There’s nothing quite like the cozy comfort of watching the Chanukah candlelight grow brighter over eight successive nights. The dreidels spin, the children busily amass their gold-foiled chocolate winnings, and the scent of frying latkes fills the home.
It’s a uniquely Jewish snapshot of happiness.
Yet this Chanukah comes at a troubled time. Wars in distant lands, looming threats of terror at home and abroad cause endless unrest. Here at home budget cuts, unemployment and unconscionable gridlock in Washington have become sources of daily frustration.
And as the international Climate Summit convening in Copenhagen this week underscores, we inhabit a fragile planet. Our survival — as well as that of every other species — could hang in the balance.
With so much to fret about, thankfully Chanukah has come along to remind us that miracles do happen.
We are reminded of the miracle of the lamp oil. Seemingly just enough to last one day, it burned a full eight days, illuminating the rededicated Temple. We also recount the miracle of a band of Jewish freedom fighters defeating a mighty army and reclaiming their Holy City.
Let’s dwell for a moment on that latter miracle. It turns out the battles fought and won by Judah the Maccabee and his men were textbook cases of brilliant military strategy.
Around 167 BCE, Judah lured the lumbering and vastly more numerous Greek army into a trap in the mountains between Modi’in and Jerusalem.
Knowledgeable of the terrain, Judah split his troops into several groups on either side of the hills overlooking a narrow pass. There, they launched first one surprise attack against the Greeks, then another and another.
Ill-equipped to resist these guerrilla tactics, the Greek army succumbed. The Jews obliterated all enemy forces.
The Maccabees did not wait for God, with an outstretched arm, to rescue the Jews. Their battles were won thanks to audaciously brave soldiers and a genius for a general.
There’s a lesson for us here today. Though we always believe God is with us, we should not wait for God to save us. In troubled times, we must save ourselves.
That’s true when it comes to the local Jewish community rescuing our families and institutions from the ravages of a sour economy, or the world Jewish community rallying to the side of Israel. It’s also crucial in terms of coming together internationally to aid those ravaged by forces beyond their control, and to save our planet.
The simple lighting of a candle reminds us of this.
Happy Chanukah to all.