The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit
Midrash
Student Summaries of Sichot of the Roshei Yeshiva Yeshivat
Har Etzion
Parashat
MIKETZ – SHABBAT CHANUKA
SICHA
OF HARAV AHARON LICHTENSTEIN SHLIT"A
********************************************************* This shiur is dedicated in loving memory of Pesa Wolfowicz, z"l, on the occasion of her yahrzeit, from the Okon family.
*********************************************************
Chanuka
– The Menora and the War
Adapted
by Shaul Barth with Itiel Gold
Translated
by Kaeren Fish
The
joy of Chanuka focuses on two miracles: the miracle of the menora and the
miracle of the war. These two
elements would seem, at first glance, to contradict one another. The menora stands inside the
Holy
Temple, in a place that
only the kohanim are permitted to enter. The war, in contrast, is waged outside:
everyone participates in it, and it influences the entire
region.
However,
there is also an aspect of each of these concepts that makes them compatible.
The Gemara attributes to the lighting of the menora a task that is directed
towards the whole world: “It is a testimony to the people of the world that the
Divine Presence rests in Israel” (Shabbat 22b). The menora has
relevance for all nations; its function is to illuminate outward, and not only
within the Sanctuary. The Chashmonaim, who fought outside of the Temple, did so in order to purify the Temple. Thus, despite the
seeming contradiction, the two phenomena also share an essential
connection.
In
fact, severing the two concepts carries great danger. It would be disastrous for
each party to focus only on its own problems, ignoring those of the other side –
the kohanim interested only in purifying the defiled Temple, in finding “pure
olive oil," while making no effort to help mold the surrounding culture and nor
to connect with those outside of the Temple, and the rest of the nation caring
only about external matters, with no thought for the
Temple.
Such
divisiveness would be bad and dangerous, and therefore the Chashmonaim – who
understood the problem – took upon themselves the responsibility for political
leadership along with their priestly role, in order to create a bridge between
the two sides. While Ramban expresses harsh criticism for their taking this
step, in view of the clear biblical indication that the king of Israel should be
a descendant of the tribe of Yehuda (Bereishit 49:10), it seems that the
Chashmonaim regarded it as a necessity in light of their situation. They aimed
to lead to an optimal situation amongst Am Yisrael, whereby they would be
connected to the Temple and what it symbolizes, on the one hand,
while maintaining contact with the nation and its culture in accordance with the
guidelines of Torah.
Today,
too, we encounter a similar problem in our society. There are people who occupy
themselves only with the “pure olive oil," taking no interest in matters of the
world – including contributing to Jewish culture and art in Israel, or
lending assistance in areas that are not "pure." On the other hand, there are
other people who lean too far towards secular and universal trends and values,
abandoning their tradition and severing themselves from the "pure olive
oil."
We
are obligated – each of us personally, and also communally – to engage in both
tasks: both our inner, spiritual development and the building of Am Yisrael, its
culture and its land, in the spirit of the Torah.
This
message has become especially pertinent in recent years, as we witness an
ideological trend towards redefining the State of Israel as a secular entity,
severed from Torah. In the wake of this grave development, each of us is
obligated to contribute towards the building and molding of the land – even if
this entails rendering one’s “olive oil” slightly less
“pure."
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