The founders of the “Jewish Olympics” had a formidable task. To find a name for the games, they had to pick through Jewish history and find a hero who, if not actually athletic, was minimally physically fit. Two millennia of pasty-faced scholars did not qualify, so they reached back further. King David had a spindly physique and, as the author of Psalms, was remembered more for his lyrical poetry than his military conquests. The greatest war hero among the Biblical kings was perhaps Ahab, the husband of Jezebel, but he was a villain. “The Ahab Games” just wouldn’t do.
Then, voila! They found them: the Maccabees! These five brothers valiantly fought and vanquished the mighty Greek army. They were physically strong and morally upstanding. The games would be called the Maccabiah. After all, the Maccabees are the perfect role models for aspiring Jewish athletes.
Or are they?
Who Were the Maccabees Anyway?
The Maccabees were distinguished by two traits: They were idealistic and they were undaunted by difficulty.
In terms of their idealism, the name “Maccabee” says it all. The five brothers were the sons of the elderly priest Mattathias. The family designation was “Hasmonean.” The appellation “Maccabee” is actually an acronym for Mi kimocha b’eilim Hashem, meaning: “Who is like You among gods, God!” “Maccabee” is a statement of one-pointed dedication to the One God.
The battle the Maccabees waged was the first war in history to be fought not for the sake of land or power, but for the sake of a religious ideal.
For the first 160 years after Alexander the Great’s peaceful takeover of Judea, the Greek Hellenists allowed their cultural influence to gradually win over the Jewish population. The urban elite of Jerusalem adopted Greek language, dress, and artistic and cultural mores, including the hitherto unknown pastime of engaging in sports. While physical strength and prowess were always valued for military conquest, the Greeks made athletics an end in itself, instituting competitions where the fastest/strongest/most adept were feted. In Jerusalem, they built a sports stadium to the south of the Holy Temple. There young Jews, including priests, competed naked. Many had their circumcision surgically reversed, for the Greeks idolized nature and spurned circumcision, the Jews’ sign of their covenant with God.
The choice of the cosmopolitan residents of Judea to become Hellenists was simply conforming to a world trend. Greek culture, after all, was modern, enlightened, scientific, and universalistic, while Judaism was widely regarded as old-fashioned, tribal, and restrictive. In that era, taking on the Greek lifestyle was a prerequisite to becoming materially successful and culturally sophisticated. As historian Paul Johnson wrote: “Acquiring Greek culture was a passport to first-class citizenship, as later would be baptism.” [A History of the Jews, p. 99]
Of course, all this was anathema to traditional Jews such as Mattathias, but as long as they were allowed to continue to study and observe the Torah, they submitted to Greek rule. All that changed in 167 B.C.E., when the Seleucid Greek King Antiochus issued a decree outlawing the practice and study of the Torah, on pain of death.
Greek troops entered the village of Modi’in and commanded the residents to sacrifice a pig to an idol. One obsequious Jew stepped forward to comply. An enraged Mattathias killed the apostate and the Greek officer. Then he, his sons, and a handful of his supporters fled to the hills.
The Maccabees were, first and foremost, idealists.
One can only imagine the discussion that took place that night in the cave where Mattathias and his five sons were hiding. As they huddled in the cold (because they dared not light a fire that would give away their whereabouts), they had to plan their next step. They never intended to start a war; they didn’t dream of vanquishing the mighty, well-equipped Greek army. Only one thing was clear to them: They would continue to practice the mitzvot of the Torah, and no force on earth would stop them. And if Antiochus sent his troops to enforce his nefarious decree, they would fight those troops. They would fight for their religious ideals.
The Maccabees were, first and foremost, idealists.
Rabbi Noah Weinberg, o.b.m., used to say: “Figure out what you’re willing to die for. Then live for it.” That could have been the motto of the Maccabees. They were willing to die (and all five of them did die!) for God and His Torah. In that cave they decided to start fighting for that ideal.
Had they been pragmatists, they would have cowered before the Greek army with its 40,000 well-trained, well-equipped troops, plus elephants, the tanks of the ancient world. Had they been realists, they would have surrendered to the zeitgeist of assimilation that had already swept their country and their people. But they were idealists, and an idealist does what’s right, whatever the cost, whatever the result.
