The Chief Rabbi recently delivered a keynote lecture at Bushey Synagogue about The Hidden Story of Chanukah. With thanks to Bushey Synagogue for use of this video.
This is Rabbi Sacks at his most wonderful: informal, thoughtful, incredibly erudite and scholarly, yet utterly straightforward and unpretentious. Funny, inspiring and magnificent. If you’ve never seen him before, now you know why this knight is different from all other knights.
The audio quality of this video is rather variable, and at times all-but inaudible – especially at the very end of the video. This is a shame because what was audible was very interesting, missing some parts of the audio was very disappointing.
The story of Chanuka is told in two books (Maccabees I & II) in the Apochrypa, ספרים חיצוניים, the books excluded from תנך by dictum of the rabbis.
Maccabees I tells the story of the military victory of Matisyahu and his children, how they defeated the Greeks, rededicated the Temple and celebrated for eight days. The sequel (Maccabees II) explains why they celebrated for 8 days: because that year they had been unable to celebrate Succos (the Temple was defiled, war going on…). So they celebrated on the 25th of Kislev, the rededication of the Temple by celebrating for 8 days because Succos is a 8-day holiday.
The story of the military victory is missing the miracle of the oil. It’s completely absent from Maccabees I and II. The Temple was rededicated, everything purified, a holiday inaugurated. It’s the story of the military victory, which is a fascinating story. A handful of Jews defeated the greatest empire of the time. It was extraordinary that the Jews defeated the Greeks.
Aristotle’s student Theophrastus loved Jews, and said they are a nation of philosophers. Aristotle’s most famous disciple was Alexander the Great, who created the Alexandrian Empire, which was bisected after his death. The Ptolmey’s ruled from Egypt, and the Seleucids from Syria. In the 3rd century BCE, Israeli came under Ptolmeys. In the 2nd century, under the Seleucids. Antiochus IV had everyone called him Epiphanies, or “Gd made manifest.” He put a statue of himself in the Temple, forced people to serve pagan gods.
Chanuka is the only festival in Jewish history that you can read about in non-Jewish sources. We have records of pharaohs but no reference to our exodus, and that’s because the Egyptians only reported the good news about themselves. (We, Jews, did the opposite. Abba Eban: We are the people who can’t take “yes” for an answer.) No record of Exodus, giving of Torah, events of Purim. But all the ancient historians wrote about Chanuka because it was an event that changed the history of the world. It was the beginning of the end of Greece, and the beginning of the start of Rome.
That’s the story recorded in Maccabees I & II. Why weren’t those books included in Tanach? On Purim, we read the megilla. Why don’t we read Maccabees? Why wasn’t it part of Tanach?
We come to the 2nd story of Chanuka, the oil. It’s written in a document that dates from 2nd Temple times, called the Megillat Ta’anit. Some days you don’t say tachanun, some days you are forbidden to fast. Mesechet Shabbat in the chapter bimeh madlikin: What is Chanuka? On 25th of Kislev, begins 8 days of Chanuka, don’t say a hesped and don’t fast because when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oil in the Temple and when the Maccabees won, they could only find one jug with an unbroken seal, enough for one day, it lasted 8, and they fixed eight days for the holiday for all future years. The war becomes a minor detail in a story about oil. It’s subordinate. What happened between these two stories?
When Maccabees won, they became kings of Israel. (From the wrong tribe..) They became rather Helenized themselves, despite having fought against the Greeks. They also did something the rabbis disapproved of- combined church/shul and state. Jews had separated church and state. The political authority was the king and the religious head was the Kohen Gadol. Two separate functions. The Hasmonean king Jonathan made himself king and Kohen Gadol. The rabbis told him- you’ve got the crown, and you also want to be high priest? No. Pick one. So the Hasmonean kings became assimilated and did the Greek/Roman thing which was to turn the king into a quasi-religious hero. July- named after Julius Caesar. August from Augustus. Ceasaers were demigods. Judaism opposed to this, though. That’s why the rabbis didn’t include the military victory story in Tanach because for them, the Hasmoneans who started so well fell in the wrong direction.
How long did the military victory last? not too long. in 69 BCE, Pompei invaded Jerusalem, entered the Temple and put the Jews under Roman rule. Independence lasted less than a century. already, we can see in megillas ta’anit, the rabbis said the most important thing about Chanuka was the spiritual thing, not the military thing. and the minor detail in the story took on great significance.
Year 66 CE: Israel under Roman rule for 130 years and Rome becoming repressive like the Greeks. Jews rose up in Great Rebellion, and thought they’d be the new Maccabees but Romans were ruthless. Year 70, Jerusalem besieged. Some rabbis decided to abolish Chanuka. Debate recorded in Gemara in Mesechet Rosh Hashana. They said every event celebrated as a festival and listed in megillas ta’anit is now null and void. We celebrate Chanuka because they rededicated Temple. How can you celebrate it when you have no Temple? In town of Lud, some rabbi decreed a public fast on Chanuka. Official rabbinate of Lud was abolishing Chanuka. Other rabbis disagreed; there was a debate. Rabbi Eliezer and R Yehoshua went to Lud. R Yehoshua got a haircut and Rabbi Eliezer swam in a pool, two things forbidden on fast days, to show Chanuka shouldn’t be abolished. In the end, Chanuka was saved. Why?
