Chanukah: Beleiving is not enough
Q: As Christians who are seeking to reconnect to our Jewish roots, we are learning about the Jewish feasts and holidays. What can we, as non-Jews, do to celebrate the holiday of Chanukah?
Michael Caryl, Lake Mary FL
The first step in understanding how to meaningfully observe a holiday is grasping why the day is celebrated to begin with. If, indeed, we were merely commemorating long lasting oil, any falafel stand in Israel would serve as a sufficient memorial. In the distinctive Jewish Chanukah prayer, “Al HaNisim”, the oil is not even mentioned! The true miracle of Chanukah was the victory of the few Jewish Macabbee warriors over the world superpower of Syrian Greeks and their philosophical and spiritual counterparts, the Hellenists.
More than any other holiday, Chanukah encompasses the Jewish walk through history. In Harpers magazine in 1899, Mark Twain observed “The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
The holiday of Chanukah marks the Jewish triumph over natural law. This can be understood in nearly every facet of it observance from the lighting of the oil to the eight days over which the holiday spans. According to Jewish thought, the number eight embodies the transcending of nature. There are seven days in the natural week, and on the eighth day a baby boy is circumcised, elevating his base physical nature and making him a proper receptacle for the spiritual. While there are 7 musical notes, we are taught that when the temple is rebuilt there will be an eight stringed instrument called a sheminith (Psalm 6) which will introduce a new, spiritual note, to the spectrum. Chanukah encapsulates this aspect of the Jewish relationship with G-d reminding us that as his chosen people, we transcend the natural by connecting to our G-d and placing our faith in Him.
It seems like just yesterday when we joyously sat in our booths, on the holiday of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles). On Sukkot we remember the clouds of glory which protected us from the elements and our enemies in the desert when we were completely vulnerable and totally dependent. Sukkot is the holiday that helps us see through the illusions of security and strength, recognizing that our faith must always be with G-d. Chanukah is the holiday that teaches us that our faith is not to be relegated to the realm of abstraction and irrelevance but rather to be acted upon and lived.
The Macabees had no feasible chance of winning the war against Greece. Not only were the Jews dwarfed by the Syrian Greek empire, but only a small remnant revolted under the command of the impractical “militia” of Judah the Macabee and his brothers. These were Jews who not only had faith in G-d, but they risked their lives for that faith. It was no coincidence that Rome banned circumcision, the fundamental covenant of the body and spirit between the Jewish people and G-d, making it a capital offence. This group of warrior Torah scholars understood that any nation that sought to destroy the Jewish people, physically or spiritually, must be overthrown without thought given to “strategic” or “practical” considerations.
This same faith is seen with the lighting of the olive oil. It was clear in the temple that they only had enough pure oil for one day, yet they did not let such a constraint prevent them from their divine service. Just as the Macabees set out to conquer the invincible with perfect faith, the priests of the temple were not dissuaded from lighting the menorah because they only had enough oil for one day. These Jews believe that they must use all of their strength and resources in service of G-d, and let Him do the rest.
Throughout Jewish history we see that our G-d does not grant us victory when we are more numerous than our foes but rather when we are outnumbered and the “odds” are against us. When the Jewish people miraculously overcome our enemies it is a greater sanctification of G-d’s name than when we win do to numbers or weapons. In Chapter 7 of Judges, G-d explicitly orchestrated the reduction of the Jewish army to three hundred soldiers which devastated the Midianite army of 135,000. Those chosen soldiers were not unique in the knowledge or warfare of physical strength, but rather for their fear of G-d and aversion to idolatry and the ways of the nations.
To the Jew, the menorah is a vehicle that we use to publicize the miracle of Chanukah, a commandment known as “Pirsumei Nisa”. During the darkest time of the year, when light is scarce, we strive to bring the clarity of G-d and his miracles to the world. Today, the greatest menorah in the world is the State of Israel which continues to exist despite the wishes and attempts of the Muslim Arab word to destroy her.
The best way for the non-Jew to celebrate Chanukah, in our humble opinion, is to shout the miracle of Israel from the rooftops. Teach about Israel and defend her from those who criticize her. Perhaps, your church or prayer group could hold a rally for Israel in along the streets of your neighborhood. It won’t be easy. It may make you feel uncomfortable. Yet it is precisely that which is difficult that means the most. That is what the holiday of Chanukah comes to teach us – believing is not enough. You must live your belief.
