Never the Same Way Twice: The Chanukkah Story and the Story of Chanukkah

But things never happen the same way twice 

(Aslan, Prince Caspian)

In our last post we spoke about the role of stories in the bible We suggested while law may instruct us how to act in a certain situation, stories will guide us as to what type of situations we should put ourselves. 

However, there is related role for stories: to inspire us to go beyond the law. 

Over the last few days Jews throughout the world have told the story of Chanukkah which goes something like this: 

During the Second Temple period Judea was ruled by the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV. Though Judea had generally been granted a great deal of self-autonomy and were not restricted from practicing their religion, Antiochus eventually changed the status quo and decreed that the Jews must violate certain dictates of their religion including the dietary laws, the Shabbat, and circumcision. The Maccabees revolted and, on their way to winning Jewish political independence, captured Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple to the One God. 

As is well known, the Maccabees scoured the Temple for olive oil that was ritually pure in order to light the menorah (candelabra). However, all of the oil and most everything else in the Temple, had been profaned by the Seleucids and they were only able to find one small jug of pure olive oil, enough for one day. Famously the oil burned for eight days providing ample time to procure additional ritually pure oil. 

Was the Maccabean revolt required by Jewish law? A priori the answer would be no. Jewish law provides for circumstances when one is forced against compliance. Specifically, the law outlines when one must give up their life and when not. And while giving up one's life is necessary rather than worship idols, one can violate the above-mentioned laws without risking one's life. So why did they choose to revolt?

Presumably, they learned from other stories. Abraham risked his life to save his nephew Lot from the clutches of the four invading kings. Simeon and Levi risked their lives to free their sister from the rapist Sh'chem. The Maccabees, faced with rampant assimilation and the risk of devastating losses of Jews to their religion, followed their lead and fought for independence. 

However, as Aslan says in the quote above, salvation does not happen the same way twice, and in the United States the evolution of Chanukkah became a story in and of itself. 

Two thousand years after the Chanukkah story, in the late 1870s, a group of young Jewish men from New York and Philadelphia gathered to form Kiyam Deshmaya, a group dedicated to revitalizing Jewish life in America. I'll leave the details to others, but, faced with rampant assimilation the likes of which may not have been seen since Hellenism, they chose an exact opposite method for salvation. Yet, perhaps ironically, it was the Chanukkah story that was a cornerstone for their plans. 

Of course, Kiyam Deshmaya had no intention of following the Maccabees to arms. Quite the opposite, they exhibited nothing but gratitude to the "kingdom of kindness" that is the United States, rather they strove to make Chanukkah as American as any other holiday. They told their fellow citizens a story of Jews that reflected their own history and origin: to stand for what is right, that a small army can overcome a superpower if only God is on their side, and that even one spark of light can banish immense darkness. 

And it worked! 

All over the United States people graciously wish their Jewish fellow-citizens a Happy Chanukkah.   

Happy Chanukkah to all!