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Battle At Emmaus:

Characters:
Narrator
1st Maccabee
2nd Maccabee
3rd Maccabee
4th Maccabee
5th Maccabee
Judah
Gorgias

NARRATOR: The Maccabees,
led by their courageous leader
Judah, have gathered together in
Mitzpah, a city outside of
Jerusalem. They are preparing for
battle with the Syrian Greek army,
and the Maccabees are frightened!
1st Maccabee: We are in for a
hard battle. Have you heard how
many Syrian Greeks are gathered
against us?
2nd Maccabee: Yes, there are
thousands of them and we are so
few.
3rd Maccabee: We have to
prepare ourselves for this day. We
had better fast and put on sackcloth
and sprinkle ashes on our heads, to
show God our sincerity and
devotion.
4th Maccabee: Let us look into
our Torah to learn what we are to
do in matters concerning war. We
will consult God while the Syrian
Greeks seek answers from their
idols.

L 8

-

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1990

A Play For Chanukah

- 5th Maccabee: We will bring
the garments of the priesthood and
first fruits and the tithes .. .
All Maccabees: But, we can't
use our Temple. To God (in unison,
mournfully.)
What shall we do with these?
Where shall we take these?
Your sanctuary is trampled down

and profaned and your priests
mourn in humiliation.
And behold — the enemy has
assembled against us to
destroy us.
You know what they plot
against us.
How will we be able to withstand

them if you do not help us!
1st Maccabee: But, how can we
fight them? We haven't eaten a
thing all day!
2nd Maccabee: We are so
weak!
3rd Maccabee: We are so few
people!
4th Maccabee: We don't have
enough weapons!
The sounds of trumpets are
blowing in the background and all
the Maccabees give a loud shout.
Narrator: Judah walks to the
front of his troops as they all gather
around him.
Judah: Troops, the time has
come to go out to battle. We have
fasted. We have put on sackcloth,
and ashes on our foreheads, and
torn our clothing. We have gathered
strength from looking in the Torah.
And we have learned from the Torah
text that not all of us should be
taking part in the battle because we
have other mitzvot to fulfill.
First of all, how many of you
are building houses?
Maccabees: (Several voices
shout.) I am.
Judah: You should return home
and dedicate your house. Perhaps
you will die in battle and someone
else will dedicate it.
Second, who among us has

planted a vineyard but has not yet
harvested the crops?
Maccabees: (A few voices
should.) Aye . . . Aye!
You, too, must return home lest
you die in battle and someone else
will harvest it.
Third, who among us has just
become engaged? You also must
return home, lest you also die in
battle and someone else will marry
your chosen bride.
And finally, let any man who is
afraid and disheartened return
home, lest his lack of courage affect
the troops.

Now, we will leave our campsite
and set up camp outside of
Emmaus where Gorgias and his
army are located.(The sound of men
gathering equipment and troops
marching out is heard.)

Narrator: The troops of Judah
are gathered in their camp outside
of Emmaus and Judah is giving a
pep talk to his troops before they go
out to battle.
Judah: Troops, gird yourselves
and be valiant. Be ready early in
the morning to fight with these
Syrian Greeks who have assembled
to destroy us and our sanctuary. It
is better for us to die in battle than
to see the misfortunes of our nation