REFLECTION           Rev. Elaine Beth Peresluha

In the Jewish calendar, Dec 11, 2009 was the 25th day of Kislev 5770. At sundown on Friday, Hanukkah began. Hanukkah is all too often lumped together with all the winter festivals, Solstice, Christmas, Divali. That not only diminishes the unique message of Hanukkah, it actually perpetuates the very injustice Hanukkah developed to confront. So I want to tell you about Hanukkah- because I believe it carries a very unique message- and an essential one about faith- and freedom.

Kislev is the ninth month of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar, the month of Chanukah. The name Kislev comes from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." The story of Chanukah reflects two qualities of trust, one active, one passive. The active trust of Chanukah is exemplified by the Maccabees choice to stand up and fight against the Hellenistic empire and its culture. Kislev's passive trust lives in the Jew’s faith that Yahweh’s is and always will watch over Israel’s tribes.

Hanukkah dates back to the Jewish struggle for cultural identity back between one or two hundred years before the Common Era. Greek culture with its emphasis on the individual, its political power, civic culture, ideas, dominated Palestine. Hellenism was glitzy- seductive to the wealthier educated, ruling class throughout the Middle East.

Antiochus Epiphanes was the Syrian King who came to power about 175 BC. Epiphanes wanted to force Greek culture and manners on the Jews. Epiphanes was enforcing the intentions of his predecessor, Alexander whose dream was to create an invincible empire, not just by the sword but by culture, too. This had a measure of success across the many faiths and tribes of the Middle East but there were a small number of hard core Jews who refused to be 'westernized'.

In 168 BC Epiphanes proclaimed that Judaism, along withal the other non-conforming cultural practices must be purified so that the "citizen religion of the great empire" would dominate. On penalty of death, all Jews were required to follow an imposed, "purified" Judaism. An Athenian expert was sent to direct the practices of the new Judaism. Monthly sacrifices to the gods began. Sacred prostitution was set up in the temple. A statue of Zeus was erected inside the temple and his name was associated with the Temple. Offerings included the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. All the Hebrew laws of purity were systematically violated. Circumcision, kosher food, and Shabbats were forbidden. Pagan rituals and sacrifices were instituted not only at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem but also at shrines throughout the land.

Many Jews, motivated by their admiration for the worldliness and power of the Hellenistic culture, followed the directions and obeyed the decrees. Other Jews, deeply committed to the Torah were filled with fury at the oppressive decrees and with revulsion at the cooperation of their compatriots.

Matt-a-thias, a priest deeply committed to the Torah stabbed a Jew who sacrificed in the new cult, killed the king's agent, and pulled down a sacrificial altar, starting a revolt called the Maccebean War. The war was an anti-colonial revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes and a civil war within the Jewish community.

 Mattathias   and his five sons, the Maccabees, gathered a small band of followers. They could not confront the whole Syrian army in conventional warfare, so, they used guerrilla warfare; hiding behind trees, sneak attacks in the hills and forests against the army of Antiochus and his collaborators within the Jewish Community.

After Mattathias died, his son, Judah Maccabee led the revolt. He was supported by the masses that resisted assimilation but there were still many Hellenist Jews who rallied to the Syrian government's side. Jews who had been drifting into Hellenism were in the crunch, seeing their brothers defending their home soil, seeing the destruction of local Jewish populations. Many remember that they were primarily Jews. These moderates joined with Judah to recaptured Jerusalem in 166 BCE.

With this victory, Judah set out to rededicate the Holy temple. This meant, among other things, he needed to rekindle the sacred, eternal flame. Sacred oil had to be prepared as fuel for the flame, but it would take eight days to prepare it. According to the miracle story, enough oil for one day was found in the temple. The lamp was kindled, and miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, not one! Long enough to prepare a new supply of sacred oil.

That story of the miracle of the oil is not found anywhere in the Hebrew Bible.

1st and 2nd Maccabees, gives a detailed accounting of the decisions Judah made, the different Jewish traditions he tried to unite and the laws of the Torah which he confronted in order to reestablish the temple and to declare a holiday. Most of all, the Hebrew scripture emphasizes the communal joy and acts of celebration- when Judah cleansed and rededicated the temple as a holy place of worship.

The story of the miracle of the oils is found only in the Talmud. The Talmud is the collection of all the generations of writing by different rabbis on the Torah. The torah is the scrolls- the Talmud is a book with all this writing in the margins- over hundreds and hundreds of years- and it continues today- which is part of the Jewish belief that faith is evolving- understanding is evolving- Rabbi are required to re-interpret- continually what is meant by the laws of the torah- This process of study, discussion and writing is called midrash. In a more recent layer of midrash- maybe 1600's, there is a very short, off handed, reference to Hanukkah. The rabbis are discussing what kinds of candles can be used for Shabbat when one of the rabbis asks if the candles for Hanukkah are any different- One Rabbi writes, “What is Hanukkah?” And the eldest Rabbi answers him with the tale of the oil. A holiday was born. Many generations after the Maccabees, this story became an attempt to refocus the holiday on the power of God rather than on the human victory. Then, for almost two hundred years, Hanukkah remained a very secondary holiday always shifting its emphasis from the revolt- to the miracle- from active to passive trust- from justice to faith

Beginning late in the 19th century in central and Eastern Europe, the celebration of Christmas was becoming more and more a major society wide event. Jews were becoming semi-assimilated into the broader Christian society. They felt themselves both attracted and threatened by the joyful and pleasant cultural celebrations- especially their attractiveness to children. Many Jews found Hanukkah a useful tool for strengthening Jewish identity- for fighting anti Semitism and for bonding as a community and culture- both because of its date close to Christmas and because of its anti assimilation context- Hanukkah was reborn with stronger emphasis on the Maccabees, on resistance to assimilation and the defense of religious and ethnic pluralism. Its very existence today continues to proclaim the strength and integrity of a peoples to remain culturally distinct- to resist the temptation to fit it or hide.

Haven’t we all felt the pressure to conform?

Haven’t we all been asked to leave some part of ourselves at the door?

Have we not all had some room in our most holy of holies disrespected- bullied? Even violated?

Can’t we see the United States Empire and western culture once again forcing itself and its values on the rest of the world? 

Are we not at risk of losing the unique and precious beauty, the strength that lies in diversity- in faiths? In cultures? 

Hanukkah celebrates the courage of Jews to resist loosing their cultural identity. It affirms the power of human conviction- as well as reverence for all the "miracles" in our lives- Human beings need both- the affirmation of personal power to create change and faith in something bigger than our human selves, which will inspire and sustain us. Isn’t that the hidden, seductive message in this mid- winter season? Conform, give in- buy, decorate, and be as good as- as rich as-

By telling the story of the Maccabees, by lighting the menorah- we invite the courage of a peoples to inspire us. We are allowing the truth of Hanukkah to inspire our own resistance. We are respecting the importance of self determination-  saying “Yes!” to all who value freedom, and faith- all  who want to define and own the meaning of their cultural values and priorities.

What matter most is that we each incorporate the courage of our convictions into our own lives- that we live with integrity, authenticity. Resist the urge to dominate. Let your life speak for you- Reflect in your living, the light of what your believe matters most. Resist complacency. Work with renewed purpose for that day "which will sees all people free, tyrants disappearing" the day when we will hear happy throngs singing songs with a mighty sounding.