What is Hannukah? Rav Pinkus
answers beautifully that the essence of Hannukah is the mesirut nefesh, the strategy of the Jewish nation and its strength
of taking its existence and throwing it away for the name of Hashem to be
spread around the world. This was seen in the Spanish Inquisition, this was
seen in the Progroms in Europe, this was seen in the evil Arab nations during
the Independence War of 1948 and the 1 million Sephardic Jews expelled from
their countries, this was seen in the horrific events of the Nazis imach shemam and the second World War,
etc. We are a nation known to give up our life for the name of Hashem. We are a
nation known to give up our life for purity.
The story of Hannukah relies on
this same quality that makes us the nation of Hashem. The Hasmonai Kohanim
(priests) were 13 people in total and stood up to fight thousands of Greeks and
their army to stop the Greeks from taking our Jewish woman to the high officers
to get raped before marriage. It was all based on the survival of our modesty.
This is why the nes, the miracle, of Hannukah is such a
big deal. When the Hasmonaim stepped out of the boundaries of nature to support
a life of Torah and Mitzvot, Hashem was with them the entire way. Why? Because
they knew the love that is behind living a life with G-d and they knew that if
they really showed the love they had for the Torah and its values Hashem will
back them up. Proof is they became the leaders of Israel until the destruction
of the second temple (for almost 200 years). Thirteen individuals stood up for
the Torah against thousands and they won.
What makes us think we can stand
up in front of the few individuals in our lives who are bringing us down
spiritually? Hannukah is a time of applying this love of Torah to our daily
service of Hashem. Throughout the entire year we roam around the holidays, as
great as they are, but we fail to focus on the love of Torah. Hannukah is a
time of taking this love while lighting the candles and knowing the light even from a single candle lights up our entire year.
HANNUKAH Sameah!
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