THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

The story of Chanukah, a Jewish festival being celebrated this week, begins during the second century BCE. Israel was then ruled by Antiochus IV who decided to force the pace of Hellenisation on the Jews of the land of Israel. His aim was to completely undermine the moral foundations of the Jewish nation. Rome forced the Jewish people to accept its own moral code: novel, human, fresh and tempting.

At the time, the Greeks were the world’s greatest in many fields. They were unparalleled in their advances in art, architecture, literature, drama, philosophy.  In many ways, their achievements have never been surpassed.

The battle between the two sides  was based on the question which way of life is more authentic. The ancient Jewish way, or the modernistic Greek way. That which places spiritual values at the centre, or that which considers materialism as the basis of nation building. That which worships the body or that which  crowns the soul.

This was the unique distinction between the culture of the Greeks and the world of Torah and Judaism. Jews have always known that the real battle is not fought on the physical battlefield with physical weapons, but rather in the hearts and minds of future generations.

In spite of the victory of the Hasmoneans at the time, the battle between the two cultures was not resolved. Greek culture was adopted by the Western world, and in the wake of the Emancipation in Europe,  countless numbers of  Jews have become assimilated, some even renouncing their faith.       

Jews nonetheless believe - and surely history has borne this out - that there is within Judaism something special and worth fighting for. Judaism, with its emphasis on the sanctification of life, and the belief that every human being was created in God’s image, held eternal truths that could not be abandoned.

Chanukah reminds us that people will fight for religious freedom, and the attempt to deprive them of it will always end in failure. It has already cost much bloodshed. We must never forget the lessons of the past, if we are to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

The symbol of Hanukkah is the menorah, which we light for eight days in memory of the Temple candelabrum. Like any fire, properly tended it gives light and warmth. But if it is let loose it burns and can destroy.

The time has certainly come when we need a global Hanukah. A festival of freedom for all the world’s faiths. If we are each free to “light” our own faith, together we can banish some of the darkness of the world.