THE
STORY OF CHANUKAH
How a small band of Jewish renegades took on the Syrian-Greek
army.
Under
the Hellenist Rule
When the Greeks conquered the world, they brought with them their
highly developed Hellenistic culture - the philosophies of Plato
and Aristotle, the multitude of Greek gods and goddesses, and
the worship of the physical. At first, the Greeks were peaceful
rulers, luring Jews to their culture by inviting them in and being
open to searching the wisdom of Judaism. In the year 199 B.C.E.,
however, the land of Judea, which had been under the control of
the Ptolemies (Greeks ruling from Egypt), was conquered by the
Seleucids (Greeks ruling from Syria).
The Syrian-Greeks did not feel that it was appropriate for the
Jews, now their subjects, to maintain their own national culture.
By now, they felt, the Jews should have seen the error of their
"primitive" ways and grasped the "far more advanced" Hellenistic
culture with open arms...and many did. The majority of Jews, however,
maintained the heritage of their ancestors, incorporating some
Hellenistic activities, but remaining faithful to the Torah.
The Syrian-Greeks tried to force the Jews to assimilate. The study
of Torah became a capital crime. If a parent was found to have
circumcised an infant son, both the parent and child were put
to death. The Syrian-Greeks set up idols in town squares and called
the Jews to the square and forced them to bow to the statue or
sacrifice a pig before it. They even forced Jewish brides before
their marriage to sleep with the local Syrian-Greek commander.
Their campaign against Judaism began slowly, but by 168 B.C.E.
they had desecrated the Holy Temple by setting a statue of Zeus
in the main plaza.
The
Maccabees Arise
In the town of Modiin, west of Jerusalem, lived a man named Mattitiyahu
(Mattithias). He was from the Hasmonean family, which is one of
the branches of the Kohanim (priests). In 167 B.C.E., Syrian-Greek
soldiers came to the town and demanded that the Jews sacrifice
a pig to one of their gods. Knowing that Mattitiyahu was considered
a righteous leader, they signaled him out. But Mattitiyahu refused
to sacrifice the animal, even under threat of death. Not all the
Jews of Modiin were so brave and devoted. When one of his fellow
townsmen stepped forward and volunteered to sacrifice the pig,
Mattitiyahu, outraged at the treacherous act, grabbed a sword
and slew the heretic. Mattitiyahu's sons joined him and they attacked
the soldiers, decimating the force by the end of the day. Needless
to say, Mattitiyahu and his sons fled Modiin and took refuge in
the hills. While Mattitiyahu began the revolt, he did not live
to see its end. After his passing, within a year of the start
of the revolt, the leadership was taken up by his son Judah, a
valiant soldier and a wise tactician. In the hill, Judah gathered
a band of Jewish freedom fighters who were prepared to fight for
the Jewish way of life. They became known as the Maccabees.
The
Joy of Victory
Under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, the Jews led a guerilla
war to free their nation, their primary goal being to cleanse
Jerusalem and the Holy Temple from the pagan idols desecrating
it.
It was a challenging fight, with the vast power, might and numbers
on the side of the Syrian-Greeks. But the Jews had a steadfast
will and the knowledge that they were fighting for G-d and Torah.
In 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees succeeded in retaking the Temple.
They were aghast, however to find that the soldiers had thoroughly
rampaged and desecrated the holy site.
The Jews immediately set to work removing statues, scrubbing the
altar, and the many tasks necessary to rededicate the Temple.
On the southern side of the sanctuary stood the grand, golden
Menorah, but there was no oil with which to light it. As the Jews
cleansed the Temple they searched for an unopened jar of pure
oil. When all seemed lost, however, one small jar, with its seal
still in tact, was found. The Jews rejoiced and hurried to the
Menorah to rededicate the Temple.
One small jar of oil...It would take another week for a fresh
jar of pure olive oil to be made. The Jews were in a quandary.
Do they light the Menorah and let it fizzle out while they waited
for more oil, or do they wait and use the oil the day before the
new oil will arrive, in order to keep the flame continuous. Not
wanting to put off the mitzvah, they decided to light the Menorah
– and the miracle of Chanukah occurred. Despite the small quantity
of oil, THE MENORAH REMAINED LIT FOR THE ENTIRE EIGHT DAYS, announcing
to the world that G-d's presence once again resided in the Temple.