Chanuka was only saved because in the course of 150 years, Jewish people had decided the first story wasn’t primary, the second was. There were two battles against the Greeks. The first was a military clash, the second was cultural. We stood up and said we were not like everyone else. Even though the Greeks were pretty awesome- in philosophy, architecture, theater, sports. In retrospect, rabbis realized the spiritual victory was greater. Lasted more than 2000 years, while military lasted less than a century. It’s the story of a Jewish spirit that just keeps on burning and giving light. It cannot be extinguished. It became a real story. Because of that, when debating whether or not to continue Chanuka they said the Temple is gone, the hope is not.
Teachers with 5-year-olds, wanted to teach them a lesson. Had the kids make a model of Jerusalem and listen to a song about Yerushalayim and at the end of the day, the teacher smashed the model and shredded the tape. They lost the model, but they still had the song. The difference between physical and spiritual. So the rabbis knew we lost the physical Jerusalem, but we still have it in our mind and heart. That’s why we’ve returned in the modern state.
One halacha, last paragraph in Maimonedes code on Chanuka. We light one light the first and go up through the nights. That’s the best option, but the essential mitzvah is one candle per night. The same is true for Shabbos. Q: If on Friday afternoon of Shabbos Chanuka, you only have one candle, which do you light? You think Chanuka- huge miracle, once a year. The halacha is we light the Shabbos candle, because we light it for Shalom Bayis. Shabbos light represents peace in the home and so great is peace that the whole Torah was only given to make peace in the world. The greatest military victory in history (not modern times) and lighting candles for Shalom Bayis takes precedence. Jews fought because they sought peace and that’s why Israel today is a great nation. Israel seeks peace. We only fight when necessary to defend lives and country, but our deepest hope is for peace.
Please note this is not an official transcript, though it is a pretty good written version of the main points raised! Many thanks to the anonymous author! Office of the Chief Rabbi
A family friend shared this video with me. You may want to watch it. Go to youtube – Pleiadian Message 2012 – A Wake Up Call For the Family of Light. FreedomAndTruth4All.
Everyone should know all of This before celebrating. Chanukah.
This is Rabbi Sacks at his most wonderful: informal, thoughtful, incredibly erudite and scholarly, yet utterly straightforward and unpretentious. Funny, inspiring and magnificent. If you’ve never seen him before, now you know why this knight is different from all other knights.
The audio quality of this video is rather variable, and at times all-but inaudible – especially at the very end of the video. This is a shame because what was audible was very interesting, missing some parts of the audio was very disappointing.
Chief Rabbi Sacks is an inspiration. Is it possible to obtain a written copy of this Chanukah sermon?
Unfortunately there is no written copy available. Apologies. Office of the Chief Rabbi
Chanuka
The story of Chanuka is told in two books (Maccabees I & II) in the Apochrypa, ספרים חיצוניים, the books excluded from תנך by dictum of the rabbis.
Maccabees I tells the story of the military victory of Matisyahu and his children, how they defeated the Greeks, rededicated the Temple and celebrated for eight days. The sequel (Maccabees II) explains why they celebrated for 8 days: because that year they had been unable to celebrate Succos (the Temple was defiled, war going on…). So they celebrated on the 25th of Kislev, the rededication of the Temple by celebrating for 8 days because Succos is a 8-day holiday.
The story of the military victory is missing the miracle of the oil. It’s completely absent from Maccabees I and II. The Temple was rededicated, everything purified, a holiday inaugurated. It’s the story of the military victory, which is a fascinating story. A handful of Jews defeated the greatest empire of the time. It was extraordinary that the Jews defeated the Greeks.
Aristotle’s student Theophrastus loved Jews, and said they are a nation of philosophers. Aristotle’s most famous disciple was Alexander the Great, who created the Alexandrian Empire, which was bisected after his death. The Ptolmey’s ruled from Egypt, and the Seleucids from Syria. In the 3rd century BCE, Israeli came under Ptolmeys. In the 2nd century, under the Seleucids. Antiochus IV had everyone called him Epiphanies, or “Gd made manifest.” He put a statue of himself in the Temple, forced people to serve pagan gods.
Chanuka is the only festival in Jewish history that you can read about in non-Jewish sources. We have records of pharaohs but no reference to our exodus, and that’s because the Egyptians only reported the good news about themselves. (We, Jews, did the opposite. Abba Eban: We are the people who can’t take “yes” for an answer.) No record of Exodus, giving of Torah, events of Purim. But all the ancient historians wrote about Chanuka because it was an event that changed the history of the world. It was the beginning of the end of Greece, and the beginning of the start of Rome.
