This blog, and the light of Torah which it contains, are dedicated the speedy recovery and refuah shelama of ABRAHAM BEN ALTOON, the father of DACON9.  

At the time of the Hanukah story, under the pernicious influence of Hellenism, the Jewish People became so assimilated and materialistic, they failed to see the hand of G-d in the incredible military victory of the heroic band of Hasmonean rebels. It took the miracle of the Menorah to make them realize that just as G-d had kept the tiny cruse of oil burning for eight miraculous days, it was also G-d who had miraculously led the Hasmonean fighters to victory.

The Maccabees - Warriors of Holiness

Certainly the Maccabees were brave, fearless fighters and daring military strategists. But this alone cannot account for their battlefield successes over the largest, most powerful, most mightily-equipped army in the world, a devastating war machine backed by endless warships, a division of elephant-tanks, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. What then was the secret of the Maccabees, triumph? What was the source of the miracle?

At the center of the Greek plan to uproot the Torah from Israel was their strategy to lure the Jews into sexual transgression. The Jewish People's belief that G-d ruled over the physical world, as well as the spiritual, was something that the hedonistic Hellenist culture could not allow. For this reason the Greeks outlawed Brit Milah, the symbol of Israel's holiness and difference from the nations. Simply put, the Greeks did not want the G-d of the Jews interfering in their sexual orgies. Their culture of sexual permissiveness could not tolerate a co-existing culture that condemned sexual sin. So after conquering the Land of Israel, the Greeks set up their brothels in Jerusalem and hung up bright neon signs reading: JEWS ALLOWED.

Greek Olympics

For the majority of Jews, this encounter with a culture that glorified the flesh while lauding the arts and lofty intellectual expression, proved to be too much of a challenge. Young Jewish males stripped off their clothes and rushed to compete in the nude sporting Olympics. Craving to be like the Greeks, the Jewish Hellenists stretched their orlah [foreskins] back over the sign of their Brit, in order to look like their gentile masters. Enraptured by the tantalizing synthesis of Greek intellectuality and unbridled bohemianism, Jews abandoned the synagogue and study halls, adopted Greek names, dressed up in Greek tunics, flocked to Greek theaters, bathed in Greek spas, and drank alongside the "enlightened" foreigners in their pornographic pubs.

The Greeks were not content to merely defile the men. Among the harsh decrees that the Greeks imposed on the Jews, the Rambam mentions the ravaging of Jewish daughters. Before Jewish brides were allowed to marry, they were first forcefully taken to the Greek governor to satisfy his lust.

It is told that Mattityahu's daughter, in bold defiance against this edict, appeared naked before her father and brothers. Enraged, they cried out that she must be killed. "Me, you are ready to kill," she challengingly answered. "But not the wicked Greek occupiers who are polluting all of the daughters of Israel and who have brought this terrible immodesty upon us!" (Ketubot 3b, Midrash Ma'ase Hanukah, Rashi on Yehezkel 21:18, Megilat Ta'anit on Elul 17)

Shaken by the words of his daughter and by the horrible disgrace, Mattityahu and his five sons rose up like lions against the enemies of Israel and G-d. When the Greek governor sent an officer to erect an altar in Modiin and force the Jews to sacrifice upon it, Mattityahu rushed forward to slay him. The "Book of the Maccabees" relates:

"Thus he showed his zeal for the Torah, as Pinchas had done toward Zimri, son of Salu. Then Mattityahu cried out in a loud voice in the town, saying, "Let everyone who is zealous for the Torah and who guards the Brit, follow me!"

In Mattityahu's very first cry to battle lies the secret of Hanukah. First, we must note the comparison to Pinchas, who saved Israel from falling into sexual transgression. Like Pinchas, Mattityahu, was an upholder of the Brit. As Kohen Gadol [High Priest], he was entrusted with guarding the sexual purity of the nation, as it says regarding the Kohanim, "For they have observed Your word and guarded your Brit" (Devarim, 33:10). Zealousness for the Torah and guarding the Brit go hand in hand. Thus Mattityahu's cry to war was, "Let everyone who is zealous for the Torah and who guards the Brit, follow me!" All of the Israelis ere holy warriors, guardians of the Brit.  

The Zohar teaches that as long as Israel is free from sexual transgression no rival nation can rule over them. "Rabbi Elazar said, As long as men remain attached to the Brit and do not lose their control over it, there is no nation nor language in the world that can do them harm" (Zohar, Bereshit 66b).

Guarding the Brit of sexual purity was the secret weapon of the Maccabees. As guardians of the Brit, they were raised up over the normal ways of the world. Rabbi Nachman teaches that their valor and prowess derived from the transcendental holiness of Kedushat HaBrit [holiness of sexual purity]. Their shield in battle was their high level of holiness. Because they ruled over the sexual passion, they were able to shatter the wicked Greek kingdom that deified the gratification of sensual pleasure. Only such exalted heroes of holiness can battle the forces of darkness and win (Likutei Halachot, Hanukah, 3:4).