Miraculously, they ended up winning. After three years of guerilla warfare, they drove the Greeks from Jerusalem and from the Holy Temple, and reinstituted the service in the Temple. It took them a full 26 years to achieve complete victory over the Greeks, and by that time four of the Maccabee brothers had been killed. Only Simon lived to witness the final withdrawal of the Seleucid Greek forces from Jerusalem, and seven years later he too was killed by a Seleucid plot.
Idealists, the Maccabees both devoted their lives and gave their lives for their religious ideals.
Undaunted by Difficulty
Sometimes a person who rises to heroic heights for the sake of ideals is routed by the day-to-day hardships of living. In our times, the plaintive, “But it’s hard!” has become a common response to all kinds of proposals meant to benefit oneself and others.
Let’s go back to the cave where the Maccabees are discussing what to do. Imagine a 21st century person joining the discussion.
Judah Maccabee: We can’t go back to our village. The Greeks are looking for us. We’ll have to live here in the cave, without any of the comforts of home.
21st century person: But that’s hard.
All heads turn, but they decide to ignore the interruption. Another brother continues:
Jonathan: We can’t even stay in this cave. We’ll have to keep moving around so the Greeks won’t find us.
21st century person: But that’s hard.
Simon: It means not seeing our wives and children—for as long as this takes. It could be a very long time.
21st century person: But that’s hard.
Eliezer: We can’t just hide. We have to go out and attack the Greek troops, engage them in battle.
21st century person: Are you kidding? That would be really hard.
Maccabees, annoyed, in unison: What does “hard” have to do with it?
Fortunately for us, the Maccabees were not discouraged by difficulty. If they had been, the Hellenists would have won, and Judaism would have disappeared. Not only would there be no Chanukah, but there would be no Judaism and no Jews.
The Maccabees, dedicated to an ideal and undaunted by difficulty, are indeed worthy Jewish role models. The world’s highest pole-vaulter has nothing on them!
(14) Yaakov, December 3, 2015 5:08 PM
Torah.observance is an idea to die for!
Being a convert I could see problems in what was being taught in gentile circles.I was eventually singled out being labeled a judaizer. Before I left I let them have it,basically this was a war of words.Now that I have found Torah I will fight all who still try to discourage my study. Even other Jews who have told me that I am not really Jewish
(13) Dr. Harry Hamburger, December 1, 2015 9:20 PM
Where are the real Jewish hero today??
From each and every tribe
a thousand men shall stand
even from tribe of Levi
must all defend the Land
Those in service of G-d
should not turn and hide
must be humble before all
and fight by their side
____________________________
In parshot Matot, G-d instructs Moses that EVERY tribe must send a thousand men to fight against the Midianites. Today, their descendants, and the alien nations surround Israel on all sides. Now, as was before, all men living in the Land of Israel must give their service to the army. How dare a religious man say that he cannot stand next to a lowly secular Jew to protect Eretz Yisrael! What was commanded to Moses, is still true today! Who will stand when men kiss men in the streets of Tel Aviv? Who will stand when women kill their babies in the womb for economic reasons? Who will stand against the Maskalim, who marry Jew to Gentile? He is here today, and will reveal himself when the moment is right, and the world will tremble. (Dr. Harry is a Breslev Reb, Chassidic poet, and a physician)
(12) Anonymous, October 23, 2014 1:09 PM
Great!
This is great! Thank you so much for posting it!
(11) Yudit, December 2, 2013 11:26 PM
maccabees were not idealists - they were Torah Jews
the maccabees were distinguished by 1 thing - they were dedicated to God above anything else, willing to die rather than to live not according to Torah.
Idealism is very nice - depending on what ideal it is. And there is nothing in Judaism that glorifies doing things the hard way if you don't have to.
(10) Anonymous, December 2, 2013 3:02 PM
Maccabbees Spiritual Army dedicated to Torah
It is totally incorrect to consider that the Chashmonayim, Maccabbees were planning a victory or championing freedom from Hellenistic despots. That is the Holywood view of Judaism - how many times we defeated our enemies against impossible odds. The reality is that the Maccabbees learned Torah, and were spiritually connected to Hashem. Their mesiras nefesh - willing to die for the sake of Hashem - and dedicating their lives to Torah and service of Hashem is what the point of Chanuka is - we celebrate the Torah and our ability to follow Hashem's will as the overarching theme here. The fact that they won was a miracle - from Hashem - because of the dedication to Hashem - how many people stand up to do what is right because HASHEM Says so!!!!!! in an age where our emunah is low and we are despondent at life's challenges - Chanuka is a reminder that we must renew our dedication to Hashem and His Holy Torah!!!!!
