Humble Opinions

For one who thinks about the Jewish holiday Chanuka, there are a few obvious questions: What exactly are Jews celebrating, and why do they celebrate it? If you’re a history buff, you’ll answer the holiday is a commemoration of the Maccabean revolt successfully repelling the Syrian Greek army of Antiochos Epiphanes in the year 170 BCE. But I’ve got news for you - the fighting did not end there. There were battles for years that followed the events of Chanuka. And another thing, the Greeks did not declare a holocaust decree against the Jews. The Greeks felt the Jews were standing in the way of “the future” - namely, the progressive philosophy, architecture, and beauty their society was trying to bring to the world. The Greeks never attempted to wipe out the Jews.

Furthermore, do you know how many thousands of mini-battles the Jews have won in their history? Why don’t Jews celebrate their victory over the Amaleki army that occurred shortly after their exodus from Egypt? Why not their miraculous conquer of the city of Jericho? If anything, we should at least celebrate the 1976 Raid on Entebbe. That was quite a victory in my opinion.

So the question stands: what is so special about Chanuka?

First, we need to make a distinction. There is an enormous difference between non-Jewish holidays, and Jewish holidays. Non-Jewish holidays are celebrations to recall earlier events that coincidentally happened on the same day of the calendar that Pope Gregory XIII created in 1582 - a nice coincidence indeed. Jewish holidays are something entirely different.

A fundamental Jewish belief is that the physical world as perceived by us humans is merely a manifestation of a spiritual dimension. Thus, when a person smiles at you, and it makes you feel happy, you are not actually feeling that joy as a result of the other person reshaping their mouth into a U-shape. Rather, that U-shape is a representation of a deeper essence that cannot be clearly defined in the physical dimension of the universe. But we already knew that.

Now let’s expand that concept to time. Time is not a method of accounting. Time actually has personality to it. Winter feels different than Summer. Spring feels different than Fall. Thus, time carries with it specific energies that enable a person to better accomplish certain things at certain times. That is why in the Jewish calendar, we have set periods of judgment, periods of mourning, periods of great striving, etc. Jewish holidays are not merely celebrations. They are opportunities.

So what’s the deal with Chanuka?

Chanuka is a prime example of the Jewish situation in the world. One of the first things the Greeks occupying the Land of Israel banned was circumcision of male babies. They felt it was a defilement of the human body, which was naturally perfect and beautiful. Greek culture also promoted public nudity, and the beautification of the human body (hence their art). This stance was entirely opposed to Jewish thought, which believes true beauty comes from within, and as a result of refinement of one’s self.

The Greeks did not deny the existence of god. But they gave their gods human attributes. Greek gods were womanizers, murderers, and had all the failings a human being could have. This was a diametrically opposite view of the world than the Jews had. Thus, the battle between the Jews and the Greeks was something far deeper than an exchange of firepower - or whatever weapons were cutting edge back then. It was a conflict of stance.

Where are the Greeks today? Modern day Greece has no connection to ancient Greece, and Greek philosophy can be found for the most part in whatever book has collected the most dust. Did the Jews win a guerrilla warfare battle? Yes, but that is not what Jews celebrate. Jews celebrate their everlasting view of the world, their mission to uplift it spiritually, and the fact that no empire or madman has yet to extinguish them.

And I’ve got some bad news for Mahmoud Ahmedinejad: You’re going to lose, trust me.

Happy Chanuka!

Tags: chanuka, hanuka

Posted by admin under Jewish |