Rabbi Knopf's Blog

Illumin8! Reflections 
The word "Hanukkah" means "dedication," which is about devoting someone or something for a particular purpose. For each of the holiday's eight nights, Rabbi Knopf and several congregants offer a reflection. We hope you'll use these ideas when lighting your candles each night. And, just maybe, you'll be inspired to dedicate yourself to a higher purpose this year.  Hanukkah Same'ah! Happy Hanukkah!

Night 6:  Why Peace Matters on Hanukkah
By Anna Yalcinoglu

      Every year my non-Jewish mother asks me, “So what is Hanukkah about? It’s about a military victory right? What about the miracle of the oil?” And every year I respond with the same answer, that Hanukkah involves both of those things, but ultimately it’s the miracle of the oil which makes it special.  But every year she has difficulty understanding how the Maccabee victory fits into the greater religious picture. And after many years of providing her with the same answer, I began to wonder how a miracle can follow a military victory, which in turn is celebrated. Because if for a moment we set aside the miracle of the oil, we are confronted with something ugly: violence. 
    The confrontation between the Maccabees and the Syrian Greeks was the result of Greek domination of lands captured through conquest. It was later followed by Hellenistic cultural domination that threatened the Jewish people and their way of life. It could be said that both conquest and cultural domination are forms of violence, and they in turn gave birth to revolutionary violence in the form of a three year long campaign to liberate the Land of Israel from the Syrian Greeks. While the narrative focuses on the oil that lasted eight days after the rededication of the Temple, it is important to remember what was happening before the miracle. 
    When wars or other conflicts unfold in our favor, we are easily distracted by the euphoria of victory. However, an important element to the Festival of Lights is to acknowledge the darkness that came before the light. It was ultimately the unethical and immoral oppression of a group of people’s religious beliefs and traditions that led one group to kill another group. Extinguishing another human being’s life is not an act easily dismissed. Because when a violent conflict erupts, a very dark void opens up where people can spiral out of control down a path of violence. Fortunately, the Maccabees were successful, a miracle took place, and light appeared after a period of darkness.
     Therefore, when we observe Hanukkah, and take in the light that is sparkling before us, we should hold onto the notion of peace after reflecting on the kind of violence that started the story. Miracles are always welcome, but they should come as the result of peace and not violence. And perhaps this can be achieved by allowing people to live according to their own religious and cultural beliefs. Fostering an atmosphere of diversity is the simplest way to help other people live dignified lives.  No other quote illustrates this better than that of Martin Luther King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
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