(9) Anonymous, December 2, 2013 4:33 AM
Thank you.
I like learning about the Maccabees and how they overcame assimilation. We should all learn from them. The oil is a miracle for sure, but the fight to stand up for Hashem is truly a miracle against all odds. BH
(8) Efraim Weinblatt, January 1, 2012 4:08 PM
Is Maccabiah the most appropriate name?
While all that you say about the greatness and dedication of the Maccabees is true, when you think about it this actually is not the best name for these games. The whole point of the Maccabee rebellion was to counter the pervasive influence of Greek culture, a large part of which was Olympic style games and idolization of sports and the individual, rather than any spirituality and connection to Hashem. To actually use their name to be linked with Olympic games that idolize sports and individual accomplishments rather than ruchniyos would seem to be the most inappropriate use of their name. Perhaps something more appropriate would be "The Naphtali Games" since this son of Yaacov Avinu was noted for swiftness and speed.
Diane, December 1, 2013 5:53 PM
Yes, the irony of Greek Olympics vs. Jewish Maccabeah Games
It is an ironic name for an Jewish sporting event considering they were fighting against these very type of games. The difference, I believe is that we have found that we as Jews need to be strong (look at the IDF as well as recent history of the Warsaw uprising). Adding the Jewish element of belief in
Hashem, proves that there can be a melding of Torah and competitive games. Look at the IDF Krav Maga for self-defense. It is taught in the US, too. Jews have learned that we need to be strong, and today, we know that we need to exercise to be healthy. Hashem gave us our bodies, and it is up to us to care for these bodies to the best of our ability. I am also proud when I see the Israeli flag at the world Olympics (although one can never forget Munich in 1972). We have persevered and showed the world that Jews can be strong.
(7) Anonymous, December 29, 2011 4:16 AM
Didn't have any Hanukkah movies, so I watched for the first time viewing The Karate Kid 1 & 2. It fit perfectly in line I thought with the Maccabees. You fight for defense, for principle, and prayer gives you strength when your own physically strength runs out. The one thing lacking with the Greeks of that day, they relied all on their own physical strength. The Maccabees relied on prayer.
(6) Miriam, December 28, 2011 3:22 PM
Made a big impact.
For the first time, I truly relate to the Macabeem. I feel inspired.
(5) Wassim, December 28, 2011 3:16 AM
response to Alexis #4
I thought they "gave their lives" for the liberation of Judea from Roman rule (presumably in order to freely practice and study Torah, at least). I doubt idealists would find much motivation to militantly oppose the popularity of physical competition alone. It's the seemingly societal trend of prioritising physical prowess over spiritual development that is offensive to a principled person. The naming of the games after them is a good way to highlight the importance of "other human characteristics" besides physical prowess, as is also achieved by the Paralympics. Reality TV shows like Survivor also show that political manouvering and relationship management is also essential to success in a competitive environment. The trouble is, some people don't approach life as a competitive environment. They (ie. some) take life and what they've been *given* for granted. They can't possibly imagine that neglecting your spiritual needs can manifest itself in physiological symptoms. They can't possibly imagine that they might die with less than what they were born with. That's why religion IS relevant in the 21st century, and "Judaism" is the only realistic choice for those who value truth. Thank you Madam Rigler for inspiring me today.
Alexis, December 28, 2011 9:25 AM
response to Wassim
The Maccabiad Games exalt physical prowess. Period. Maybe a Yeshiva for the study of Torah should be named for the Maccabees. The sports competitions should be named for Antiochus.
Wassim, December 29, 2011 1:01 AM
Digital signals in a fuzzy / analogue world - Why the good/bad dichotomy?
