Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah, Healthy New Year...

Introduction:

In the Sherman Park neighborhood, were Barbie and I live, the community enjoys a blog called "NextdoorAuerHouse" a play on a Street name here in Sherman Park, 'Auer Street'. One of our neighbors wanted to recognize Hannuka and reprinted an article that speaks of the common themes of Hannukah and Christmas. Specifically Jean want to wish the Jewish Community a very Happy Chanukah. Her greetings included the prayer that the Jewish Community take pride in the hero of the day "Judas Maccabee" 

An Open Letter to Jean:

Dear Jean,

Thank you for sharing the article identifying the common themes found in Chanukah and Christmas. There are truths in the article you shared and I don't want to belittle the core message intended by the original author. I cannot comments on the historical or biblical thoughts Christian sections. Nonetheless, the observance of Hanukkah is well within my wheelhouse and it is there that I wish to make some observations.

Was it Judas Maccabee or Judah Maccabee? H-U-G-E difference!

It was 'Judah' Maccabees, not "Judas" Maccabee; Judah Maccabees was a namesake of Jacob's son Judah, as found in the book of Exodus; chapter one verse two. 

Judas has no relationship to Judaism:

Judas had no relationship to Judaism and if my memory serves me correctly, he was a disciple of Jesus and Christians believe that he betrayed his relationship with Jesus. The storyline for Judas as depicted in the New Testament is very different from the life of Judah Maccabee, a hero and role model, for Jewish children and adults throughout the ages. Judah was the son of Jacob and has a life message and is a role model for the children of Israel for millennia.

Judah the Hero!!!

Judah Maccabees is a hero for the children of Israel and Judah the son of Jacob is also a hero having saved his youngest brother Benjamin from imprisonment in pharaohs dungeons.

Judah a Light for the Children of Israel....

Second, the light that emanates from the Menorah, for eight days, is about a miraculous story found in the Talmud (Oral Law) of Sanhedrin which speaks of a small vial of oil found soon after the liberation of Holy Temple. That vile allowed the Kohanim (Priests) to illuminate the Menorah but the vile contained a small amount of oil; enough oil for one day. 

After the menorah was lit it illuminated the Menorah and Holy Temple for eight consecutive days. The miracle of the oil allowed the Priests sufficient time to make fresh oil to keep the Menorah lit day in and day out for eight days. However, the light of the Menorah represents a much greater miraculous event; a small army with limited resources, led by Judah Maccabees, a captain who had little military training, was able to overcome the professional Roman legions with their military might and tools of war. The City of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple was liberated by a small a rag tag Militia when “a great miracle happened there” (words associated with the Draidel a toy Jewish children play with on Hannukah). Jerusalem was rebuilt and the Temple restored is that is the real miracle. Jerusalem's restoration speaks to the power of faith and the resources that faith provides against much greater odds.

Chanukah not biblically ordained!

Hanukkah is not a Biblical ordained holiday. In the article that you shared with the community the author writes; "Hanukkah was not a Torah festival" and the correction that I want to make is about the sanctity of the days. The Holy Days found in the Torah are ordained by the word of God as Holy Days and thus have sanctity because of God's command. Hanukkah is a minor festival in that it is ordained as a Holy Day by the rabbis of the Sanhedrin and thus lack the sanctity of God's spoken word and therefore are considered minor holidays.

Minor corrections but unimportant to the greater message...

There are many others small and an unimportant corrections that could be made to the article. For example, what exactly they did when they entered the Holy Temple for the first time is really unknown other than the removal of those things that defiled the Holy Temple and the lighting of the Menorah. They restored the daily functions of the Priestly responsibilities. The Star of David that today is an important symbol of the Jewish people, may or may not have not been returned to the Holy Temple. The repairs took years and what happened immediately were the basics that allowed the Kohanim to work in their capacity as Priests.

A Light to Our Nation........

Judah Maccabees and his brothers and father were a light to our nation. All people have the capacity to enlighten the world as teachers and role models.

Obviously, Christianity and the other great religions of the world have teachers and role models that enlighten the world we live in. That these two holidays coincide in the middle of the winter and have light associated with the observance is strictly coincidental. The message is far more important. I cannot speak to the Christmas holidays since I know little about the in depth of the observances. 

