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GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS



 Rabbi David Stav                                                           Rabbi Avraham Shapira zt”l

                                   The Three


                    Foundational Mitzvot





          n Al HaNissim, we say the Greeks   Greek exile, which darkened the eyes
          sought to “violate the laws of Your   of Israel with their decrees and would
      Iwill.” This expression shows that the   say to them: ‘write on the horn of the
       Greeks did not actually fight mitzvah   bull that you have no part in the G-d
       observance, but rather the root of that   of Israel’ and regarding the verse, “And
       observance, the Will of G-d.          behold a great terror of darkness fell
                                             upon him,”  the Midrash explains  that
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       Hence they decreed a ban against      the Greeks fought against the Torah,
       Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and circum-
       cision: “And Antiochus answered and   determined to cause a rift between the   carefully observe it to acclaim the mir-
                                             Torah and the people of Israel.
       said unto his ministers... Let us rise                                     acle, ever praising and thanking G-d
       upon them, and cut  them off from the   Hence the Maccabean victory over   for the miracles He has performed
       covenant which was made for them:     the Greeks was a victory for Torah   for us. Even if one has nothing to eat
       Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and  Mila”      and  Bnei  Torah over the kingdom  of   except what he gets from charity, he
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       (Antiochus 7:11).  The Greeks waged   Greece. Chanukah is therefore a holi-  should borrow, or sell his garment, to
       war precisely against these three mitz-  day of Bnei Torah, which is implied in   buy oil and lamps and light them.” 7
       vot because they are the root of the   two places:
       Torah.                                First, the victory of the Chashmonaim   Why does the Rambam consider
       The Maharal  argues that the first    is hinted upon in the blessing of    lighting Chanukah candles a precious
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                                                                                  mitzvah? The Maggid Mishne explains
       appearance of anything is also the root   Moshe to the tribe  of Levi: “Bless,   that his source is the above Gemara.
       and purpose of the same thing, and    O L-rd, his resources and favor his   In contrast to all the other  mitzvot,
       includes everything about that thing.   undertakings. Smite the loins of his   for which we receive our reward in
       This principle is clearly illustrated in   foes and enemies so they rise no   the World to Come, upon lighting
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       the Torah. The first manifestation of   more.”   Rashi  comments:  “Moshe  saw   the Chanukah candles we receive our
       the Torah is in these three  mitzvot,   that the Chashmonaim would fight the   reward immediately through our chil-
       given even before the Torah was given:   Greeks, and he prayed for them since   dren becoming  talmidei chachamim.
       the mitzvah of circumcision was given   they would be few – 12 Chashmonaim   A direct response to the Greeks’ inten-
       to our Avraham Avinu, the  mitzvah    and  Eleazar  –  against  several  tens   tion to detach Am Yisrael from Torat
       to sanctify the New Moon was given    of thousands.” It is well known that   Yisrael.
       to the Children of Israel in Egypt and   Moshe’s blessing to the tribe of Levi is
       the  mitzvah of Shabbat was given at   guaranteed to all who set themselves   Adapted from “Shiurei HaRav Avraham Sha-
                                                                                  pira on Ketubot and Kiddushin”.
       Marah. All three of these  mitzvot are   apart from the affairs of the world for
       the root and purpose of the Torah, and   the purpose of studying the Torah.
       so the Greeks sought to uproot them   Secondly, it is implied in the Gemara   1   See also Sfat Emet, Miketz 5662, and Chanu-
       all.                                  (Shabbat 23b), when it says, “One who   2   kah, 5647 and 5648.
                                                                                      Netzach Yisrael, 3 and other places.
       The Greeks wanted to disconnect       is  accustomed  to  kindle  lights  will   3   Netzach Yisrael, 3 and other places.
       Israel from the Torah, for with-      be rewarded with children who are    4   Bereishit 15:12.
       out  these foundational  mitzvot,  it  is   Torah scholars.” Rashi explains that   5   Bereishit Rabbah, 44:17.
       impossible to access its depths. They   lights refer to Shabbat and Chanukah   6   Devarim 33:11.
       did not want to destroy the Jews;     candles.                             7   Devarim 33:11
       they wanted to destroy Judaism, the   According to the Rambam: “The
       uniqueness of Am Yisrael. As the Mid-  precept of lighting the  menorah is   Rabbi Avraham Shapira zt”l was the Ashke-
       rash says,  “‘darkness’ refers to the   exceedingly precious, and one should   nazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993.
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               Judaism is about relationships. The Greeks asked, What exists? Jews
               asked, What is the relationship between the things that exist?
               RABBI SACKS                                                                                        |  19
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