The Rabbi's Word: 'In Those Days and in Our Time'

We continue our collaboration with the Steinsaltz Center and present this specially prepared material for the member communities of the EAJC. This article is published posthumously, following the passing of the great thinker of our generation, scholar, and Hasid, Rabbi Steinsaltz, of blessed memory.

During Hanukkah, we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over the Hellenists and the Hellenization that had spread among the Jewish people. Year after year, during these festive days, we remind ourselves that we must continue the struggle to preserve our uniqueness, especially in our times when the very same issue remains on the agenda. Hanukkah represents the confrontation of a resilient and uncompromising Jewish people with an "open" and "tolerant" world.

The Hellenistic world closely resembled our own. Neither possesses definitive values, and consequently, no conflict of values can arise within them. There is no contradiction between beauty and truth, science and Torah, technical progress and the preservation of the existing order. The premise behind the Maccabean revolt was far simpler. It is the same premise that underlies our conflict with the world we live in today.

Most Hellenists adopted Greek culture not out of a belief in its authenticity, just as today the vast majority of people adopt global culture not because they believe in and accept its philosophical premises, but simply because they are following social norms. Only for a few did flexibility of outlook become a core tenet of their worldview. Others, seeing that society operates by it, simply conform. Over time, this worldview penetrates even those who are believers at heart. Gradually, they become convinced that principles should be approached under the slogan: "I respect your path, so respect mine."

The very essence of the world that surrounds us today is that everything is open to negotiations and compromise, as all values are relative and lack objective significance. All principles are deemed equal, and none demand that one go too far. In contrast to this approach, the festival of Hanukkah is rooted in the understanding that there are concepts such as "a Jew" and "the Jewish essence" upon which a Jew cannot compromise. Furthermore, I must recognize that this essence exists within me as well.

We celebrate Hanukkah to commemorate the victory of Judaism over Hellenism. It is a festival for those who, even in our time, are zealous guarantors of their Jewishness. Although Hanukkah is perceived as a pleasant holiday, as it brings much joy and demands almost no obligations, in its essence, it is a celebration of religious zealotry.

The immediate result of the war we celebrate on Hanukkah was the.survival of Judaism. It is reasonable to assume that had the Maccabees not rebelled or had they been defeated, our fate would have been like that of neighboring nations: the Philistines, Ammonites, and Moabites assimilated and, losing their ethnic characteristics, vanished from the stage of history. That was a war to preserve Jewish identity. Miraculously, we have succeeded in achieving this goal so far.

Wars, victories, and defeats are events recorded in the historical memory of a nation. The Jewish state suffered defeat at least twice, and Jews wandered through various lands, yet despite everything, our people survived. However, it is clear that if we lose our distinct identity even once, neither our own territory nor our own flag will save us, because without the people, we have nothing. On Hanukkah, we fought then, and we fight now, not for political independence, but for our identity. The victory we achieved more than two thousand years ago is not just a matter of continued existence. We are not merely an ethnic group residing in this world, but a unique, vibrant entity within it, known as Judaism.