They purified the Temple and removed the stones that defiled it… they took unhewn stones, as the law commands, and built a new altar on the model of the old one. They rebuilt the sanctuary and restored its interior and courts. They fixed the sacred vessels and menorah. They had the ritual bread on the table and had hung the curtains and all their work was complete, early on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev… Then Judah and his brothers, and the whole congregation of Israel decreed that the rededication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness at the same time each year.
- First Maccabees 4:39-59
The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.
In the days of Mattisyahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons, when the wicked kingdom of Greece rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to stray from the laws of Your will, You, with great mercy stood by them in the time of their distress. You fought their fight, judged their cause and avenged them with vengeance. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous and the arrogant into the hands of those engaged with Your Torah. For Yourself you made a great and holy name in Your world, You performed a great deliverance for Your people Israel on this day. After these things, Your children entered into the Holy of Holies of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified the place of Your Holiness, kindled lights in Your holy courts and established these eight days of Hanukkah to express thanksgiving and praise to Your great name.
Mi Yemalel
Who can retell the heroic deeds of Israel? Who can count them?
In every age, a hero arises to redeem the people.
Listen! In those days at this season, Judah the Maccabee rescued us.
Now in these days all the people of Israel must unite and rise to redeem themselves.
- Menashe Ravina, 1936 (contrast Psalm 106:2)
I want to explore two ideas. The first is that much of what we consider valuable in our world arises out of these kinds of lopsided conflicts, because the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. And second, that we consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong. We misread them. We misinterpret them. Giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness. And the fact of being an underdog can change people in ways we often fail to appreciate: it can open doors and create opportunities and educate and enlighten and make possible what might otherwise have seemed unthinkable. We need a better guide to facing giants - and there is no better place to start this journey than with the epic confrontation between David and Goliath three thousand years ago in the Valley of Elah.
- Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath (p.6)
(1) The Philistines assembled their forces for battle; they massed at Socoh of Judah, and encamped at Ephes-dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. (2) Saul and the men of Israel massed and encamped in the valley of Elah. They drew up their line of battle against the Philistines, (3) with the Philistines stationed on one hill and Israel stationed on the opposite hill; the ravine was between them. (4) A champion of the Philistine forces stepped forward; his name was Goliath of Gath, and he was six cubits and a span tall. (5) He had a bronze helmet on his head, and wore a breastplate of scale armor, a bronze breastplate weighing five thousand shekels. (6) He had bronze greaves on his legs, and a bronze javelin [slung] from his shoulders. (7) The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s bar, and the iron head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels; and the shield-bearer marched in front of him. (8) He stopped and called out to the ranks of Israel and he said to them, “Why should you come out to engage in battle? I am the Philistine [champion], and you are Saul’s servants. Choose one of your men and let him come down against me. (9) If he bests me in combat and kills me, we will become your slaves; but if I best him and kill him, you shall be our slaves and serve us.” (10) And the Philistine ended, “I herewith defy the ranks of Israel. Get me a man and let’s fight it out!” (11) When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and terror-stricken.
(12) David was the son of a certain Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons, and in the days of Saul the man was already old, advanced in years. (13) The three oldest sons of Jesse had left and gone with Saul to the war. The names of his three sons who had gone to the war were Eliab the first-born, the next Abinadab, and the third Shammah; (14) and David was the youngest... (17) Jesse said to his son David, “Take an ephah of this parched corn and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers, and carry them quickly to your brothers in camp. (18) Take these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. Find out how your brothers are and bring some token from them...”
(32) David said to Saul, “Let no man’s courage fail him. Your servant will go and fight that Philistine!” (33) But Saul said to David, “You cannot go to that Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth!” (34) David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and carried off an animal from the flock, (35) I would go after it and fight it and rescue it from its mouth. And if it attacked me, I would seize it by the beard and strike it down and kill it. (36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and that uncircumcised Philistine shall end up like one of them, for he has defied the ranks of the living God. (37) The LORD,” David went on, “who saved me from lion and bear will also save me from that Philistine.” “Then go,” Saul said to David, “and may the LORD be with you!”
(38) Saul clothed David in his own garment; he placed a bronze helmet on his head and fastened a breastplate on him. (39) David girded his sword over his garment. Then he tried to walk; but he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk in these, for I am not used to them.” So David took them off. (40) He took his stick, picked a few smooth stones from the wadi, put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag and, sling in hand, he went toward the Philistine. (41) The Philistine, meanwhile, was coming closer to David, preceded by his shield-bearer.
(42) When the Philistine caught sight of David, he scorned him, for he was but a boy, ruddy and handsome. (43) And the Philistine called out to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods; (44) and the Philistine said to David, “Come here, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” (45) David replied to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied. (46) This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hands. I will kill you and cut off your head; and I will give the carcasses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. All the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel. (47) And this whole assembly shall know that the LORD can give victory without sword or spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and He will deliver you into our hands.”
(48) When the Philistine began to advance toward him again, David quickly ran up to the battle line to face the Philistine. (49) David put his hand into the bag; he took out a stone and slung it. It struck the Philistine in the forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. (50) Thus David bested the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck him down and killed him. David had no sword; (51) so David ran up and stood over the Philistine, grasped his sword and pulled it from its sheath; and with it he dispatched him and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their warrior was dead, they ran.