Torah Reading: Be'halot'cha

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The Irony of Chanukah

by Mrs. Lori Palatnik

Remembering the message of Chanukah

Published: December 8, 2007

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Visitor Comments: 13

(13) s, August 13, 2008 4:08 AM

yes

great message

(12) Anonymous, December 30, 2007 10:48 PM

great thoughts and presentation

You mentioned in this presentation the idea of using one's Hebrew name. What is yours and why do you not use it?

(11) j, December 16, 2007 12:56 AM

nicely done

you said alot in a few minutes and you said it from your heart!!

(10) Shoshana Zakon, December 13, 2007 5:05 PM

Yes!

You encapsulated the essence of Chanuka for us. We keep forgetting how we want to be distinctive and not follow in the ways of the goyim. It is not easy. Their lifestyle is the dominant one and we look at them for ideas of success is...

(9) rebecca, December 12, 2007 10:01 AM

Great teacher

Lori I always look forward to your videos.I have learned so much. thanks

(8) Yisroel Pollack, December 11, 2007 8:45 PM

The Other Side of Hellenism

What you say is beautiful, as always. But isn't a little simplistic to say that the Greeks were all about bodily exhibition (or something to that effect)? I mean, aren't the ancient Greeks of that era also famous for their literary, cultural, and philosophical achievements, as in Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, etc.? I guess it just goes to show
that, for all its 'moral high-mindedness', pagan thought couldn't abide the pure truth emanating from the light of Torah. So it sought to vanquish it. But it was defeated instead; and we celebrate Chanuka.

(7) Anonymous, December 10, 2007 11:58 AM

Great Talks! Keep up the good work.

Dear Lori,
I felt I must let you know that I have listened to several of your talks and they are really great -- short, to the point, nicely developed and inspiring. I am amazed at how much you are able to get across in such a short time. (3 minutes or so) Remarkable! Yasher Koach and Chazak U'baruch. From one Jew out there.

(6) Anonymous, December 10, 2007 4:22 AM

I Love It!!

I love youre videos.... They are amazing... You cant stop doing them.. EVER!
WE LOVE YOU LORI>>>>
Happy Hanuka.
Jodesh Tov!

(5) Jacqueline Mamoni, December 10, 2007 2:35 AM

Happy Channakah

As usual I love your posts Lori..

(4) Dvirah, December 9, 2007 3:29 PM

We Still Keep Purim Also

Jews have been celebrating Hanukah for several hundred years before Chirstmas was invented. Of course any committed Jew - and there will always be at least 10% per total Jewish popultion of those - will celebrate Hanukah; and many other holidays that may or may not coincide with some other culture's. These are our combined memory: we will not forget.

(3) Yehoshua, December 9, 2007 3:15 PM

Very ironic, indeed!

Many Jews would find it difficult to
identify with Hanukah if only they knew it was a religious war against any type of assimilation or any concession that the Torah is less than holy and devine. Indeed, Hanukah is grossly misinterpreted here in Israel also. Oh, what they do to these holy days in Haifa!
I guess the closest thing to the macabees today are the holy settlers in Yehudah, Shomron and what was Gush Katif. Come to think of it- Pesah and Purim are also misconstrued: Pesah is not the festival of freedom and liberty--for we are made servents in the end-- to G-d. And Purim is not Haloween! Instead it is an extremely holy holiday, even more so than Yom Kippur (that's what the Ari says), in that it sanctifies the creation spiritually AND physically. (Yom Kippur is spiritual sanctification, basically). It's worth checking all this out. If readers use the internet, be careful and sift through all the inaccurate and superficial information and nonsense to get at the real messages. This here site-Aish HaTorah- is probably a good place to inquire. Try also Erutz Meir. It's mostly Hebrew, but they've got an Engish page with lessons, also.

(2) Rosen, December 9, 2007 1:45 PM

it takes one to a village of Jews not to give in

That's an important thing to remember about what the Maccabees fought for not to give into secular assimilation.

For the past two holiday seasons, it appears that missionaries are out and about asking anyone Jewish or otherwise about Christ and Christmas...I have almost never gave in to what the missionaries are trying to sell as their form of religion. Furthermore, I am determined not to intermarry either after learning so much on the resilience and wisdom of Judaism - it will always promote my religious/fundamental identity. Therefore, I will always be Jewish, as my family before and after me.

(1) Anonymous, December 9, 2007 11:31 AM

The Special Olympics!

I agree that it's ironic to name an Olympic sports competition after the Maccabee's since one thing they fought against was the Greek idea of competition. The Greeks valued winning, holding that the intrinsic value of a person is measured by beating other people. Judaism does not look at winner/looser rather personal potential. Just like the oil that outlasted it's potential, we can compete with ourselves and fight against our own yetzer haras. And in the end, Hashem judges us based on our own efforts and if we try to grow, we will always win. Judaism is not like the Greek Olympics, where there is one winner and many losers, but rather, Judaism is like the Special Olympics where everyone wins!

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About the Author

Mrs. Lori Palatnik

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Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio, and is the author of "Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-By-Step," "Remember My Soul - What to do in Memory of a Loved One," and co-author of "Gossip: 10 Pathways to Eliminate It From Your Life and Transform Your Soul." She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington D.C. area, with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik. Lori is the Founder of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings over 1,000 women to Israel each year from ten different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage. She is the busy mother of five children, ages 24 to 14; and her son, Zev, just finished serving as a sharpshooter in the IDF. Her weekly video blog, "Lori Almost Live" is a popular feature on aish.com, viewed by over 50,000 people each month.

Follow Lori on Twitter, @LoriAlmostLive

May 21, 2013 / 12 Sivan 5773

The Irony of Chanukah

Remembering the message of Chanukah

Visitor Comments: 13

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