BS"D
YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva
PARSHAT MIKETZ/CHANUKAH
28 Kislev 5768/7-8 December 2007
WHAT SIDE WOULD YOU BE ON?
The Talmud, in describing the observance of the holiday of Chanukah,
uses a unique expression not found anywhere else in Talmudic literature -
“Mehadren”, someone who pursues mitzvot. And what does this person who
pursues mitzvot do? Unlike the basic commandment of having just one candle
lit for an entire household, this “mehadren” person lights one light each
night for each and every one in the household. But there’s a greater level:
“Mehadren of Mehadren”, or someone who fervently pursue mitzvot. What does
he do? According to Beit Shammai, he would light eight candles on the first
night and then each proceeding night decrease the amount of candles. Beit
Hillel teaches us to start off with one candle and each night add one
candle, until the final day when eight candles would be lit.
Today, if someone from Talmudic times would come back to life, he
certainly would be bewildered, to say the least, about how the term
"Mehadren", or "Mehadren of Mehadren" has been placed on a certain cut of
meat or a bottle of wine. What, then, did our Rabbis of old mean by this
expression, and why did they use the label only on the holiday of Chanukah?
The bloody battle of the Maccabees, which cost many thousands of Jewish
lives and went on for many years, was fought for only one reason: Religious
freedom! Better to die than to eat pork, better to die than to desecrate the
Shabbat, better to die than not be able to do circumcision. Incredible as it
might sound in the age of “everyone and his own truth”, the Maccabees killed
and were killed, all for the sake of being able to follow the commandments
of the Torah. For the sake of regaining control of the Holy Temple. Many of
the Jews at the time, in fact the majority of them, went over to the side of
the Greeks and their newfound freedoms, and even helped them in their war
and betrayed their fellow loyal Jews.
Today, some 2,200 years latter, everyone loves Chanukah! Chanukah has
become the “nice” holiday, where jelly donuts and potato pancakes are
guzzled down in great haste. Speeches are made by Jewish leaders about the
titanic contribution of the Maccabees and of their tremendous spirit, even
as these same leaders quickly go off to eat that cheeseburger or ham
sandwich. The Chanukah bush is proudly prepared right next to the Xmas
tree, as the intermarried couple look on with pride. Today Chanukah
threatens no one, no one's way of life, and so everyone loves to celebrate
it.
It was for this reason that our Rabbis labeled Chanukah with the label
of “Mehadren”- for unlike other Jewish holidays like Passover, which
celebrates our freedom from physical bondage, or Succot, celebrating the
booths we traveled in throughout our years in the desert, or Shavuot,
celebrating the receiving of the Torah - Chanukah stands alone. Chanukah is
the celebration of the spirit over the physical good, over evil in this
world. And in such a battle we need to be reinforced, for it is the greatest
of struggles. And as such, the Rabbis have taught us that Chanukah must be
labeled "Mehadren of Mehadren", for only one who is fervently pursuing
mitzvot can overcome.
It is for this reason that Chanukah is still celebrated to this day,
while other holidays, no less miraculous, have long been forgotten: To teach
us that the battles continue, the battles of the good against the evil,
whichever form they take today. The battle to be able to follow the Torah
and cleanse the Temple. So, if you were there at that time - which side
would you be on: Eating jelly donuts, or purifying the Holy Temple?
With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen
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Topic: PARSHAT MIKETZ/CHANUKAH - WHAT SIDE WOULD YOU BE ON? (Read 2169 times)