Fight, Flight or Fly Higher
How do we react to challenge? Do we fight back or do we run away?
Back in the day when there was ongoing blatant anti-semitism, Jews needed to fortify themselves to maintain their identity so by and large we fought back. Not always with guns and swords but with greater resolve to be faithful to G-d and Judaism. Of course there were those who ran away and attempted to assimilate so as not to “stand out”.
Although today there surely is anti-semitism but by and large the world is a much more accepting place (especially here in the USA). It’s so accepting that many Jews have assimilated and sadly that continues to happen in ever increasing numbers.
Although the story of Chanukah took place during a time of oppression, we can still extract two ideas that are applicable to us in our times, that can help fortify us against the forces around us.
The first is Geon Yaakov. This means an inner pride or inner strength of Jacob. The Hasmoneans or the Maccabees prior to the battle with the Greek Syrian army were the remaining group of Jews who stayed faithful. This was despite the immense pressure by the Green Syrians to have them demonstrate that they had been assimilated/hellinised. The enemy was ok if internally them maintained their observance, they just wanted them to demonstrate outwardly that they were eating non-kosher and engaging in other non observant activities. But the Hasmoneans would not be swayed. They knew that they were connected to G-d and that transcended the influence of those around them.
The first law in the code of Jewish law is to not be influenced by the mockers. This is both a difficult task but also a necessary and holy one.
The second lesson is Lechatchila Ariber or Jumping Over. It’s actually a form of self sacrifice. The Maccabees faced an army many times their size. It was suicidal for them to think that they had a chance. When they returned to the Temple and found one cruise of oil which could only burn for one day. And yet they went to battle against this great army and lit that Menorah. They didn’t do this because they were waiting on a miracle. The did it because when faced with a challenge a Jew knows that they are anchored in something that transcends the challenge. As such, they were simply jumping into what was needed without care or concern for the outcome.
And so if a little light chases away a lot of darkness, we have the ability through our own Geon Yaakov and through a willingness to Jump out of our comfort zone to bring great light into our little world, the world of our family and friends and community.
It is to this end that Chabad celebrates Chanukah out in the public and in the street. Let’s be proud of who we are and share it with the world!
Happy Chanukah!
