We all know what a travesty the holocaust was – the annihilation of over six million Jews proves that. But while this was a blatant example of how the Germans were attacking God’s Chosen People, there was a more subtle attack taking place as well – - for as much as wanting to break their bodies, the Germans wanted to break the Spirit of the Jews. And that, as Antiochus had found out before them, was a whole lot harder to accomplish!
There is, perhaps, no greater story of the resolve of God’s Chosen People than the story of Hanukkah. The struggle, and victory!, of the Maccabees in 150 BC against the forces of Antiochus, was culminated by the miracle that is today celebrated as “The Festival of Lights” and features the Menorah, which represents the eight days of light that came from one day’s worth of oil. To break down Jewish resolution during the Holocaust, the Germans banned many traditions and activities, including Hanukkah. Following, however, is an example of how faith and tradition can overcome tyranny in even the most adverse times, as reported by I.I. Cohen.
One of the items I smuggled out of Auschwitz, when the Nazis moved me into “Camp Number Eight” – a quarantine camp, for those suspected of carrying typhus – was my spoon. It wasn’t much, but it was mine – and it would come to play an important role in my Jewish life and in those of some of the 500 or so other prisoners there.
When winter came my spoon became involved in an additional mitzvah. By then, we had been transferred to “Camp Number Four” in Kaufering, a camp more similar to Auschwitz in its daily ordeals. Despite the horrendous hardships we suffered daily, however, we tried whenever possible to remember to do a mitzvah and to maintain a self-image as God-fearing Jews, despite all the dangers that involved.
Having always kept mental track of the calendar, I knew when Chanukah had arrived. During a few minutes’ rest break, a group of inmates and I began to reminisce about how, back home before the war, our fathers would light their menorahs with such fervor and joy. We remembered how we could never seem to get our fill of watching the flames sparkling like stars, how we basked in their warm, special glow, how they seemed to imbue us with a special sanctity.
And then we got to thinking about the origins of Chanukah, about the war of the Hasmoneans against their Greek tormentors, who were intent on erasing Judaism from Jewish hearts. We recalled the great heroism of the Jews at the time who risked their lives in order to keep the Sabbath, practice circumcision and study Torah. And we remembered how God helped them resist and rout their enemy, enabling Jews to freely observe the Torah and mitzvot once again.
And then we looked around ourselves. Here we were, in a camp where our lives were constantly in danger, where we were considered sub-human and where it was virtually impossible to observe the most basic practices of Judaism. How happy we would be, we mused, if only we could light Chanukah candles.
While we talked and dreamed, we were all suddenly struck, as if at once, by the same resolution: We simply must discover a way of doing the seasonal mitzvah. One fellow offered a small bit of margarine he had saved from his daily ration. That could serve as our oil. And wicks? We began to unravel threads from our uniforms…
What, though, could be our menorah? I took out my spoon, and within moments, we were lighting the Chanukah “candle,” reciting the blessings. We all stood around entranced, transfixed, each immersed in his own thoughts… of Chanukahs gone by… of latkes, dreidels, and Chanukah gelt we’d received as children.
Our unusual Chanukah menorah kindled in us a glimmer of hope. As we recited the blessing about the miracles God had performed for our forefathers “in those days” – but also “at this time” – we well understood that the only thing that could save us would be a miracle. A great miracle like the one hinted at on the dreidel’s acrostic.
No one ever wants the Jews to be in a position that they must give up their traditions and celebrations again. That’s why that during this time of year, as we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas alike, that we need to adhere to Ps. 122:6 and pray for the Peace of Jerusalem!
To read more about this fascinating subject, go to:
No comments:
Post a Comment