut) 'I-tr] wall and Eretz Yisrael shuddered 400 - wheat and olive oil - have the greatest
QH'~i?, "Which miracle was responsible for parasangs. When the Sages saw this, significance.
the establishment of Chanukah?" Was it they said: Cursed is the person who
the victory in the war over the Greeks raises pigs, and cursed is the person In Jewish thought, wheat symbolizes
or the miracle of the oil lasting for eight who teaches his son Greek wisdom." physical sustenance, while olive oil
days? represents spiritual nourishment.
Take note of the names in this story; "Man does not live on bread alone, but
The Gemara answers that the miracle they are Greek. Only an elder familiar man may live on anything that the L-rd
of the oil is the basis for the mitzvah of with Greek wisdom was able to speak decrees" (Devarim 8:3). Wheat is not
Chanukah candles. This is a surprising with them! Is this what became of enough; man also requires spiritual
answer, particularly when Chanukah the courageous Chashmona'im who nourishment, represented by olive
is compared to Purim. The Gemara rebelled against the Greeks' persecu- oil. In Eretz Yisrael the physical and
(Megillah 14a) explains why the Rabbis tion of our people? spiritual live together hand in hand;
were allowed to establish a new ritual both wheat and olive oil follow the
In light of this troubling story, perhaps
of reading the Megillah on Purim: "If, word Bretz, indicating their intended
when recalling the Exodus from Egypt, in the Gemara's question according to symbiosis.
Rashi is: Why was the holiday of Chanukah
which the Jews were delivered from slavery
to freedom, we recite songs of praise ... then, established altogether? Two hundred years The dual miracle of Chanukah - vic-
after the revolt of the Chashmona'im, the tory in war and the miracle of the oil
in order to properly commemorate G-d's
Jewish people are immersed in Hellenistic - was a high moment in Jewish his-
delivering us from death to life on Purim,
must we not all the more so sing G-d's praise culture. Did a lasting miracle actually occur? tory, when our people achieved both
by reading the Megillah?" Addressing this point, Rabbi Eliezer physical and spiritual success. But the
Chashmona'im dynasty's commitment
The Gemara teaches that saving lives is Waldenberg asks why the Hebrew to Jewish culture and identity could
of utmost significance and can surely word keva'um - "they established" - not withstand the powerful currents of
be the basis for the establishment of is used only regarding Chanukah but Hellenistic culture. The same dynasty
a rabbinic mitzvah. Why, then, do we not Purim. Ramban explains that the that fought to maintain the Jewish
not use the same reasoning regarding Chashmona'im, who were not from future ultimately lost sight of the
the mitzvah of Chanukah candles? The King David's royal line, should not have significance of the spirit, and tried to
Chashmona'im miraculously defeated assumed the kingship of the Jewish live on bread alone. And so the Rabbis
the mighty Greek army, saving many people after defeating the Greeks. established the holiday of Chanukah
Jewish lives. Why is this not the basis Rabbi Waldenberg argues that this as an eternal reminder that maintain-
for the mitzvah of Chanukah? may cast the legitimacy of Chanukah
into doubt, and so Chanukah required ing our Jewish identity must never be
The Gemara (Berachot 41a) tells a story taken for granted, that "olive oil" is as
a stronger rabbinic "establishment."
about the Chashmona'im kings which important as bread.
This is why the Gemara states that the
occurred 200 years after the Chanukah
miracle of the oil is the primary reason We are fortunate to live in a generation
miracle: "When the kings of the Chash- for observing Chanukah.
mona'im monarchy besieged each when the people of Israel are flourish-
other, Hyrcanus was outside of Jerusa- Olive oil is very significant in Torah ing, both physically and spiritually,
lem and Aristobulus was inside ... Acer- thought. Regarding the order of bless- in the Land of Israel. More than 2,000
tain elder was there who was familiar ings on foods, the Gemara states: "Each years after the age of the Chashmo-
na'im, our people are finally succeeding
with Greek wisdom. He communicated food whose significance is manifest in
to those on the outside ... using words that it precedes the others in this verse, in living the ideal of Torah va'Avodah!
understood only by those proficient which sings the praises of Eretz Yisrael,
in Greek wisdom: 'As long as they are takes precedence over the other ... , as it Rabbi Shaul Feldman is the Executive Director
engaged in the Temple service, they is stated: 'A land of wheat and barley, of Bnei Akiva of the us and Canada.

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