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NEWS
Chanukah Shows the Persistence of the Jewish People as Other Empires Collapsed
By Eliezer Rauchberger
"The days of Chanukah symbolize the unyielding, determined victory of the Jewish people. We survived while all ancient empires collapsed. Our strong spirit kept us alive throughout thousands of years and continues to fortify us." These were the words of Rabbi Uri Maklev, of the Degel HaTorah faction of UTJ in the Knesset plenum during a session dealing with several no-confidence bills presented by the Opposition but which were shunted aside by the Coalition.
He added, "We commemorate the miracle of Chanukah by lighting candles in memory of the pure cruse of oil which was found uncontaminated, even though this was not the central miracle. Ostensibly, the Jews could have halachically lit the Menora with regular oil if there was no alternative but we purposely celebrate this miracle since it symbolizes our unwavering stand and insistent high standard of mehadrin min hamehadrin in our war of the spirit, for which there must be no compromise. Indeed, this is perfectly represented by the sealed cruse of pure oil. The battle against the Greeks was an ideological, religious war. The Greeks sought to efface the Torah and to deter us from keeping Hashem's statutes. It was a spiritual life threat, both through enticement and alternately through harsh decrees which actually succeeded in getting the majority of Jews to become Hellenized. And it almost prevailed - except for the Chashmonaim, who did not despair but valiantly fought for their beliefs and won out."
Rabbi Maklev stressed, "All empires and powers which ruled after the Greeks were wiped out, while the Jewish people endured. Greeks and Romans, Nazis and Communists — have all faded away. Nevertheless, each generation has its own `Hellenists.' In those days as in these, we must continue to fight for the preservation of Shabbos, Torah, pure Jewish education, Jewish transmitted tradition - against Reform, Enlightenment or anyone threatening change. We prevailed on Chanukah and will continue to be victorious in the coming battles. Shabbos is the sign and covenant between the Jewish people and Hashem; it will sustain us against the hundreds of millions who seek to wipe us out."
In conclusion, he quoted a public announcement which was made in 5693 (1933) by Meir Dizengoff, the non-religious first mayor of Tel Aviv, who called upon buses not to desecrate Shabbos in his city because, "Shabbat is our national solidarity from generation to generation and whoever strikes out against it is veritably tampering with the unity of the Jewish people." However, he said, "To our dismay, there still exist those who wish to undermine it and are interested in causing a breach in what has preserved our people from generation to generation."
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