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