I think physical prowess should be celebrated and perhaps sometimes even exalted, there is no denying the health and mental benefits of physical exercise. It's not bad to expend energy on physical exercise, and competition creates a realistic framework to measure progress even if you prefer to focus on your "personal best". What is bad, is to not expend any energy on spiritual development. As usual, it's about maintaining some balance, not choosing ONLY 1 of 2 noble pursuits regardless which one you consider more worthy of your effort. By naming the games after the Maccabees, it raises awareness of what the Maccabees stood for (I'd never heard of them - sorry I wasn't educated in Jewish history) and why the Olympics is not the perfect ideal of human civilisation that it is sometimes purported to be. It also triggers the audience to go and research who these Maccabees were and what they did, which is less likely to happen if you name a Yeshiva after them (hasn't that been done anyway?). BTW it is also a strategy of war to take something from your "enemy" (ie. hellenists) and refashion it to suit your agenda. Personally, I think it would be great to have a Torah interpretation competition for young prospective rabbis. I'd watch that. Even better if we could have interfaith debates with an atheist judging panel deciding who's arguments makes more sense. I'd definitely watch that. Now that's reality TV.
(4) Alexis, December 27, 2011 8:44 AM
a shondah and an insult
The Maccabees must be rolling in their graves, to find their good name co-opted for the very thing they gave their lives to stop: the exaltation of physical prowess in the vain pursuit of sports.
(3) Marite, December 27, 2011 5:45 AM
Without God, we are nothing.
Our lives, destiny and our very breath comes from our Creator. What defines us is when He is in the center of our lives.
(2) Rachel, December 26, 2011 1:57 AM
I don't understand author's depiction of 21st century people
Of course there are people today who complain "but it's hard." And the Torah tells us of Israelites who left Egypt with Moshe Rabbeinu and then complained about their unvaried diet in the desert! I know many people today who have difficulties in their lives but get out of bed every morning and try to live as well and meaningfully as they can. My point is that there will always be those who say "but it's hard" and there will always those who say "it's hard, but I'll do what I can." When Aish publishes pieces like this one, I think it can be very alienating.
Wassim, December 28, 2011 3:33 AM
In order to make a point
In order to make a point - it helps to establish a hypothetical villain, although one could argue that the hypothetical is quite realistic in this case. Judaism is full of "you could try harder or delve deeper if you're up to it". I'm sure it wasn't meant to alienate you, rather "challenge" you. Naturally, there are some who don't feel up to it more often than not. Don't take it to heart, you might feel differently tomorrow, or you might "seize the day" and forget about tomorrow altogether!
(1) Sharon, December 25, 2011 5:13 PM
something illogical here
The continuity of Judaism is a promise that Hashem made to Abraham. While the Maccabim were heroic in sacrificing their lives, it's not right to say that had they not done so, Judaism would have ended then and there. It's possible that an even smaller nucleus of Jews would have remained to perpetuate it, but it could not have disappeared completely. Likewise today as we view the nuclear threat from Iran, which is a physical threat as opposed to a spirtual one, we know that the Jewish people could be significantly diminished, but they will never disappear.
Devorah, December 28, 2011 4:50 PM
Broaden your gestalt here
Sharon, this may be strictly true. It’s a principle of our beliefs that G-d will never allow the entire Jewish nation to perish. But it is also true that were we to judge history by these thoughts your question would encompass many more events: Why celebrate Purim? Why celebrate our exodus from Egypt? Why caution our people against succumbing to Amalek or to shmad? Why lament the Spanish Inquisition or the Holocaust? Why bother with Tisha b'Av!? Why should even Avraham Avinu's test of the Akeidah be considered a test? In all these cases and more, the Jewish people will always survive anyway, with or without those particular Jews who became - or would have become - victims. The answer is the world famous Talmudic dictum that someone who saves one soul is counted as if he saved a whole world. Say during Hellenist Greece’s occupation of Jerusalem there was a Jew named Chanan HaKaspi, and he refused to eat treif and was smitten on the spot. Let’s say his descendents a few hundred generations later had the last name Silverman, from the East Side, and (I don't know you , but...) Yanky Silverman's granddaughter was a sweet Jewish woman named Sharon. Wait, no, she (read that You) would not be here, nor all the generations before her, nor all of her/your descendants. That WHOLE WORLD was smitten along with Chanan HaKaspi! And in truth we are talking about this story multiplied exponentially by the millions.Please let's not be so flippant as to say we should not talk of this as a salvation of the Jewish people as a whole. Moshe Rabbeinu did not think this way when G-d threatened to let all the Jews die and start again, just from Moshe, after they sinned with the Golden Calf. “What was his problem,” is what you might be thinking! “There would have been fewer to start with, but it’s ok.” Sharon, each individual loss is a loss for ALL JEWS. And if we would not have been victorious then (as when in Persia on Purim, etc), yes, WE (the Silvermans of 2012) would not be here today!