28 Nov CHANUKAH: CONTINUING THE BATTLE

Chanukkah is one of
two holidays that the
Rabbis instituted to
celebrate great miracles
that happened to our
nation, the other, of
course, being Purim. Several differences
exist between the way we observe
Chanukkah and the way we observe
Purim. The most obvious difference has
to do with feasting. On Purim, we are
obligated to have a large, festive meal to
celebrate our victory over Haman. But on
Chanukkah, although it is customary for
families and friends to get together for
parties, there is no technical requirement
to have a special se’udah on Chanukkah
like there is on Purim.
The famous reason given is that in the
time of the Purim story, we faced a
physical threat, as Haman wanted to kill
all the Jews, and so we celebrate with our
bodies, by eating and drinking. During
the time of the Chanukkah story, however,
the Greeks did not want to kill the Jews,
but rather wanted to prevent them from

observing their religion. Therefore, we
celebrate by saying Hallel and lighting
candles to recall the rededication of the
Bet Ha’mikdash, rather than by feasting.
But there is also another very important
difference. On Purim, we have a
Megillah, which we read as part of our
celebration. The story of the Purim
miracle was written down in a text that is
part of the Tanach, and we read it each
year on Purim.
On Chanukkah, however, we have no
text. There is no Megillah about the
Chanukkah miracle that we read. One
Rabbi explained that the reason is
because the story of the Chanukkah
miracle is still being written. The Jews at
the time waged a heroic struggle against
the influence of the Greeks. And we are
still waging that battle, to this day – the
battle to maintain our purity, our values
and our principles. It’s been some 2,000
years since the Chanukkah story, and this
struggle is still going on. We’re still
writing the story. There are many places
here in the United States where this battle

is being lost. These are places
with large shuls with lots of
empty seats, and the other seats
filled only with elderly
Jews. These are communities
which did not fight the battle
hard enough, which did not do
enough to impress upon their
children the importance of
Torah, which did not withstand
the financial pressures of
leading an observant lifestyle.
We win this battle by reminding
ourselves that the battle is
worth it. Yes, it’s very hard paying
tuition, keeping all the mitzvot, and
committing ourselves to all the Torah’s
obligations. But it is SO WORTH IT!
The Mishnah in Pirkeh Avot teaches,
“the more Torah we have, the more life
we have.” If we want to live life to its
fullest, we need to have Torah in it. This
is the only way. Torah gives us wisdom,
refined characters, faith, encouragement,
commitment to family, self-discipline,
and a sense of purpose. These are the

ingredients for a happy and meaningful
life. When things get hard, we need to
remind ourselves this: living a Torah life
is AWESOME. Yes, it is not perfect,
there are challenges, and it can be difficult
at times, but it is the key to being happy
and fulfilled.
May we always proudly continue the
struggle of the Jews of the Chanukkah
story, and may we always experience the
unparalleled joy and satisfaction that
Torah and mitzvot bring.