Rabbi Ron Stern shares some Hanukkah meditations to get you in the spirit of the festival of lights.
As we reflect on the meaning of light, and our power to bring it into the world, we invite you to increase the light this Hanukkah with our Center for Tikkun Olam Hanukkah Give Back Guide.
While the story of Hanukkah in its simplest form pits the evil Greeks against the virtuous Jews, historians tell us that actually it was far more complicated. The practices of the Greeks were brought into Jerusalem by Hellenizing Jews who sought wealth and power by allying themselves with the powerful nation. Their lust for control led them to justify their disruptive and destructive violations of Jewish standards and ignore the hypocrisy of their sacrilegious practices.
Our heroes, the Maccabees, opposed the heretical assimilation embraced by the Hellenizers. It was a tough uphill battle. All the advantage was in the hands of the traitorous Jews and their Greek partners, and yet, the Maccabees were determined. They may not have had might, but they had right.
When we light the hanukkiah—a subsequent innovation by Jews hundreds of years after the events that gave us our holiday—we are invited to reflect on what is good and right in our world. The purity of the flames invites us to reach toward the light. While we may not pick up arms like our ancient ancestors, we can admire their determination and emulate their success. Every generation has its battles, every generation struggles towards the light.
— Rabbi Ron Stern