That’s the story recorded in Maccabees I & II. Why weren’t those books included in Tanach? On Purim, we read the megilla. Why don’t we read Maccabees? Why wasn’t it part of Tanach?
We come to the 2nd story of Chanuka, the oil. It’s written in a document that dates from 2nd Temple times, called the Megillat Ta’anit. Some days you don’t say tachanun, some days you are forbidden to fast. Mesechet Shabbat in the chapter bimeh madlikin: What is Chanuka? On 25th of Kislev, begins 8 days of Chanuka, don’t say a hesped and don’t fast because when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oil in the Temple and when the Maccabees won, they could only find one jug with an unbroken seal, enough for one day, it lasted 8, and they fixed eight days for the holiday for all future years. The war becomes a minor detail in a story about oil. It’s subordinate. What happened between these two stories?
When Maccabees won, they became kings of Israel. (From the wrong tribe..) They became rather Helenized themselves, despite having fought against the Greeks. They also did something the rabbis disapproved of- combined church/shul and state. Jews had separated church and state. The political authority was the king and the religious head was the Kohen Gadol. Two separate functions. The Hasmonean king Jonathan made himself king and Kohen Gadol. The rabbis told him- you’ve got the crown, and you also want to be high priest? No. Pick one. So the Hasmonean kings became assimilated and did the Greek/Roman thing which was to turn the king into a quasi-religious hero. July- named after Julius Caesar. August from Augustus. Ceasaers were demigods. Judaism opposed to this, though. That’s why the rabbis didn’t include the military victory story in Tanach because for them, the Hasmoneans who started so well fell in the wrong direction.
How long did the military victory last? not too long. in 69 BCE, Pompei invaded Jerusalem, entered the Temple and put the Jews under Roman rule. Independence lasted less than a century. already, we can see in megillas ta’anit, the rabbis said the most important thing about Chanuka was the spiritual thing, not the military thing. and the minor detail in the story took on great significance.
Year 66 CE: Israel under Roman rule for 130 years and Rome becoming repressive like the Greeks. Jews rose up in Great Rebellion, and thought they’d be the new Maccabees but Romans were ruthless. Year 70, Jerusalem besieged. Some rabbis decided to abolish Chanuka. Debate recorded in Gemara in Mesechet Rosh Hashana. They said every event celebrated as a festival and listed in megillas ta’anit is now null and void. We celebrate Chanuka because they rededicated Temple. How can you celebrate it when you have no Temple? In town of Lud, some rabbi decreed a public fast on Chanuka. Official rabbinate of Lud was abolishing Chanuka. Other rabbis disagreed; there was a debate. Rabbi Eliezer and R Yehoshua went to Lud. R Yehoshua got a haircut and Rabbi Eliezer swam in a pool, two things forbidden on fast days, to show Chanuka shouldn’t be abolished. In the end, Chanuka was saved. Why?
Chanuka was only saved because in the course of 150 years, Jewish people had decided the first story wasn’t primary, the second was. There were two battles against the Greeks. The first was a military clash, the second was cultural. We stood up and said we were not like everyone else. Even though the Greeks were pretty awesome- in philosophy, architecture, theater, sports. In retrospect, rabbis realized the spiritual victory was greater. Lasted more than 2000 years, while military lasted less than a century. It’s the story of a Jewish spirit that just keeps on burning and giving light. It cannot be extinguished. It became a real story. Because of that, when debating whether or not to continue Chanuka they said the Temple is gone, the hope is not.
Teachers with 5-year-olds, wanted to teach them a lesson. Had the kids make a model of Jerusalem and listen to a song about Yerushalayim and at the end of the day, the teacher smashed the model and shredded the tape. They lost the model, but they still had the song. The difference between physical and spiritual. So the rabbis knew we lost the physical Jerusalem, but we still have it in our mind and heart. That’s why we’ve returned in the modern state.
One halacha, last paragraph in Maimonedes code on Chanuka. We light one light the first and go up through the nights. That’s the best option, but the essential mitzvah is one candle per night. The same is true for Shabbos. Q: If on Friday afternoon of Shabbos Chanuka, you only have one candle, which do you light? You think Chanuka- huge miracle, once a year. The halacha is we light the Shabbos candle, because we light it for Shalom Bayis. Shabbos light represents peace in the home and so great is peace that the whole Torah was only given to make peace in the world. The greatest military victory in history (not modern times) and lighting candles for Shalom Bayis takes precedence. Jews fought because they sought peace and that’s why Israel today is a great nation. Israel seeks peace. We only fight when necessary to defend lives and country, but our deepest hope is for peace.
Please note this is not an official transcript, though it is a pretty good written version of the main points raised! Many thanks to the anonymous author! Office of the Chief Rabbi
A family friend shared this video with me. You may want to watch it. Go to youtube – Pleiadian Message 2012 – A Wake Up Call For the Family of Light. FreedomAndTruth4All.
very nice amd interesting to listen to the hidden story of Chanukah