16 Dec MIKETZ: 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.