The Christmas season has a powerful impact on the way people interact with one another. Unfortunately, the goodness that we experience because of Christmas for the month around the holiday quickly disappears. By the middle of January, it's hard to remember the vacation we enjoyed as the Christmas holidays neared. It is indeed like a vacation from Thanksgiving to Christmas and when the vacation is over, it's hard to remember the respite.

Perhaps we need to find ways to extend the kindness of the December experience into January and February and on.

When I would speak to Christian audiences about the observance of Hanukkah and its relationship to Christmas, I would often times tell them that the only relationship that exists is the one that Hallmark introduced. I know this sounds very cynical but there is nothing cynical about sharing a time of the year when all of us seek to bring peace and charity into the world. In fact, the spirit of Passover and Easter have a greater commonness about them then Hanukkah and Christmas.

The light that is brought to the world in the darkest months of the year is not the light of the candles of the Christmas ornaments but rather the light of the spirit that we offered to one another during this time of year.

A Blessing to all of my neighbors, Good Health, Happiness and Joy..

To all of you who are observing holidays other than Hannukah. May you have a very happy and healthy holiday season. Together let’s try to extend the good will toward mankind threw the month of January.

My favorite topic "Lubavitch"!

While sitting in a Succah this past week and enjoying dinner with friends the conversation turned to Lubavitch. Whenever this happen my hair stands up on end and I immediately tell people exactly what I think (not good if you want to keep your friends). 

Most people know Lubavitch from the outside looking in, however, few know what has happened since the passing of Rabbi Schneerson. The beloved Lubavitcher Rebbe failed to appoint a successor and since he had no children there was no apparent successor. His body was not cold in the ground when the feuding began. There was a huge financial estate at stake. Lots of real estate, donations, prestige and it was suddenly up for grabs. Those who were closest to the Rebbe began jockeying for position but ultimately they agreed, let's be friends and share the pot of gold. Then there was the question of the dead Rebbe's spiritual circumstances. Was he really dead or was he immune from death? Was the Rebbe like Elijah ascending heavenward on a chariot of fire? Many began to see him as the Messiah and as a result a new word was born "Meshichasts" a breed of Lubavitch that believe the Rebbe is the Messiah and will return to rid the world of the mess humans have made. This did not go over well with those Lubavitch who are traditional Chassidim and so the divide was created.

It is the greed that deserves the attention of the Jewish Community. Lubavitch have been called a 'pariah' on the Community because they are insular taking much financially from the Jewish Communities they serve but giving nothing financial back. They are not donors to the local Jewish Federations, they generally don't hire from the general community even when all they need are basic day camp counselors or bus drivers.

They are nepotists appointing the most powerful families to the best positions within the organization regardless of acumen. Recently they have taken to naming their community Synagogue's "The Shul" as if they are the only Shul in town. Some communities have the “The Shul North" or  "The Shul South",  "The Shul" is simply buzz words for Lubavitch. 

Now they have lost their moral compass. This past summer the Forward reported the story of the Lubavitch in Detroit who created a College offering  Jewish courses and teaching degrees over the internet. The College had enrolled American students living in Israel at seminaries, to take courses over the internet. The students were provided with Pell Grants and loans but reporters found that few if any were graduating and the appropriation of the grants paid to the college were under investigation. The Forward seem to suggest that the students in Israel were unaware of their obligations after signing the financial aid documents. Another words, they didn't know that they had to pay the loans back. Lubavitch Detroit appears to have funded their programs in Detroit and put young students at financial risk.

To paraphrase the late Senator Lloyd Bensen, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was my friend not because I knew him personally but he was someone I greatly admired and who inspired me. Unfortunately, his spirit was not enough to keep the Lubavitch community from "falling off the derech" (buzz words for people who have lost their religious way). I believe he would have cringed at hearing his community refer to him as "Melech HaMashiach" (our king the Messiah).

Although I did not know the Rebbe personally, I spent many a Shabbat at 770 headquarters, I went to many Lubavitch celebrations were the Rebbe was the featured speaker and I feel confident reporting that the Rebbe would have chastised anyone who would have suggested that he was the messiah. Our religious leaders must “talk the talk” but they must also “walk the walk”.

Chag Samayach