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OPINION

Keeping The Light
Burning Bright

between two opposing worldviews.
here is an old story of a
The
seductive Greek philosophy,
farmer who had three
\ vhich \vas having its insidious influ-
sons. He wasn't sure
ence on the rapidly assimilating Jew-
which of the three should
ish population, held that '.'hat was
rake over the farm and so he devised
beautiful
was holy. The opposing
a test. He called his sons together
Jewish
philosophy
held that what
and told each one to fill up a barn
was
holy
was
beautiful.
ro the brim. Whoever would succeed
When the Maccabees won against
in filling his barn to the fullest
insurmountable
odds, the scale was
would be the right one for the job.
ripped
toward
the
Jewish side. But
The first son thought long and
like
the
farmer's
son's
candle, which
hard, and determined
paper
dispelled
the
darkness
in the barn,
would be the most compact sub-
the
effect
of
the
menorah
burning
stance with the least airspace. He
brightly
in
the
Temple
collected tons and tons of
would have lasted only for a
scrap paper and stacked it
brief period of time if not
very tightly until the barn
for divine intervention.
was full. The father was
As every Jewish child
impressed. Hardly any air-
knows,
when the Maccabees
space remained.
reclaimed
the Temple and
The second son had an
tried
to
re-light
the meno-
even better idea. He
rah,
they
could
find
only
brought in wagonloads of
one
flask
of
oil,
enough
to
sand and poured it in
keep
the
menorah
lit
for
through a hole in the roof.
RABBI IRWIN just one day. Yet this flask .
It was a brilliant idea and
of oil burned and burned
KAT SOF
the father was even more
and burned for a total of
Spec ial to The
impressed.
eight days, until more oil
Jewish News
The third son did some-
could be procured.
thing totally different. He
It was an unmistakable
went into the barn and
sign
from
God
that He was part or
came out a few minutes later, invit-
the
victory,
that
He was with those
ing the father to come in and see
fighters
who
wanted
to re-establish
how he had filled the barn. When
the
closeness
between
humanity and
the father walked in, he saw to his
divinity
that
the
Temple
had repre-
surprise, no paper or sand or any
sented.
other substance. Instead, in the mid-
Without the Temple, how is it
dle of the barn stood a small candle,
possible to light the menorah this
its bright light piercing the darkness
Chanukah time and keep its light
and fillina b the entire barn with light .
burning in our lives — especially ar
It was the third son who took
this time when other seductive cul-
over the father's business.
tures are causing unprecedented
At Chanukah time — the Festival
assimilation
rates?
of Lights — we commemorate the
There is a way: with prayer.
heroic actions of the Maccabees
I was reminded over and over
when they stood up to their Greek
again of the power of prayer in the
conquerors, reclaimed the Temple
past year as Larry King and I trav-
and once again lit the brilliant lights
eled the country interviewing some
of the menorah. The Temple had
of the world's most influential peo-
stood dark and in ruins, but for a
ple for a book, Powerful Prayers,
small interval, since the time of its
which we co-authored. Many of
destruction by the Babylonians.
these people were born with extraor-
Now its light — a light unto the
dinary gifts and talents. Many,
nations — again pierced the dark-
through inner drive and motivation,
ness of idolatry and paganism and
reached unprecedented levels of
illuminated the world.
achievement. But to keep all of that
But the fight between the Mac-
going, they told us repeatedly, they
cabees and their Greek conquerors
had to bring God into the picture
was much more than a fight between
— with prover. Only then could
the conquered and the conquerors.
they do their best, stretch the limits,
It was, most significantly, a fight

T

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12/18
1998

24 Detroit Jewish News

Rabbi Irwin Katsof executive vice
Fund of dish
or the Frvcilen,
ve,-ident
-i
-
Torah.

-

push the envelope and set prece-
dents.
The secret of prayer and the mes-

sage of Chanukah are to connect
with the divine light and invite God