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The Chanukah Story of Our Generation

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Taco, Tequila, and Torah Tuesdays – 12/12/2017

The Chanukah Story of Our Generation


There are only 3-5 humans in the world that count as super-humans when it comes to Torah. Halachicly (הילכתי) they are the ones that you can go to find out information and receive advice from.

Rabbi Ovadya Yosef zt’l is one of them. There is a story shared about two questions he was asked. The first was, we live in Israel and there are constant threats, what do we do? For his answer, all he did was sigh, move his hand in a calm way, and say ah. Showing that those constant threats are threats that can be dealt with. The second question was, what’s going to be the future with our children? They are exposed to so much materialism, phones, internet, etc? For his answer, he started crying. He explained that that is a great question, and that is the real threat. That message was very powerful for the ones who asked and for thousands of others. That message is what Chanukah is all about.

The Chanukah story marks the last story that turned into a Jewish holiday. It is the last major thing to happen that had a huge impact and actually changed the Jewish culture, traditions, and customs. Since then and until today we are living in times that are known as the dark ages. A time with a void in spirituality.

The Chanukah story talks about the Macabeets (מכביים), the super holy Cohanim (כהנים) priests, who were in fact malnourished and weak. Although they were not supposed to fight, they picked up their swords for the first time to go up against the Greeks. Resulting in the complete destruction of the Greek empire.

During Chanukah 2 miracles occurred. The first was the oil that lasted for eight days. The second is us, the weak Jews taking over a whole nation and completely wiping them out. So why do we only celebrate and focus on the oil? The reason is, Judaism does not believe in the strength of the battle, but rather believes in the power of spirituality. It believe in the light spirituality brings to the world, to ourselves, and to our families. That is the idea of the Chanukah story.