Divrei Azriel: Giving thanks to Hashem and maybe to us...
Divrei Azriel: Giving thanks to Hashem and maybe to us...

The following is based on a dvar Torah that I heard from moreinu Rav Aharon Kahn shlita

Whenever a simcha or holiday comes around, it is important to try to realize why we are celebrating, and to whom we are giving thanks. Hanukkah is no exception, and when one analyzes some of the major themes of Hanukkah, one comes to understand a little more about how Hashem and the Congregation of Israel, Klal Yisrael interact with the world.

The Rambam in his Mishna Torah (Hilchos Hanukkah 3:1) writes the following:

 בְּבַיִת שֵׁנִי כְּשֶׁמָּלְכוּ יָוָן, גָּזְרוּ גְּזֵרוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִטְּלוּ דָּתָם, וְלֹא הִנִּיחוּ אוֹתָם לַעְסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְווֹת;וּפָשְׁטוּ יָדָם בִּמְמוֹנָם, וּבִבְנוֹתֵיהֶם; וְנִכְנְסוּ לַהֵיכָל, וּפָרְצוּ בּוֹ פְּרָצוֹת, וְטִמְּאוּ הַטְּהָרוֹת.  וְצַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְאוֹד מִפְּנֵיהֶם, וּלְחָצוּם לַחַץ גָּדוֹל, עַד שֶׁרִחַם עֲלֵיהֶם אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיָּדָם.  וְגָבְרוּ בְּנֵי חַשְׁמֻנַּאי הַכּוֹהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, וַהֲרָגוּם וְהוֹשִׁיעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּדָם; וְהִעְמִידוּ מֶלֶךְ מִן הַכּוֹהֲנִים, וְחָזְרָה מַלְכוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יָתֵר עַל מָאתַיִם שָׁנָה--עַד הֶחָרְבָּן הַשֵּׁנִי.

In [the era of] the Second Temple, the Greek kingdom issued decrees against the Jewish people, [attempting to] nullify their faith and refusing to allow them to observe the Torah and its commandments. They extended their hands against their property and their daughters; they entered the Sanctuary, wrought havoc within, and made the sacraments impure.

The Jews suffered great difficulties from them, for they oppressed them greatly until the God of our ancestors had mercy upon them, delivered them from their hand, and saved them, the sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame [them], slew them, and saved the Jews from their hand.

They appointed a king from the priests, and sovereignty returned to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple.

This passage in the Rambam is difficult. Did Hashem save us, or was it the Hasmoneans? The Rambam isn't clear and doesn't even establish a connection between the two - did one help the other? The simple reading would imply that both deserve equal credit for saving the Jewish people but that can't be true, can it? Only one party can ultimately take credit for saving the Jews; either Hashem did it and we helped, or we did it and Hashem helped.

In order to shed light on this Rambam, I draw on the text from Al Hanisim for both Purim and Hanukkah.

On Purim we say the following:

וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים הֵפַֽרְתָּ אֶת עֲצָתוֹ,

וְקִלְקַֽלְתָּ אֶת מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ,

וַהֲשֵׁבֽוֹתָ לּוֹ גְּמוּלוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ...

On Purim, what are we celebrating and who are we thanking? We make mention of how Hashem in His great mercy delivered us personally from the evils around us. There is no mention of Mordechai or Esther doing anything, although we all know they did amazing things. Al Hanisim demands us to thank Hashem for He really was the one that saved us; He really brought about the salvation.

However, when one looks at the text for Al Hanisim for Hanukkah, we find a different focus:

רַֽבְתָּ אֶת רִיבָם, דַּֽנְתָּ אֶת דִּינָם,

נָקַֽמְתָּ אֶת נִקְמָתָם.

מָסַֽרְתָּ גִּבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים,

וְרַבִּים בְיַד מְעַטִּים,

וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים,

וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים,

וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְֿקֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ.

While the Al Hanisim for Hanukkah invokes Hashem, it also invokes the Hasmoneans. This miracle came at our greatest time of need, Hashem delivered the Greeks- not into the hands of miraculous destruction by fire or through a sudden political shift as in the times of Esther, but rather into the hands of Tzadikim, the Hasmoneans. It was also the courage of the Hasmoneans who rose up in the fact of death and destruction that helped bring about the redemption. It is the amalgamation of both the power of G-d and the bravery of His followers that ushered in a new era for the Jewish people. If the Hasmoneans never had the courage to fight l'shem shamayim(for the sake of Heaven) in the face of a seemingly impossible victory, Hashem would never have brought about a salvation for his people.

Now we can fully understand the text of the Rambam:

עַד שֶׁרִחַם עֲלֵיהֶם אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיָּדָם.  וְגָבְרוּ בְּנֵי חַשְׁמֻנַּאי הַכּוֹהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, וַהֲרָגוּם וְהוֹשִׁיעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּדָם

Until the God of our ancestors had mercy upon them, delivered them from their hand, and saved them, the sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame [them], slew them, and saved the Jews from their hand.

The Rambam gives equal credit to both Hashem and the Hasmoneans for the miracle of Hanukkah. The Rambam isn't saying that G-d was incapable of bringing salvation if not for the Hasmoneans, the Rambam is telling us that Hashem would not have brought salvation were it not for the bravery and religious perseverance of the Hasmoneans. 

This realization is remarkable in that it implies, in my humble opinion, that Hashem has salvation in store for each and every one of us. The question is, do we take the stand when and where there is a need? If we see a need for salvation of any sort, either on a personal or on a global scale, will we fight for what we know is right?

For perhaps, Hanukkah is all about showing us that sometimes salvation is right over the horizon, Hashem just wants us to run over the hill.