Our sages, in setting out to provide the rationale for the Chanukah holiday, teach:
"When the Greeks entered the Temple, they contaminated all the oil there. When the Hasmoneans overpowered and defeated them, they searched and found only one urn of oil with the stamp of the High Priest. It contained only enough to light the Temple candelabra for one day. Yet a miracle occurred and its light lasted eight days. The next year, they established this time as a holiday with praise and thanks to G-d." (Shabbat 21b)
The miracle of the Hasmonean military victory over the Greeks is mentioned incidentally - but the main miracle was the fact that the oil, despite its small quantity, continued to burn for eight days. The purpose of the rebellion of Matityahu and his sons was chiefly spiritual, cultural and religious. The miracle of the light expresses the purpose of the rebellion, showing all of mankind that the light of Israel cannot be extinguished. It also testifies for all mankind that the Divine Presence resides amongst the Jewish People forever and ever (Shabbat, ibid.). Moreover, despite the numerous attempts over thousands of years by the various sons of darkness to extinguish the light of Israel, their plot shall not succeed.
In our own day as well, attempts are being made to snuff out the light of Israel. For over a generation, the Arabs have been fighting us and the nations of the world have been pressuring us with the goal of driving us out of the land of our life's blood. They think that they shall thereby snuff out the light of Israel; it will never be! In the war of the sons of light against the sons of darkness, we shall win.
Matityahu and his sons were full of strong faith in the justness of their cause. They managed to unite and to fight valiantly against the Greeks and the Jewish Hellenists, who set out to blur Israel's identity by forcing it to adopt their culture and to turn to idolatry. We, as well, in our own generation, need to know and to recognize that our ability to unite, and to become stronger and to stand up to our enemies and those who pressure us, will increase the more we manage to provide the Jewish People with an awareness of our essence and identity. They must know and recognize that we are a nation for the world, a nation whose purpose it is to bring the world the light of love and faith, the light of Torah and mitzvot: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light." (Proverbs 6:23. See Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Orot).
The time has come raise the flag and not to be afraid to say to ourselves and to the whole world that we are a nation for the whole world, rising up to rebirth in our land, with the goal of bringing light to the world and of bringing to fruition the divine promise to Abraham: "Go forth... to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation... and you shall be a blessing.... And all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you." (Genesis 12) We have to know how to teach and educate others to be aware that we are the people lovingly chosen by G-d from amongst all the nations to bestow His light upon all mankind.
"When the Greeks entered the Temple, they contaminated all the oil there. When the Hasmoneans overpowered and defeated them, they searched and found only one urn of oil with the stamp of the High Priest. It contained only enough to light the Temple candelabra for one day. Yet a miracle occurred and its light lasted eight days. The next year, they established this time as a holiday with praise and thanks to G-d." (Shabbat 21b)
The miracle of the Hasmonean military victory over the Greeks is mentioned incidentally - but the main miracle was the fact that the oil, despite its small quantity, continued to burn for eight days. The purpose of the rebellion of Matityahu and his sons was chiefly spiritual, cultural and religious. The miracle of the light expresses the purpose of the rebellion, showing all of mankind that the light of Israel cannot be extinguished. It also testifies for all mankind that the Divine Presence resides amongst the Jewish People forever and ever (Shabbat, ibid.). Moreover, despite the numerous attempts over thousands of years by the various sons of darkness to extinguish the light of Israel, their plot shall not succeed.
In our own day as well, attempts are being made to snuff out the light of Israel. For over a generation, the Arabs have been fighting us and the nations of the world have been pressuring us with the goal of driving us out of the land of our life's blood. They think that they shall thereby snuff out the light of Israel; it will never be! In the war of the sons of light against the sons of darkness, we shall win.
Matityahu and his sons were full of strong faith in the justness of their cause. They managed to unite and to fight valiantly against the Greeks and the Jewish Hellenists, who set out to blur Israel's identity by forcing it to adopt their culture and to turn to idolatry. We, as well, in our own generation, need to know and to recognize that our ability to unite, and to become stronger and to stand up to our enemies and those who pressure us, will increase the more we manage to provide the Jewish People with an awareness of our essence and identity. They must know and recognize that we are a nation for the world, a nation whose purpose it is to bring the world the light of love and faith, the light of Torah and mitzvot: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light." (Proverbs 6:23. See Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Orot).
The time has come raise the flag and not to be afraid to say to ourselves and to the whole world that we are a nation for the whole world, rising up to rebirth in our land, with the goal of bringing light to the world and of bringing to fruition the divine promise to Abraham: "Go forth... to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation... and you shall be a blessing.... And all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you." (Genesis 12) We have to know how to teach and educate others to be aware that we are the people lovingly chosen by G-d from amongst all the nations to bestow His light upon all mankind.