RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:MIRACLE OF OIL:8 DAYS

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:MIRACLE OF OIL:8 DAYS

 

 

JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:SHABBAT 12/27/08:HEBREW COLLEGE:TALMUD:TORAH:TANAK

 

Shavuah Tov Talmidim v Chaverim:

 

I wish you a joyous first night of Chanukah this Sunday December 21st at sundown.

 

First a nice comment from one of our Chaverah: ''Happy Chanukah!! Reading Jewish Spiritual Renewal Classes gets me to think more into my Jewish background. Sheila''

 

And Joy sent a gorgeous attachment of artwork about Tikva, Hope, which unfortunately Shamash won't let me attach to send it.

 

OK.  Let us talk about Hanukah. My phone has been ringing off the hook and AOL is screaming that I ''have mail'', in Barry White's sexy voice. Why? The local newspaper has the typical Hanukah article of the holiday being about greasy foods and saying that it was a military victory but that God and 8 days of oil were thrown in 300 years later. Oy. Our sages and Talmud  and Judaism say the opposite.

 

 

In fact only 65 years after Hanukah (165 BCE) in circa 100 BCE Rabbis Shammai and Hillel are arguing over the way to light the Chanukeah. It is true that in circa 135 CE, in Yavnah, the rabbis while trying to put together our Cannon of our Holy Scriptures, left the four books of Maccabees out, because their descendents, the Hasmoneans, aligned with the priests and Hebraism and tried to put an end to Rabbinic Talmudic Judaism and actually killed rabbis, but worse, in 65 BCE invited Rome into Judea to help them rule causing the beginning of ''the end.''

 

In circa 30 CE even Jesus celebrated Hanukah, the feast of Rededication, ''during the winter,'' if one reads  John 10:22.

 

The rabbis in their words, for any Jew to experience the height of human folly, and think that this was a military victory, and not a Divine one, placed into the Haftarah of Hanukah the words of Zechariah : ''Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord" (Zechariah 4:6). In a sermon I attended in August I heard incorrectly that the Haftarah was devised during Roman times. It was devised during this Greek occupation-Hanukah time.

 

So my phone was ringing and emails chiming with upset Jews and Christians, [actually the Christians were more upset] over the alleged agnostic quote of the holiday. I just assured them that Judaism is the opposite of what the newspaper had written and that the source  was , I am sure, misquoted.

 

We were all taught as kids that Maccabees means ''the Hammer.'' This was fine when we were recently post-Holocaust and in the midst of establishing the State of Israel. We needed images of strong Jews, who knew how to carry and use weapons.

 

But Maccabee  is an acronym for the words of the Torah: "Mi Kamocha Ba'elim Adonai" - "Who is like you among the powerful O' God".   This was their slogan as they went out to war, expressing their complete trust in God.

 

Maccabee also stands for: Matisyahu Kohen Ben Yochanan - Matisyahu the Priest, son of Yochanan.  Matisyahu (the High Priest) and his five sons led the revolt against the occupying forces and were heroes of Chanukah.

 

Hanukkah is an eight-day festival, commemorating the historic victory of the Maccabee family over the Syrian tyrant, Antiochus, in the 2nd century B.C.  Before the ruler conquered Jerusalem he and his people championed the cause of hellenization. In other words, Antiochus is trying to make all the people of his kingdom like the rest of the Greeks. His cause is to conquer the minds' of the people and make them live like the 'civilized' Greek world.  His goal was to conquer the Hebrews by having them assimilate into the nations.  To help his actions, he desecrated  the Temple.  He forbade the Hebrews to circumcise their sons. He stopped Sabbath worship. He even required the new brides to spend the night with a Greek general before any marriage took place.  He sacrificed a pig on the altar and put to death any Jewish people who dared to observe the commands of Torah.

 

Why did the oil need to last eight days? Why was 8 days of oil an immediate part of the Hanukah story and not something tossed in 300 years later?

 

According to Halacha (Jewish law) one becomes "Tamei" - "spiritually impure" when coming into contact with a dead body.  The person must then wait seven days before becoming "Tahor" - "spiritually clean."

 

Due to the battles which the Maccabees fought, they came into contact with dead bodies and were considered unclean.  Any oil which they would have produced during these seven days would not have been "clean" for use in the Holy Temple.  Only on the eighth day were they able to begin producing "pure oil" fit for the Holy Temple.  As a result, they needed a miracle for the original oil to last eight days.

 

Another reason given is that the best quality oil produced in Israel was in the territory of the Tribe of Asher, which was a four day journey from Jerusalem.  Thus, to bring fresh oil they required four days to go and four days to return.

 

Now whether you wish to believe that oil for one day lasted for 8, or that they happened to find some more, or whether you wish to believe in God or not, it is up to you. But the ''story'' of 8 days of oil, was not something added into Judaism 300 years after Hanukah.

 

Now we gave you a pusuk of TaNaK (Zachariah) above:

 

Here is some Talmud:

The Talmud Balvi Tractate Shabbat 21b discusses three places where one may, under different circumstances, light neirot Chanuka: "The mitzva is to place the Chanuka lights at the entrance to one's house, outside.  If one lives in a loft, he should place them in a window adjacent to the public thoroughfare (reshut ha-rabim).  And in times of danger, he should place them on his table, and that suffices." In daf 22a Rabba said: The Chanuka lamp should be placed within the tefach (a handbreadth; approximately 8 cm) nearest the door.  And where is it placed? R. Acha son of Raba said: On the right hand side. R. Shmuel of Difti said: On the left hand side.  And the law is, on the left, so that the Chanuka lamp shall be on the left and the mezuza on the right…"

So my question is: why do we have an obligation to publicize the miracle of Hanukah? Why do we  not have to publicize the miracle of Purim?

