On the first day of Chanukah, SAR High School students released the Chanukah edition of Ruach S’ARah, a student-compiled publication of divrei Torah that is produced for each holiday. Ruach S’ARah is a staple in many Jewish households and it is not uncommon for families to read excerpts from it throughout festive holiday celebrations. Seniors Eliana Fromer and Abie Perelis, the publication’s editors in chief, introduced the issue with the following explanation of the success of the Chashmonaim:
In the midst of Greek decrees and subjugation, one man famously stood up with a call to action. Matityahu, drawing on the moral clarity of his original predecessor, declared, “mi la-Hashem eilai!. Whoever is for Hashem, to me!” In response to the paganistic backsliding of the Chet Haegel, the Leviim were able to muster true faith in God. Matityahu was strengthened by this ancient precedent when he decided to call the people to resist hellenization. By clearly demonstrating the divine path in face of tragedy, Matityahu attracted the people of God towards his mission. It was only because of this clear distinction, between pure and impure, that the Hasmonean struggle was able to succeed. This dramatic call to action galvanized the people. In the face of darkness, the moral path is simple and clear.
The war we are living now calls out to us ”mi la-Hashem eilai” Each and every one of us is being asked to step up as ovdei Hashem, as members of Am Yisrael, to be soldiers in our own way. The 300,00 reservists have a tzav giyus—call up order—from the IDF, and each one of us has our own tzav from Hashem, as a chelek, part, of Am Yisrael. We each must find our way to contribute, our niche to help out and be a part of the nation.
Just as we cannot be on the front lines fighting physically, so too not everyone can be fighting the “milchamah shel Torah.” SAR students have the zechut, through this publication, to have amazing writers fighting this war in their own way—drawing from the Torah’s eternal wisdom. The Chanukah story is a model and an inspiration in so many different paths that went undiscovered until now. The light of the Chanukah story serves as a beacon of hope today. The war of zedim against oskei Toratecha lives on until today. Use the Torah as a torch of light, leading the way in our fight for survival.
The Chanukah edition includes articles such as The Absence of the Chanukah War in the Talmud by Sophomore Noa Schlaf-Pearlberg, The Light the World Needs in a Time of Darkness by Freshman Hannah Simon, The True Origins of the Dreidel Game by Senior Reiut Cohn, and A Chanukah Dedicated to Sukkot: New Beginnings and a Make-Up for a Broken Holiday by Junior Nate Hain.
