The key takeaways from this lecture, which focuses on the spiritual and historical themes of Chanukah, particularly the concept of gevurah (strength or heroism), are centered on the centrality and dedication required for the Oral Torah (Torah sheb’al peh).
Here are the main points:
1. The True Heroism (Gevurah) of Chanukah
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The lecture proposes a type of gevurah (heroism) connected to Chanukah that is often overlooked: the discipline of creating and sustaining the Oral Law.
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It rejects the false dichotomy, often found in modern Israeli culture, that seeks to break away from gevurot Hashem (God’s heroic deeds) to focus only on gevurot Yisrael (Israel’s heroic deeds). Both strengths—Divine and human—go together, as the Maccabees fought for both “our lives and our Torah” (Chayenu V’Toratenu).
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2. The Hellenist Goal: Forgetting (Shikchah) the Oral Torah
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The primary aim of the wicked Greek nation (malchut Yavan) was not merely physical destruction, but to cause forgetting (shikchah) of the Torah and non-observance of mitzvot.
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This “forgetting” was primarily a threat to the Oral Torah (Torah sheb’al peh), which can be lost, unlike the Written Torah, which remains on a parchment.
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3. The Oral Torah as the Ultimate Bond
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The Oral Torah is fundamentally different from the Written Torah because it is not detached and “written on a parchment in the corner”.
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It is meant to be “embedded within the psyche and within the mind of the person itself.” It is “in your mouth, it’s in your mind,” reflecting the billions of neurons actively engaging with it.
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The Maharal’s view is cited that the Oral Law is the ultimate covenant (brit) between God and the Jewish people because it resides within the person.
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4. Dedication (Gevurah) is Required for Torah Life
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A life devoted to and dedicated to the Oral Torah is not for the faint-hearted and requires great strength (gevurah).
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The first word of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) is Yitgaber (he should strengthen himself/be a hero), instructing every Jew to wake up like a hero and a lion for the service of God (Avodat Hashem).
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This dedication to learning and devotion to God applies equally to men and women.
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The danger of forgetting the Oral Torah is so profound that one who forgets a single thing from their Mishnah is considered “liable… for their life.”
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5. Chanukah and the End of Prophecy
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The Chanukah period represents the transition from prophecy (nevuah) to the formal system of Oral Law.
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The Prophets (Nevi’im) were the original source of the non-written divine word to be listened to, but following their era, the Oral Law became the vehicle for Jewish continuity and tradition.
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