Page 19 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

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?
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