14 | NOVEMBER 25 • 2021





CHANUKAH

T

he story of Chanukah goes back
thousands of years to when the
Greek Empire dominated the world
scene. It is a story of a mighty kingdom
trying to impose its culture and values on
a tiny and peaceful nation,
which clung fiercely to the
beliefs and religion that they
had adhered to for centu-
ries. To accomplish their
goal, the Greeks resorted to
cruel oppression and tyran-
nical practices. But try as
they may, the indomitable
spirit of the Jewish people could not be van-
quished. Sabbaths went on being observed,
newborn babies entered into the covenant of
Abraham, and Jewish holidays based on the
lunar calendar were still celebrated.
A band of courageous men, the
Hasmoneans, stood up to the powerful
Greek army and fought valiantly; some
of them giving their lives for the cause
they believed in. Once the Greek army
had been repelled and retreated from the
land of Israel, our ancestors entered the
Holy Temple, where they had served the
Almighty Creator of the world. They found
that this sacred structure had been ran-
sacked.
Every item anathema to the Jews had
been brought into the Temple, and all of the
oil jugs used to fill and light the menorah
candelabra had their seals broken and were
rendered impure. It would take longer than
a week to produce more oil, so what would
they kindle in the interim? This is where the
Chanukah miracle took place! They lit the

little bit of oil they had, just enough for one
day, and it burned strong for eight consecu-
tive days. To commemorate this miracle, we
kindle in our homes a menorah for the eight
days of Chanukah.
The Greeks were on a mission to dom-
inate and crush the spirit of the Jewish
people. They sought to tear them away from
their rich heritage and traditions and break
them, and to eventually swallow them up
into the prevailing Hellenistic culture. But
the spirit of the Jewish people could not
be broken. It held strong, and they kept on
practicing in the way of their parents and
grandparents. They kept their heads up high
and fought for what they believed in. The
Greeks were not the first and, unfortunately,
not the last to attempt to break the Jewish
people.

A MODERN MIRACLE
I am reminded of a story that happened
to my wife’s grandfather, Henry Berger, a
survivor of eight concentration and death
camps, including Auschwitz. When he was
in a forced labor detail, he was sent into the
Warsaw Ghetto after it had been liquidat-
ed. His group was tasked with the job of
cleaning out the ghetto. He and his fellow
inmates were starving, the meager rations
given to them by the Germans were not
close to enough to sustain life. Henry would
find trinkets throughout the emptied ghetto,
hide them beneath his uniform and then
trade them with the local Polish peasants as
the work detail was marched through the
towns and villages. He took the food and
distributed it among his fellow prisoners, as

every calorie meant the difference between
life and death.
One day, he was caught, viciously beaten,
and left for dead. His friends carried his bro-
ken body back to camp and, after a few days,
he miraculously recovered. His first day
back on the job, as he was clearing debris
from the ghetto, he once again collected
some trinkets to barter with the peasants
to provide some nourishment for his fellow
prisoners. His body was imprisoned, but his
spirit was free. The Germans were unsuc-
cessful in breaking his kind Jewish spirit.
This is the story of Chanukah — that
small little flame, the Jewish spirit burn-
ing strong through the night, through
the darkest of times, impossible to extin-
guish. Though tyrants have persecuted us,
beaten us, that inner light that burns strong
in the heart and soul of the Jewish people
refuses to go out. It goes on shining, illu-
minating the world. The Torah teaches that
just a little bit of light pushes away a lot of
darkness.
Several years ago, I visited the Mammoth
Caves in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the
largest underground cave system in the
world. Our tour guide warned us that he
was about to turn off the electric lights in
the cave. When he hit the switch, it went
completely dark. But then he lit just one lit-
tle match and the entire cavernous room lit
up — from that one tiny flame. That humble
little flame, the Chanukah light, the spirit of
the Jewish people, will go on illuminating
the world.

Rabbi Chaim Fink is an educator with Partners Detroit.

Chanukah’s miracle sheds light
on the spirit of the Jewish people.

Inextinguishable Flame

Rabbi Chaim
Fink