This is the reason that the Torah portion of Miketz always falls on Hanukah, because it tells how Yosef, in the merit of guarding the Brit by overcoming the temptations of  Potifar's wife, rose to rule over the evil empire of Egypt. "Because Yosef mastered his passion, the forces of evil bowed down before him, and he was made master over the licentious land" (Ibid, 3:7).         

Because of their allegiance to the Brit, the Hasmonean fighters were above the natural world. The Shechinah was with them to lead them in battle. It didn't matter if the Greek army had one hundred thousand soldiers or a million - the Maccabees were fighting on a totally different spiritual and physical level that transcended normal military laws. Thus, Yehuda the Maccabee could proclaim, "There is no difference in the sight of Heaven to save by the many or by the few. Victory in battle does not depend on the size of the army, but rather on the valor that comes from Heaven" (Book of the Maccabees, Part One, 3:18-19).

The basis of this understanding comes from the Torah which states that Israel’s success in battle stems from the holiness of its military camps:

“When you go out to encamp against your enemies, keep yourself away from every evil thing (dvar ra). If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chances by night, then he shall go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp: but it shall be, when evening comes on, he shall bathe himself in water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again... for the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy: that He sees no unclean thing in you, and turn away from you” (Devarim, 23:10-15).

The Torah demands that a military camp in Israel must be free of “every evil thing.” The meaning of “dvar ra” is sexual transgression. Soldiers must even be careful not to think impure thoughts, as the Talmud states: “The Rabbi’s have taught regarding the injunction, ‘V’nishmarta m’kol dvar ra,’ that one should not think about impure things during the day, lest he come to pollute himself (with a nocturnal emission) at night” (Avodah Zara 20B). This is the meaning of “mikre lilah,” in the above cited verse, “uncleanness that chances by night,” which is derived from the word “keri,” meaning an emission of seminal seed. This is also emphasized at the end of the portion regarding a military camp, “therefore your camp shall be holy: that He sees no unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.” The main intention of this verse is to caution one from engaging in sexual fantasies, not to mention forbidden acts. Today it would mean no laptops and cell phones with access to Internet porn.

Why is this concern over modesty so insistent?  

The Torah itself gives us the answer: “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp.” Rabbi Eliezer Melamed explains in his book, “The Nation and the Land,” that the soldiers of Israel are cherished by the Holy One Blessed Be He. His Divine Presence, the Shechinah, watches over them in order “to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you.” The military camp of Israel, what we call Tzahal today, has a holiness similar to that of the Sanctuary, and therefore, soldiers must keep themselves in a sanctify state, just like the Priests who serve in the Temple. If there be sexual wrongdoing in the military camp, God removes His Divine Presence from amongst us, Heaven forbid. The Shechinah abandons the camp, leaving our soldiers without Divine protection and aid. Chazal explain that soldiers are in greater need of Divine assistance, for Satan brings accusations against sinners in times of danger, and therefore, soldiers must be especially cautious in these matters.

The Maccabees upheld this exalted level of kedusha. Please note that brit milah is performed on the eighth day after birth. Thus the Brit is associated with the number eight. The number eight belongs to the world above nature. The musical instrument associated with the days of Mashiach has eight strings, unlike the seven-string harp ordinarily used in the Temple (Arachin 13B).

The Maharal of Prague teaches:

"The workings of the natural world are under the influence of the number seven, because the natural world was created in seven days. Therefore, whatever is beyond the natural world is under the realm of the number eight. A brit milah is beyond nature, since men are naturally born with an orlah, and consequently, it is performed on the eighth day" (Ner Mitzvah, Pg. 23, "Yahadut" Edition).

As everyone knows, after the Maccabees purified the Temple, the miraculous light in the Menorah burnt for eight days, symbolizing that the miracle in the Temple occurred in the merit of the Brit and its guardians who risked their lives to defend it.

Each year when we light the Hanukah lights, we are reminded that in every generation, we are called upon to stand firm against the forces of evil which constantly seek to uproot the Jewish People from the Covenant of sexual holiness which binds us to our G-d, our Torah, and our Land. Today, when spiritual enemies have exported their hedonistic cultures to our shores, and to our homes via the Hellanistic smut on the Internet, in order to insure that the Shechinah remains in our camp, we should all remember that it isn't merely the strength of the army that brings victory, but rather the holiness with which we live our lives.

"You shall keep yourself far away from every evil thing!"

