Hanukkah 2012 - More Than Just Dreidels, Latkes and Donuts!
Everybody knows the popular modern images of Hanukkah. It’s
a time of candle lighting, spinning dreidels
for chocolate money and eating potato latkes and Hanukkah Doughnuts.
Yet Hanukkah represents far, far more than just these admittedly
fun family activities and delicious holiday treats.
What the Greeks tried to do over 2000 years ago was snuff out
the very flames of Godliness in our world, the very essence of the Jewish
spirit and mission! And they did it in a very sneaky and destructive way.
When the Greeks invaded the Jewish temple, they didn't actually destroy or spill out the holy menorah oil. They simply shattered the
seal of the high priest, defiling the oil of its fundamental holiness.
The basic goal of the Greeks was to de-spiritualize and
secularize Judaism. They openly “invited” the Jews to continue studying their
sacred Torah in secular learning centers. But only as long as they were willing
to study their Torah as Just a small part of a much larger pagan religious and philosophical framework of
learning and living.
In this same way, the Greeks actually left plenty of the
oil they defiled for future use in the Jewish Temple.
In today's short Video simply titled “Hanukkah 2012” – I share
a deeply inspiring piece of Hasidic Torah wisdom that I hope ignites your
spirit and positively energizes and enlivens you as deeply as it has for me.
- Happy
Hanukkah 2012!
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