Page 47 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

HOLIDAY READING

Rabbi Azarya Berzon Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky

The War or the Oil?

he Chanukah story seems to be said, “Take note – do you see this mitzvah of thanking G-d, just as the
predicated on two miracles – manifest miracle of the oil? Good. original miracle of the oil was a means
Tthe overt miracle of the oil that Now take notice of the huge miracle of drawing attention to the possibly
burnt for eight days instead of one and that I just did for you in winning the overlooked Hand of G-d in the bat-
the less obvious miracle of the military war.” tles.
victory by a small group of priestly Common wisdom contrasts Purim
irregulars defeating the professional
army of the Seleucid Greeks. Which with Chanukah in that the latter cele-
are we celebrating on Chanukah – the brates an open miracle and the former
oil, the war, or both? a hidden miracle. It seems that in real-
ity, Chanukah is also about a miracle
On the one hand, the liturgical texts that was not obvious to all and G-d
instituted by Chazal mention only the needed to direct our attention for all
military victory. Thus, in Al HaNissim to see.
it says, “You delivered the strong into
the hands of the weak, the many into This point takes on added signifi-
the hands of the few, etc.” It concludes cance when one notes the oil miracle
th
with “Your children came to the Holy occurred on the 25 of Kislev, thereby
of Holies of Your house, cleansed Your Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Hal- confirming that a military victory had
Temple… and kindled lights in the ichot Shlomo 16:9) similarly says that already taken place by that point, suf-
Courtyard…” It mentions lighting the the primary rabbinic enactment is to ficient for the Jews to declare inde-
Menorah and yet omits the miracle light candles to acknowledge the great pendence and establish an annual
of the oil. On the other hand, the pri- miracles G-d performed for our ances- holiday. This is remarkable consid-
mary mitzvah established by Chazal tors in the military victory. He con- ering that the war was far from over
is lighting a menorah, with certain tinues by explaining that the primary and continued for several more years.
aspects modeled on the lighting in aspect of the mitzvah is that during That is similar to the US Declaration
the Mikdash. And when the Gemara the lighting, one should have in mind of Independence on July 4, 1776, with
(Shabbat 21b) famously asks ה ָּ כּונ ֲ ח יא ַ מ, to praise and thank G-d for the mili- the war to rage on for several more
“What is Chanukah?” it answers about tary miracles. years.
the miracle of the oil. So what are we The miracle of the oil should be a
celebrating? In a surprising application of this, the beacon telling the Jewish people to be
Sha’ar HaTziyun (676:3) quotes the
The Maharal explained that a miracle Meiri’s suggestion that a person who on the lookout for other such occur-
that ‘merely’ enabled the fulfillment of will not be able to light nor see another rences. Other wars whose victories
a mitzvah does not warrant the estab- person’s lights should make the bracha only make sense if we see the Hand of
lishment of a holiday. Only a miracle of םי ִּ סִנ ה ָ ׂש ָ ע ֶ ׁש and think about the mir- G-d in them. And even if those wars
which provides salvation justifies or acles! Similarly, a person for whom his have not concluded with an everlast-
even necessitates annual praise and family lights on his behalf should still ing peace, and the state of war persists,
thanks to G-d. If that is the case, what think about the miraculous military the holiday of Chanukah established
was the purpose of the miracle of victory. by our holy ancestors alerts us to the
the oil? The Maharal suggests it was obligation to thank G-d for those vic-
not obvious to all that the war was a Thus, our lighting of the candles is a tories even as we are still fighting on.
miraculous victory. By causing the oil means of publicizing, to others and to Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky is a Professor of
to burn for eight nights, G-d was pro- ourselves, the miracle of the military Neuroscience as well as a tour guide in Ir
viding a huge billboard that essentially victory. It is a ה ָ ו ְ צ ִ מ ר ֵ ׁש ְ כ ֶ ה for the main David.

A blessing is an expression of the miracle of simple things.
RABBI SACKS | 47