Reflecting on the Maccabees victory

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

SAN DIEGO –The Talmud tells us that after the Greeks were defeated and expelled from the Land of Israel, the Maccabees entered the Temple and removed all of the pagan idols that had been placed there. They cleaned the Temple and rededicated it to the worship of God.

The Talmud adds that when it came time to relight the Menorah – the seven branched candelabra which provided light each evening – the Maccabees only found only enough oil to burn for one night. Even though it would take seven more days to manufacture new consecrated oil, they decided that one night was better than none and lit the Menorah.

Tradition has it that a miracle occurred. Instead of lasting for only one night, the small amount of oil the Maccabees found kept the Menorah burning for eight nights. One of the reasons we celebrate Chanukah for eight days is because of the miracle of the oil.

When we think about the miracle of Chanukah we usually associate it with the oil that lasted for eight days. However, there was also a miracle that occurred before the Temple was rededicated: the victory of the Maccabees, of the few over the many.

The Greeks had a well-trained and ferocious army. They were professional soldiers who had conquered much of the known world. The Maccabees, on the other hand, were a ragtag group of irregulars and amateurs. They were not well-trained or supplied. They were much fewer in number, and yet they prevailed.

In addition to being challenged by the Greeks, the Maccabees were also challenged by their own countrymen. Not all of the Jews living in Palestine wanted to fight the Greeks. Some Jews wanted to assimilate and adopt Hellenistic culture. Other Jews declined to participate in what they thought would be fighting a losing battle. The Maccabees had to inspire and convince their brothers and sisters that might must not be allowed to prevail over right. Those with less strength and ability can be victorious if they have the courage of their convictions.

Jewish survival itself can be seen as a miracle. If you would have predicted Jewish survival based on the history of other ancient civilizations, by now there should be no Jews left. Today the ancient Greeks are no more while we Jews are here to stay.

There are many theories that try to explain Jewish survival, but I like to think that we have survived because of the righteousness of our cause: Jews exist as witness to God’s existence and God’s love for the world. We assert that the world can be a better place if everyone followed God’s will.

The Maccabees prevailed because they fought for the right of a people to be different, to govern themselves, and to worship God as they pleased. As long as we follow in their footsteps by embracing the lessons of our tradition, living them and teaching them to others, we will not only survive but survive with meaning and purpose

Tonight (Friday, Dec. 19) we light the fourth candle of Chanukah (make sure you light the Chanukah candles before the Shabbat candles!)

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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego.  Your comments on this article may be placed in the box below or sent directly to the author at leonard.rosenthal@sdjewishworld.com