In his Mishneh Torah, Rambam places the laws of Purim and Chanukah into one section. However, he begins the halachot of each in a different way. With regard to Purim, he begins immediately with the laws: the obligation to read the megillah, etc. Chanukah, however, has an introduction that provides the historical background of the holiday. The reason for this difference is that on Purim one reads the story in the megillah so there is no need to review it before teaching the halachot. On Chanukah there is no formal obligation to recount the story. Therefore, Rambam gives the holiday context and purpose.
Rambam’s introduction to the laws of Chanukah begins as follows:
בבית שני כשמלכי יון גזרו גזירות על ישראל ובטלו דתם ולא הניחו אותם לעסוק בתורה ובמצוות…ונכנסו להיכל ופרצו בו פרצות וטמאו הטהרות…ת
“During [the period of] the Second Temple, when the Greek rulers legislated decrees on the Jews and voided their religion, not allowing them to study Torah and [perform] mitzvot…they entered the Temple, broke it down and defiled the pure…”
As always, Rambam is very precise with the words he uses. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l, explained the difference between the phrase ופרצו בו פרצות, “they broke it down,” and וטמאו הטהרות, “they defiled the pure.” To break something, to breach a wall or to destroy a physical structure, is observable. It is easily seen and will always be noticed. However, the difference between something that is טהור, ritually pure, and something that is טמא, impure, cannot be observed by physical vision. It is a spiritual state that cannot be discerned by looking at that which is pure or impure. Indeed, someone or something can pass from pure to impure and back again without any observable physical transformation. Spiritual reality is not something the eye can see.
Rav Lichtenstein said that Rambam was making the point that the Greeks committed two kinds of destruction upon the Jewish people. They entered the Temple and disgraced it by breaking, looting, and causing it to be filthy. This could easily be seen.
But there was another form of destruction taking place in Eretz Yisrael in Hellenistic times. The Greeks were defiling the pure spaces. This refers to an infiltration that is not seen with the eye but was affecting the soul. Greek ideas, philosophies and attitudes were making their way into Jewish minds. New ideas, different from that to which they were accustomed, were in the air. A strict moral code struggled to compete with the allure of fashion, physical beauty and competitive sport that the Hellenists offered. One can easily imagine Jewish parents at that time worried when their teenage children left the home, perhaps after having changed into the newest Greek style of clothing. Who were their friends? Where were they going? To the stadium or other places of Greek entertainment? Would their Jewish education protect them from the new fads overtaking the community? Would they adopt attitudes alien to the Torah?
Many were lost. Jews, like others, were drawn into the new way of looking at reality. At the time, to be modern was to be Greek in one’s thinking and behavior. Critical thinking about everything was encouraged. Acceptance of tradition was viewed as backward. Philosophical debates, relying on nothing more than one’s analytical abilities, were viewed as the only way to arrive at truth. The notion that one would accept the older generation’s conclusions about life was scorned. The rejection of traditional values coupled with emphasis placed upon physical beauty and pleasure caused great concern in the Jewish community.
Nevertheless, the Greek contribution to the civilized world is undeniable. The Torah reflects this as well.
יפת אלקים ליפת וישכון באהלי שם…(בראשית ט: כז) כז
“May God expand Yefet and he will dwell in the tents of Shem” (Bereishit 9:27). Explicating this verse, the Gemara (Megilla 9b) explains, יפיפותו של יפת יהא באהלי שם. “The beauty of Yefet (Greece) will be in the tents of Shem (Jews).”
There is a place for the elegance and organization the Greek culture offered. It could be integrated and appreciated in a Jew’s life. But this, of course, could be true only if the Jew is fully identified with Jewish values. If right and wrong are determined by the Torah and tradition, perhaps modern dress could be adopted. It might be safe to venture into Greek philosophy if one is suffused with an understanding of Torah perspectives. Not everyone succeeded in this delicate balance. They ventured out to become a part of the modern world and did not find their way back to their heritage.
The Syrian Greeks were not satisfied with some sort of healthy integration. The imposition of Greek culture and the erasure of a Jewish way of life was their mission. Ultimately, as we all know, a war was fought and won by the Jews in Eretz Yisrael. The decision was made to mark this victory by lighting candles, marking the miracle of the menorah. This is because the victory was a spiritual one, and a flame represents the soul.
The Chanukah story should speak directly to Modern Orthodox Jews who value the same sort of synthesis with Western culture.
Due to the vision and dedicated work of many people over the past six decades, it is quite easy to be an Orthodox Jew in America today. In Orthodox communities, for the most part, we do not have פרצו בו פרצות. The structures remain in place, allowing us to live good Jewish lives. Communally, thank God, there are few observable violations of halacha. Kosher food is readily available, eruvin are reliable, and mikvaot are beautiful. All this is to the great credit of concerned and committed members of Modern Orthodox communities. However, Rambam’s second phrase must be examined carefully. וטמאו הטהרות, they defiled the pure. Do those places that should be pure bastions of Torah values, our minds and our hearts, remain pure despite interaction with modern Western culture? Have we retained the Torah’s perspective on cultural issues or are we taken in by slogans in the media? Do we see the world through the prism of Torah? In our minds, does the Torah have to answer for its values or do we automatically accept its truths? There is much to be valued in Western culture and we should integrate it when possible, but our exposure to the larger society is constant, and we might be subconsciously adopting ideas foreign to our value system. Synthesis is a tricky business, as the Jews learned long ago. The Torah has a point of view on everything in our lives—our wealth, how we spend our leisure time, our relationships, etc. Are we, in the deep recesses of our hearts, committed only to a Torah way of viewing the world? Are we Jewish in our attitudes? That is the question of Chanukah, and the answer will not always be a simple yes or no. It is possible that we are Jewishly healthy in some of our opinions and less so in others. We had great leaders who showed us the way to a healthy integration. The synthesis apparent in the teachings of Rav Soloveitchik and Rav Lichtenstein should be an inspiration for how it is to be done.
Modern orthodox Jews insist that this synthesis can be accomplished successfully. A beautiful, thriving community is proof of that. That is true, but it is only one part of the equation—the visible part. Purity of heart and mind for Torah values is not visible, but ultimately determines whether we will be able to claim the victory of the soul. We will all take a few moments and gaze at the lights of the Chanukah menorah. As we do, we should ask ourselves: are we winning the battle in our generation?
Rabbi Neal Turk is the mashgiach of the semicha program at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University.
