From Greece to Rome
The Festival of Chanukah celebrates our ideological war against – and victory over – the oppression of the Greek Empire. And indeed, the Greek Empire is no more. However, the philosophy which they preached and the culture and lifestyle that it promoted outlived them and continue to influence the world around us until our time.
To frame this in terms of our national experience, this idea expresses itself in the fourth exile in which we find ourselves – the exile of Rome, which continues until Mashiach comes. Although politically the Roman Empire replaced Greece as the dominant world force, it nevertheless adopted the basic tenets of Greek philosophy and outlook. In a conceptual sense, therefore, we would be correct in saying that Greece was never fully conquered; rather, it merely transferred its power base to Rome. Thus, we find that our Sages refer to Rome as “Italy of Greece,”[1] reflecting the idea that the essential philosophy of Rome was effectively bequeathed to them by their Greek predecessors.
The full implication of this idea is that the third exile will not fully end until the fourth one does. And indeed, basic Greek ideas such as the primacy of man’s intellect, as well as ascribing central value to the temporal world as the arena for man’s highest achievements, continue to exert their influence until our time.
Yet if the ideas of Greece continue to fill the world – and in so doing, likewise continue to assail the Jewish People and our Godly way of life – to what end do we celebrate Chanukah as “the victory over Greece”?
The answer is that we do not celebrate Chanukah as the final victory over Greek ideas; rather, we celebrate it as the initial formative victory, which can be accessed and emulated in any and all subsequent confrontations. As we have noted throughout this book, the word “Chanukah” means initiation, and implies the beginning of a process. In terms of our present discussion, we may say that the process into which we were initiated on Chanukah was the war itself with Greece, which would continue in different forms and under different guises in the centuries that would ensue. The crucial implication of this idea for the Festival of Chanukah is that its goal is not only to commemorate the initial victory “in those days”, but to perpetuate it as long as continues to be required “in our times.” Every year on Chanukah, the spiritual light, energy and inspiration which illuminated the way to that initial victory return to be taken up anew.
Greece inside the Sanctuary
A central part of the Chanukah story relates to how the Greeks breached the Sanctuary and defiled all the oil.[2] Rav Kook explains[3] that this event paralleled what was happening within the Jewish people themselves. As a location, the Beis Hamikdash is the holiest place in the world. Within the Jewish people, the mikdash represents their inner value system and everything they hold holy and dear. If Greece has breached the Mikdash and has contaminated the oil, then to proceed to use that oil to light the Menorah will compromise the purity of its illumination. Likewise, if Greek notions have gained entry into our value system, then even our illumination cannot be assured of being authentically Jewish! At that point, we risk substituting the Torah’s eternal message as a response and guide to the times with one that is simply an expression of the times. Needless to say, this is not to imply that every idea currently in the world is instantly to be branded as false. What it means is that it should be considered carefully and not simply swallowed whole.
The miracle of the Menorah began with the small jar of pure oil bearing the seal of the Kohen Gadol. This too, explains Rav Kook, resides within each person. The Kohen Gadol has the ability to enter the Holy of Holies in the Beis Hamikdash, a place known as “inside the inside,” and this core likewise lies at the innermost point of the Jew. It partakes of the timeless quality of the Torah’s message and cannot be swayed by whatever value happens to be on special offer for that month. Accessing this element within ourselves was the basis of our victory. In military terms, it was not until we had gone to war and retaken the Beis Hamikdash that we found the jar of oil buried there; but in experiential terms, it was that jar of oil that lies within us which prompted us to go to war in the first place.
Chanukah and the Ohr Haganuz
Chanukah is celebrated by kindling lights, and indeed, this is most appropriate, as it celebrates the victory of light over darkness. However, the idea of light can itself express many things, some of which are completely disconnected from – and perhaps even antithetical to – the light of Torah. Let us not forget that Greece also saw themselves as bestowers of light, something that made their darkness all the more menacing. As such, on Chanukah, even the concept of light requires illumination! In this respect, the integrity of the light in our menorah and its message need to be preserved and protected, as surely as was the case with the oil in the Sanctuary.
Perhaps this will give us some insight into an idea mentioned by one of the early Kabbalists, the Rokeach[4]: The Sages inform us that the light with which we see is not the original light that Hashem created. There was a prior, supernal light, known as the Ohr Haganuz (“Concealed Light”), which Hashem then concealed, leaving us with the light that we have now. The Midrash further states that this original light burned for thirty-six hours before it was concealed.[5] The Rokeach writes that the original light which burned for thirty-six hours illuminates every year from within the thirty six candles that are lit over the course of Chanukah.[6]
What is this “Concealed Light” and how does it emerge through the Chanukah lights? Without a doubt, this mystical statement can be understood on many different levels. However, let us consider what it might mean for us on an experiential and ideological level.
If we wish to attain some understanding of what this “Concealed Light” is, we first need to find out where it is concealed — if we can. Perhaps once we know where to find it, we can get a glimpse of what it looks like. The answer here is provided by the Zohar,[7] which states that Hashem concealed this light within the Torah. Of course, this idea too can be understood on many levels, but on a basic level it means the following:
Different forms of light do not create new things for us to see; they provide a new means through which to view that which is already in front of us. There are many ways in which we can view life, establishing certain goals as paramount, seeing certain values as inviolable, ascribing significance to some things while denying it to others, seeing some pursuits as worthwhile and others as worthless. The Original Light was a means through which to survey the world through the perspective of Absolute Truth, with knowledge of how to define value, importance, and success.
When the Zohar says that the original light was then concealed in the Torah, it means that through learning Torah, one can access the light through which to view the world as it should be viewed. He may discover that some things which people tend to view as of extreme importance are not actually that important at all. Conversely, he may discover that there are certain things which are of utmost importance that are commonly overlooked. In the most profound and meaningful of ways he comes to see the world in a different light.
Given that we are enjoined to learn Torah, which houses this light, we are forced to conclude that although Hashem concealed it in the Torah, He wants it to be uncovered! Moreover, not only is this light meant to be uncovered within the Torah, it is further meant to become the light in which we view the world.
The question of in which light one views the world was never more hotly contested than during the confrontation between Israel and Greece, for it was the very basis of that conflict. The Chanukah lights with which we celebrate our victory thus contain an element of the Ohr Haganuz, encouraging us not only to choose light over darkness, but also to be able to tell the difference between the two.
May the light and message of our Menorahs burn steady, bright and strong during these eight days, may their illumination spread outward to the entire year ahead, and may they ultimately light the path forward toward our final redemption!
Chanukah Sameach
[1] Shabbos 55b.
[2] Shabbos 21b.
[3] Commentary Ein Aya to Shabbos ibid.
[4] Hilchos Chanukah sec. 225.
[5] Bereishis Rabbah 12:6.
[6] See at length Bnei Yissaschar, Kislev maamar 2.
[7] Zohar vol. 1 p. 264a and Zohar Chadash p. 103b.