Page 15 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

MIZRACHI SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE TORAT MIZRACHI

how would the world look to us if we experience frustration with our heroes
hold a candle in our hand? This is the in Israeli society and are so desperate
purpose of Chanukah: to educate us to find new ones.
to find the light in everything and in
every person, to see reality on a deeper So what is heroism according to the
level, to discover the secret within. Torah? Very simple. The word ה ָ רּוב ְּג
(heroism) comes from the same root as
Rabbi Ya’akov Moshe Charlap explains the word ר ֵּ ב ַּג ְ ת ִ ה ְ ל – to overcome. What do
that we must take this principle from you overcome? Your instincts. And that
Chanukah into the rest of the year: is relevant for each and every one of us,
“These days, the eight days of Chanu- because the war on our instincts is not
kah, which were set as days of praise “I begged my father to let us be like just on the battlefield. It’s in the “Black
and thanks, days of marveling – mar- everyone else. I felt like a Jewish alien Friday” shopping craze, in line at the
veling at the sublimity of every mitz- and was ashamed of who I was. I supermarket and even at home, between
vah, at the majesty of sanctity, these wanted to be a non-Jew with the same us and our children. And yes, it’s also
days are the origin of all the marveling burning desire I had to be a movie about inappropriate sexual behavior.
which we will experience throughout director.” Stories of heroism from the battlefield are
the year. Every marvel which brings necessary for every nation in its infancy,
with it greatness – stems from Cha- We painfully read these words, full but it seems to me the time has come
nukah.” The ability to marvel and be of admiration for Jews throughout to expand the canopy to other types of
excited about every point of light in the generations who kept their iden- heroism in Israeli society.”
the Torah, about every point of light tity with love, despite being a small We sing, say brachot, eat, play
during the year – is like a constant minority within a flashy majority and talk by the light of our Cha-
candle in our hand. culture.
7nukah candles, but taking a
We have returned from our Miz- There is only one Land where the moment to daven by the candles is
rachi shlichut in America. When party and the celebration are all our considered a great thing. Time should
5our shlichut began, we were just own, only one Land that pulsates with be devoted to prayer as well. As the
out of it, especially during the holi- a Jewish rhythm. Learn to appreciate 19th-century Chassidic Rebbe, Israel
days. Over there, it was not our party, it. Friedman of Ruzhyn, said of praying
not our celebration. At the beginning Israeli journalist, Oded Harush, by the candles on the special day, the
of our stay, we saw a pumpkin next to published a text that goes against eighth day of Chanukah: “The same
the front door of almost every house 6the macho perception in Israeli action that the greatest tzaddikim of
and scary costumes. Halloween, nice culture. It‘s worth reading: the generation cannot perform in the
to meet you. Next, turkeys and a mul- Neilah prayer on Yom Kippur, any
titude of invitations to “Thanksgiving “Did you ever think about what Shim- simple Jew can ask and enact in front
Dinner” that reminded us of “Where shon HaGibor or Yehuda HaMacca- of the candles on the eighth day of
will you be going for the Seder?” And bee looked like? Imagine them for a Chanukah.”
then the clerk in our local Target store moment. Rambo? Hercules? There’s a At the end of Chanukah, some
told us: “From Black Friday through reason we imagine our heroes that way. people greet each other with
January 1st, we can only play Christ- When Chanukah was called the “Hol- 8gmar chatima tova! The eighth
mas songs. It’s one of our rules.” We iday of Heroism” over the years, it was candle of Chanukah is considered the
did count a few menorahs displayed in referring to the culture of the spirit. To conclusion of the entire period that
front windows but they were minimal the war on Greek culture. But what is began on Rosh Chodesh Elul, through
compared to the numerous reindeers, left of all this in Israeli culture? Greek Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur,
sleighs and trees. culture, which sanctifies the macho
man. Instead of fighting Greek cul- Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat
Steven Spielberg once said how as a ture, we inadvertently got sucked into Torah. Gmar chatima tova!
child he wanted to decorate his house: it. Instead of expanding the concept of Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir are pop-
“Our house seemed like a black hole in heroism, we reduced it solely to mili- ular Israeli media personalities and World
a neighborhood of light,” he confided. tary courage. No wonder we sometimes Mizrachi’s Scholars-in-Residence.

People do not win respect by insisting on the right to be respected.
Respect is earned: that is what makes it respect.
RABBI SACKS | 15