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Federation Star
RABBINICAL REFLECTIONS
December 2023
Chanukah: not just for kids because they occur at the same time of year, sometimes even concurrently. Rabbi On the most simplistic level, the whole point of Chanukah is to salute Howard Jews’ unwillingness to convert or conS. Herman form. Chanukah reminds us of the DD military victory of the Israelites, the Hasmonean family, over the Seleucid meet adults all the time who ask Greeks. The Seleucid Greeks attempted “Rabbi, isn’t Chanukah a kid’s holito force Jews to assimilate to Greek day? Everything about it seems to tradition and religion and forget Jewbe for kids. Our grandchildren light the ish traditions and teachings. The story candles, we give them gifts and candy. relates to us that we fought back and, We make them latkes. We play dreidel against all odds, we won. None of that and it always seems that the holiday has is a children’s tale but we have created, its focus on children.” I usually say to for children, the fiction about the oil them, "Sure, there are parts of the celebrabeing needed for the lights in the Temple tion of Chanukah that and finding one small appeal to children but jar of oil that lasted Chanukah stands the holiday itself was eight days. If you want never meant to be for as a testament to the to know some of the kids.” I think it took truth about ChanuJewish community on a charming appeal kah, you need to look for children because at how it began in the who were unwilling we celebrate it around first place. to assimilate to the Christmas and do all After the revolt batdominate Greek we can to make it into tles, led by the Maca child-centered set cabee family against culture. of days. the Seleucid Greeks for There are similaridefiling the Temple in ties between the two celebrations. ChaJerusalem were won by the Maccabees nukah and Christmas both emphasize and the Zealots who aided them, the lights, miracles, family time and food. But Jewish community realized that they had to characterize Chanukah as the “Jewish never stopped to celebrate the harvest Christmas” is about as far from truth festival of Sukkot. It was decided that a as one can get — it’s one of the many late celebration of Sukkot was in order misconceptions that has been created that year.
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Traditionally, Sukkot is an eightday festival celebrated late for the eight appointed days and nights. Over time, this late celebration of Sukkot became a yearly Jewish community event and the tradition reoriented to be a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees. Since it began as an eight-day holiday that first year, the tradition of celebrating Chanukah for eight days stuck. The story of the oil is just that, a story. It gave us a way to light candles each night. We have no idea whether they lit candles or not at that first Chanukah celebration. My guess is they didn’t and the tradition of lighting candles each night along with eating latkes and playing with dreidels and gelt were added later. There are many other myths about the celebration of Chanukah. But one
thing you can be certain of … Chanukah stands as a testament to the Jewish community that was unwilling to assimilate to the dominate Greek culture. There were Jews then who advocated for the reformation of their belief system, who welcomed aspects of the Greek culture. The Maccabees opposed their Hellenized counterparts, and the fight actually began as a bitter internal fight between fundamentalists and reformers. So, Chanukah is very much for adults and for children and can be considered an equal celebratory eight days. In whatever way you celebrate, let me wish you a joyous, fun and very tasty Chanukah. Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD serves at Naples Jewish Congregation.
The unstoppable force of light after the horrific events of Oct. 7, my colleagues and I traveled to our Holy Land of Israel for a mission to support the famiRabbi lies who suffered loss and displacement. Fishel There, we saw a tremendous amount Zaklos of darkness. My heart breaks just from thinking about the unimaginable loss and devastation we came face to face with. At the same time, we witnessed so here is one thing that I crave to much light; so much goodness. People see more of: light. who lost so much were full of hope The Bible tells us that the first and optimism for the future. They thing that was created by G-d was light were determined to live and honor the — “And the Lord said let there be light, lives and loss of their loved ones. I saw and there was light." heroes with unbelievable inner strength, Why is light so important that it and we met people who can never be was created before anything else? defeated because their fire and light can In recent weeks and months, the not be extinguished. answer has become clearer to me: In a I came with the intention to bring world that sometimes feels so dark and light and I returned brighter than ever. depressing, the greatest antidote is bringEven my own sadness and heaviness ing light into it. “Let there be a light!” is melted away, warmed in the brightness an eternal mandate given to each of us of the light I witnessed. to bring light into our hearts, homes Yes, friends, that is why light was creand community. ated first –– because it is the most potent When dark forces wreak havoc on force on earth. those we love, we can feel powerless to Nothing can get in the way of goodstop them. And while we may not be ness, of justice, of our beloved Israel able to prevent darkness from occurand our incredible nation. Light will ring, we are far from powerless to keep it always win. from spreading. Yet, there is much darkness, despair There is an old Hasidic expression that and despondency in our world now. The you don’t fight darkness with sticks and hypocrisy of many people in the face of stones; you fight darkness by lighting a the loss of Jewish life is maddening. The match. Of course, the IDF needs to take evil hatred of Jews and up arms and fight for their state is terrifying. Israel, for the Jewish In a world that So, what do we do people, for the world. But what can those of sometimes feels so dark about it? Yo u k n o w t h e us who are thousands and depressing, the answer: “let there be of miles away do? How greatest antidote is light!” The powers of do we ignite the light that dispels pervasive bringing light into it. darkness have nothing on the light of a menodarkness? rah, the light of Shabbat candles, the light Light is relevant every day of the year, of a kind deed and a loving word. as we always need to add brightness to So, light your own menorah this our world. And there’s no better time to Chanukah and witness the magic of light focus on light than during the holiday of over darkness for yourself. Come to a publights: Chanukah. We start off by lighting lic menorah lighting and celebrate Jewish one solitary candle, then each day we add pride. Now is the time to shine the power another, thus flooding more light into of your own light stronger than ever. the darkness of winter. Rabbi Zaklos Fishel serves at Chabad And there is another powerful reason Jewish Center of Naples. that light is coming to mind. Very soon
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