The economy is in shambles. A Jew has ''made-off'' with other Jewish charitable institutions money. We have a new parasha still talking about dreams, and ironically about 7 bad economic years to hit Egypt.  Allow me to give you a little more Talmud regarding dreams and some good economic hope.

Our sages considered seeing pomegranates in a dream a fortuitous omen, Rabbi L. Cooper posits. The Talmud tells us that the significance depends on the size and condition of the fruit (Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 57a). If the pomegranates are small, the dream indicates that the dreamer's business will be fruitful like a pomegranate. If the pomegranates are large, the business will not only be fruitful, but will expand and grow.

If the pomegranates are split, the sages say there are two possible meanings,  depending on the scholarship of the dreamer. Dreamers who are Torah scholars may anticipate attaining further Torah knowledge if they see split pomegranates. Dreamers who are not well versed in Torah can expect to have the opportunity to fulfill more of the Almighty's commandments.

Pomegranates are one of the seven species with which the Land of Israel is blessed (see Deuteronomy 8:8). It is no wonder they played a prominent place in Jewish ritual art from ancient times. Thus images of pomegranates were woven into the hem of the robe worn by the high priest (see Exodus 28:33-34). Rabbi Cooper reminds us that in the Temple constructed by King Solomon, their image adorned the capitals of the two pillars - known as Yachin and Boaz - which stood at its entrance (see I Kings 7:13-22).

Pomegranates were also depicted on coins from ancient Judea. This tradition was revived when the two shekel coin entered circulation on Hanukkah 2007. This new coin features a pomegranate as well as a double cornucopia, that is, double horn of plenty. It was modeled after a coin struck by Yohanan Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean king and high priest in the second century BCE.

"May it be Your will, God, that our merits increase as the seeds of a pomegranate."

 

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA

 

Acknowledgements to Rabbi L. Cooper

 

Parasha Mikeitz: Genesis 41:01-44:17

 Life is a Masquerade

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC;Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 

In this Torah portion we find Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, still caught in the ugly family dysfunction that has plagued their clan for generations. Could we for a moment imagine this family sharing a Hanukah meal with the kids, deciding who gets to light the first candle or pick their favorite color from the box of candles? Who would decide the place seatings? Would we sit Tammy next to Judah? Would he even recognize her? Which mom gets to sit across from pappa Jacob? Whose recipe for latkes would we use? Oy! Luckily, this Hanukah scene will not be played out by this family's descendents for about 1,500 years, although the first Pesach is only a about 400 hundred years away.

In this parasha the recurring theme of hidden agendas and lack of assertive communication is replayed. Wearing the mask this time is Joseph, who does not reveal himself to his brothers. These poor guys are squirming and in fear for their very lives. And Joseph drags the game on and on, pulling the brothers, and then his father Jacob, closer into his net. And why not? Has Joseph had training in assertiveness?? Has Joseph had training in observing a normal family life where he could have learned trust and unconditional love?

Joseph, as we read in the previous parasha was a gifted, bright young man. But he was also was a tattletale and spoke loshan ha ra. He was proud, flaunting his new coat and his award as most favored son in front of his older brothers. He told them of his dream that one day they would bow to him. Joseph knew that his brothers could be cruel and bloody, as the massacre of the men of Shechem was only in the recent past. He indeed was a dreamer but his interpretation of dreams helped save him from Pharaoh's dungeon.

And so Joseph deals with his brothers as he saw his brothers and father and mother(s) and grandfather and grandmother deal with their family and others...with masks on. Tamra masquerades from Judah. The brothers hide Joseph's demise from Jacob. Jacob dresses up as Esau to fool Isaac. Rebbekah insists that he do it! Laban masks Leah to fool Isaac. We are taught Talmudically that Rachel helps Leah fool Isaac. Rachel lies to her dad about his missing idol, masking it under her skirt. Abraham masks the true reason he and Isaac are taking their pilgrimage. God's angels as men are masked whenever they appear. God speaks to man through angels, and through dreams, and in riddles, and rarely if ever assertively and open. Joseph has had some lousy role models.

As we light the Hanukah menorah, at home or at Temple, and look around the room, do our friends and loved ones see the real us, or do they see the masks we wish to wear? Are we honest and assertively kind with our friends and family or do we beat around the bush, speak in half-truths and riddles, keeping up the 3,700 year old masquerade? Do we pray to God honestly, with kavenah, and with true intention, or just perfunctorily work our way through the Shabbat service? Do we mask our own true feelings from our own selves, going through life with a cloudy hidden sense of self that makes it impossible to truly know and love another?

As the glow of the Hanukah menorah and the weekly glow of our Shabbat candles light up our faces, may we all resolve to lift off the masks and facades that hide us from each other, to make our lives and our loves meaningful and wonderful, and to pray that God continues to show His face to us and that we can successfully be able to smile back at Him.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukah!,

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Hebrew College, Newton Centre, MA, USA
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC;Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
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