One of the lessons of Hanukah is that something seemingly small and of no value can have a tremendous impact on the world. This was the case with the small cruse of oil which burned for eight days during the sanctification of the Beit HaMikdash after the miraculous military victory of the Macabees over the wicked Greeks. Not only did that little amount of oil last for eight days, its power has kindled the Hanukah menorahs of the Jewish People for thousands of years, giving spiritual fuel to millions and millions of candles, lighting up the darkness of the Greek way of life and its celebration of physical lust and debauchery, to remind mankind that G-d is the One and only true light of the world.

Lighting up the darkness

That small cruse of oil, sealed with the stamp of the holy Kohen HaGadol, is a symbol of Am Yisrael, a small and seemingly insignificant nation amongst the superpowers of the world, whose influence has been a beacon for mankind, lighting up man's primitive materialistic obsessions, teaching that the spiritual life reigns supreme.

So too, each and every Jew, fueled by his, or her, supreme holy soul, possesses a tremendous potential to influence his family, his community, and the world. And just as one small person can have a tremendous impact on the world for good, a single evil person can leave behind a devastating trail of destruction.

It all depends on how a person steers his powers, whether his spark of holiness will shine throughout the ages like the small cruse of oil found in the Temple, or whether it will be the spark of destruction, like the small spark which set all of the Carmel ablaze.

The Brit Milah teaches us to control our passions before they control us.

The Greeks banned brit milah because their depraved and perverted worldview could not tolerate a Divine ideology that demands that the physical world be sanctified, along with its most powerful lusts. The Greeks wanted to celebrate the human body and its unbridled passions, in their brothels, nude Olympics, naked statues, bathhouse orgies, and pantheon of promiscuous gods.

The fire of passion has a place, in the right time and with the proper marital partner, but it must be controlled. The fire of passion, when left unguarded, brings terrible destruction in its wake. Sexual transgression causes the Shechinah to flee, and it returns in revenge as an all-consuming blaze, whether it be a fire that that uproots whole communities, or a fire that engulfs a person caught in the fireball of untempered lust, urging him, or her, on to more and more sexual sin, whether it be adultery, promiscuity, homosexuality, masturbation, or an addiction to Internet porn.

If you don't have an Internet filter, get one before its too late!

Mattityahu and his sons were holy warriors, guardians of the Brit, and it was through their transcendental holiness that they were able to overcome the brute material force of the Greeks, rise above the laws of nature, and become the “wicks” for the miracles in battle which G-d wrought for them, bringing the light of the spiritual into the world and illuminating the darkness which the Greeks wanted to spread over the globe with their unholy hedonistic culture.

So, if you don’t already have a filter on your computer, get one. Don’t let the culture of the Greeks dominate your life. Brush up once again on the laws of proper marital relations. Be your own fireman and put out the fire before you destroy yourself and your surroundings in a blaze that all the fire-fighting airplanes in the world won’t be able to extinguish.

Not all the airplanes in the world...

Have a Happy and Holy Hanukah!                  

Every child in the Diaspora knows the difference. But when they get older, I suppose they forget.

Every child knows the difference.

In the Diaspora, the Hebrew letters on a dreidel are Nun, Gimmel, Hey, Shin. “A great miracle happened THERE.”

In Israel, the letters on the dreidels are Nun, Gimmel, Hey, Peh. “A great miracle happened HERE.”

That says it all.

Happy Hanukah!

Twas the night before Hanukah, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The latkes were laid out on the table with care,
In hopes that Moshiach soon would be there.

Twas the night before Hanukah

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my yarmulka cap,
Had just settled into bed for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of midday to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Moshiach.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Who is it? Who is it?” my wife wanted to know.
“Moshiach,” I told her, trembling with fear.
“Wake the children!” I urged. “Hurry and hide them! Don’t stall!”
“Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

“He’s come to take us away to the Land of Israel,” I said.
“Isn’t that what we pray for?” she asked, her faced flushed and red.
“What?! And give up all that we have? Are you nuts?!”
“Hide the kids in the basement. Now! Without any buts!”

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I crawled under the bed, and was turning around,
Down the chimney Moshiach came with a bound.

"Holy creepers! It's really him!"

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Jews he had flung over his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

My heart was beating so fast, I thought I’d have an attack!
As he went about, looking for Jews he could put in his sack.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

“Wake up! Wake up from your slumber!” he called.
If you don’t come now, you’re gonna be mauled!”
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl of gefilta-fish jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
But I peed in my pants in spite of myself!
“You’ll all be sorry!” he called, shaking his fist.
Then, with a grunt, I saw him cross our names off his list.

“You forgot to place Jerusalem above your highest joy.”
“So your children will grow up to marry some goy.”
“You had your chance, but I can’t waste my time and delay.”
“Stay here with your bagels and money and continue to pray.”

He spoke nothing more, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings with falafel balls, then turned with a jerk.
And holding up his finger by his big Jewish nose,
He gave a nod, and up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy exile to all, and to all a good-night!"