People wonder whether Chanuka is important, and whether the only reason
Jews make a big deal out of Chanuka is because of Christmas.
It's
true that Chanuka is not like Shabbat, or the biblical festivals like
Pesach or Rosh Hashanah. After all, on Chanuka Jews are permitted to
work and are not expected to attend long services. But the historic
themes of Chanuka are not in any way "minor." In its very origin, the
holiday gets us to think about issues that continue to face Jews who
live in a world dominated by other cultures and powers.
We can
easily see Chanuka as a story of the fight for religious freedom —
against persecution by Antiochus, but also for acceptance in the wider
world governed by Hellenistic ideas and culture.
It's also true
that the Chanuka story begins with debate and disagreement among the
Jews about just how much to open up to Greek and Hellenistic culture.
In the early years after Alexander the Great conquered the Land of
Israel, Jews were allowed to live according to Torah norms, and they
suddenly came into contact with new people from around the empire
created by Alexander. There were Jews who were eager to assimilate
completely, even to the point of masking their circumcision so they
could participate in athletic competitions (back then in the nude).
Jews took on Greek names, Greek styles, and Greek words. From the
Greeks we learned how to turn discussion and debate into the exquisite
art form that seems today so Jewish! (To learn more about this, listen to my recorded talk.)
But
there were also those like the Hasmonean family — Judah Maccabee's
clan — who initially resisted taking on Hellenistic ways. So before
Antiochus lifted a finger against us, there was also tension and
infighting among the Jews.
How American, Western, modern can we
be — how integrated can we be — without losing what makes us
distinctive? That sounds like an American Jewish "December dilemma",
but it's actually what the whole story is about.
The other way
Chanuka is major is in the spiritual symbolism of the candles. The
spread of light, from a single flame to a wide array of fire, is about
hope in all its forms. At the darkest times, when we can hardly find
any light in our lives or our hearts, if we kindle the smallest "cruise
of oil" we might find that there is enough to keep us going. There is
much more to say about that, which I will from the bimah, but it's
something to think about as a meditation as you light candles this year.
Chag Urim Sameach — a joyous festival of lights!
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