Hanukkah's Lesson

In the oldest historical document about the Maccabean revolt, The First Book of Maccabees we read about a highly motivated but poorly armed group of Jews.  Having no military expertise, armed with no weaponry, possessing no tactical war plan, about the only thing they had was zeal and a belief in their mission for freedom.

After years of battling against the Greco-Syrian forces they recaptured the Temple.  This is their account:

Then Judah said to his brothers: Our enemies have fled.  Let us ascend the mountain and         cleanse the Sanctuary.  Immediately, they gathered as one to go up to Mt Zion.  And when they  

saw the Sanctuary defiled, the altar profaned, the gates burned, and shrubs growing through 

the once great courts they tore their clothes.  The wept and placed ashes on their heads….

Imagine the depth of anguish of these vagabond warriors.  After years of bitter hardship yearning to see their sacred Sanctuary they now saw the awful truth of what had happened there.

When the tears subsided, the Maccabees put away their swords and spears and began the long arduous task of cleansing the filth embedded in the stones.

The word Hanukkah means “dedication.”  Note that the word does not indicate anything about the vicious battles waged to regain the Temple.  Instead the words reflects the renewal of worship in the House of God.

When we look to the holiday of Hanukkah to plumb its meaning we are carefully guided by the sages who taught us that the eight day festival is not about war and survival but about dedication.

Here’s a question to guide us into the Festival of Lights: How can we use this time to rededicate (and maybe reorient) our lives toward God?  If it is not about war (think of your personal struggles to make more money, improve your home life, keep the house in working order, build a better clientele…) what can we do make our lives less of a struggle and more meaningful?

Maybe this eight day holiday is a chance to rekindle the dreams that we once held as sacred.  Maybe it is also an opportune moment to take a step closer to the core of our faith.