Torah For Our Times: Hanukkah – Might Or Ethical Right? Read On!

The 8-day celebration of Hanukkah begins Wednesday evening, December 25th.  Though a minor festival on the Jewish calendar, it is celebrated my more Jews than any other Jewish holiday.  Marshall Sklare, credited for being the father of American Jewish sociology, noted several reasons for the popularity of Hanukkah:  1) It has a strong children’s component, 2) it requires little knowledge of specific Jewish ritual (all one needs is an 8-branch menorah and Hanukkah candles), 3) it is celebrated in close proximity to a holiday celebration of the majority culture (in this instance, Christmas), and 4) the home is the central location for observance.  It is notable that none of the above reasons for celebration have anything to do with the significance and meaning of this holiday. The modern day significance of Hanukkah is the connection it creates between the Jew and his/her Judaism.

The historical background and religious meaning of Hanukkah can be confusing.  On one hand, the holiday celebrates the military victory of a small band of Jews-known as the Maccabees-against an army of Syrians in 164 B.C.E.  On the other hand, it celebrates the re-dedication of the ancient Temple and the miracle of a small amount of oil (enough to light the ancient Temple menorah for one day) that lasts eight days.  Some suggest the miracle was the military victory of the few against the many.

After the destruction of the ancient Temple in 70 C.E., followed shortly by the disastrous Jewish revolt against the Romans in 135 C.E., the sages tried to discourage any possibility of future ill-conceived military campaigns.  Rabbi Reuven Hammer notes, “Indeed that fear became enshrined in Jewish law and tradition and resulted in teaching that we should never again try to use human means to restore Jewish independence but must accept the rule of the nations and wait patiently for the Messiah.”  For this reason, the rabbis of the 2nd century defined Hanukkah as a celebration of the miracle of the oil and menorah.  Even the prophetic passage read on Hanukkah from the Book of Zechariah states: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit said the Lord of hosts. (Zech. 4:6)

How does one reconcile conflicting historical and religious explanations for the celebration of Hanukkah?  Is it military might or ethical right that prevails? Rabbi Hammer concludes, “First, there are times when we must fight for our independence and the right to live freely as Jews.  Second, we must not allow military might in and of itself to become the goal of our existence.  Third, ultimately our success depends not alone on might but on right and on the purity of our cause.  And finally, when all is said and done it is God’s spirit and light that prevails in this world and that we are God’s partners in bringing that about.  This is no less a miracle than the cruse of oil.”

Happy Hanukkah!

Rabbi Howard Siegel