Chanukah 5773 in Israel: What Would Judah Maccabee Do?

NUMBER OF DAYS UNTIL THE ISRAELI ELECTION: 45

ISRAELSTREET ENDORSES NAFTALI BENNETT

NUMBER OF TERRORIST MISSILES AND MORTARS SHOT AT SOUTHERN ISRAEL SINCE THE CEASEFIRE AGREED TO BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ON NOVEMBER 21, 2012:

UPDATES 10:30 am Israel time Sunday:

**According to a British newspaper story today, Israeli special forces have recently entered Syria in an attempt to secure Assad’s biological and chemical weapons. According to other sources this morning, this attempt has apparently met with little success.

Mt. Qasioun looms over Damascus--Assad has no qualms about stockpiling chemical and biological weapons there (picture source: www.lifeisbring).

It is now being reported that the large arsenal of chemical weapons at the Mt. Qasioun facility just outside of Damascus has been emptied under the guidance of Iranian and North Korean “technicians’. Many of the weapons have been taken by the Syrian Air Force to airfields where they have been loaded onto bombs. The remaining “smaller” weapons have ominously been transferred via civilian cars to Hezbollah bases in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.

While the Western world has strutted, fretted, and threatened that Syria’s weapons of mass destruction cannot get into the hands of terrorists, that is precisely what has happened. While the Western world has strutted, fretted, and threatened that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons . . . (I leave it to you, dear reader, to finish the sentence).

**The Egyptian Army and President Morsi have apparently been able to somewhat tamp down the opposition overnight. On the military side, SCAF, Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, issued dire warnings of the actions it would take to ensure that the country does not further devolve into chaos.

At the same time, Morsi went on Egyptian television again to issue another “decree” that amended his original degree which conferred on himself absolute powers. The new decree removes an article which had given Morsi dictatorial power to “confront threats to the revolution and nation”. The new degree also disingenuously removes another article which had made all Morsi decrees–between his taking office this past June 30th until a new legislature is elected–beyond legal challenge.

Why ‘disingenuously’? Because Morsi went on to say that all of his “constitutional declarations including this declaration” are beyond judicial review.

TODAY’S BLOG:

From 1 Maccabees 4: 36-41:

36 Then said Judah and his brothers, “Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to [Jerusalem to] cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.” 37 So all the army assembled and they went up to Mount Zion. 38 And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. 39 Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. 40 They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven. 41 Then Judah detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. . .

Today is the 25th of Kislev in the Jewish year 5773–more than 2,100 years since Judah Maccabee, his brothers, and their Hasmonean soldiers went up to Jerusalem to find their desolate Jewish Temple which had been profaned by the Greeks.

After the Temple had been cleaned and decorated, and a new altar and holy vessels had been formed, the Maccabees made sacrifices of praise and deliverance and rededicated the Temple. The ensuing celebration lasted for eight days (we all know the miracle of the oil) and was marked “with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals.” Thus was the first Chanukah* (or “rededication”).

A scene from the Mea Shearim orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem in a previous year at the end of Chanukah (notice that all candles are lit). What do people who live in apartments often do? They stack their Chanukiahs in glass containers (picture source: allaboutjerusalem.com).

You cannot imagine, dear reader, the beauty of Chanukah here in Israel. As your humble servant wandered through our neighborhood here in Ashdod last night, each family had taken its Chanukiah* out into the street to light the candles. The warmth radiated by grandparents, parents, and children as their candles were lit, coupled with the smell of latkes* and souvganiot* coming from every kitchen created a feeling that simply cannot be described.

Yummy! The scene with souvganiot at every bakery in the country. Of course, homemade ones are the best!

Later, as we were driving around Ashdod to look at the wonderful Chanukiahs that have been placed all over the city in parks, traffic circles, and around public buildings, my thoughts drifted back Judah Maccabee.

I wondered what he would have thought about how Chanukah has become such an integral part of Jewish tradition. I couldn’t help but think that he would smile at the lighted Chanukiah displays all over Israel and the world.

But then I also wondered what would happen if Judah Maccabee and his brothers went down to Jerusalem, stood on Mt. Zion, and looked out toward the Temple Mount.

What would he think that there is no Temple and that two non-Jewish places of worship have replaced it and defiled the Mount? What would he think about the fact that Jews are only permitted on the Temple Mount when non-Jews tell them they can come? What would he think about the fact that even when they are permitted on the Temple Mount, Jews cannot pray there or even carry a Torah? What would he think about the fact that no Jew on the Temple Mount can sing songs of praise to God or even carry an Israeli flag?

Your humble servant believes that both you and I know exactly what Judah Maccabee and his brothers would think–and what they would do without hesitation. There would be no thoughts whatsoever about being politically correct or tolerant. They would simply do what needs to be done.

On that happy note, your humble servant would like to wish all of you who celebrate Chanukah a “Hag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday!)

*Chanukah: the word also means “they rested on the 25th” referring to the fact that the Maccabees stopped fighting on the 25th of Kislev

*Chanukiah: an 8-candled candelabrum, as opposed to a 7-candled “menorah’

*latkes: fried, grated potato pancakes

*souvganiot: jelly-filled doughnuts

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A daily feature of this blog is the recognition of those of you who support Israel by donating to this website. Each month, your humble servant places each name on this wall of support into the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Today we are highlighting Margalit of Geneva, Switzerland; Benny O. of Acapulco, Mexico; and Koila T. of Fiji:

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