Every day of Chanukah we recite Al Hanisim, commemorating the miracles that occurred in the era of the Maccabim.
(ז) בחנוכה: בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָֽהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי וּבָנָיו כְּשֶׁעָמְ֒דָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְ֒שָׁעָה עַל־עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶֽךָ, וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים עָמַֽדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם רַֽבְתָּ אֶת־רִיבָם דַּֽנְתָּ אֶת־דִּינָם נָקַֽמְתָּ אֶת־נִקְמָתָם מָסַֽרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְ֒קֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ וּלְעַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִֽׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְאַחַר־כֵּן בָּֽאוּ בָנֶֽיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶֽךָ וּפִנּוּ אֶת־הֵיכָלֶֽךָ וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת־מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָ וְהִדְלִֽיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶֽׁךָ וְקָבְ֒עוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה אֵֽלּוּ לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל:
(7) On Chanukah: In the days of Matisyahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent [sinners] into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah. And You made Yourself a great and sanctified name in Your world. And for Your people, Israel, You performed a great deliverance and redemption unto this very day. Afterwards, Your sons entered the Holy of Holies of Your Abode, cleaned Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary, and designated these eight days of Chanukah to thank and praise Your great Name.
Were the Maccabim truly weak?
(סח) יהודה המכבי איש גיבור ובן חיל מנעוריו, הוא יהיה לכם לראש במלחמה.
(68) As for Judas Maccabeus, he hath been mighty and strong, even from his youth up: let him be your captain, and fight the battle of the people.
Examples of Giborim, "Strong Ones," in the Torah
(ח) וְכ֖וּשׁ יָלַ֣ד אֶת־נִמְרֹ֑ד ה֣וּא הֵחֵ֔ל לִֽהְי֥וֹת גִּבֹּ֖ר בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (ט) הֽוּא־הָיָ֥ה גִבֹּֽר־צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ יֵֽאָמַ֔ר כְּנִמְרֹ֛ד גִּבּ֥וֹר צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃
(8) Cush also begot Nimrod, who was the first man of might on earth. (9) He was a mighty hunter by the grace of the LORD; hence the saying, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter by the grace of the LORD.”
(א) הוא החל להיות גבור בארץ כו'. ראוי להעיר כי הגבורה מאתו ית' היא. ואיך מייחסה לו. לומר שהוא היחל להיות גבור כאילו היא בחירה.
It is worth noting that the strength was from Hashem, and not attributed to Nimrod. The passage seems to be saying that he began to be a gibor (strong one) as if it was his decision [but this is not so].
(נא) וַיָּ֣רׇץ דָּ֠וִ֠ד וַיַּעֲמֹ֨ד אֶל־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜י וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־חַ֠רְבּ֠וֹ וַֽיִּשְׁלְפָ֤הּ מִתַּעְרָהּ֙ וַיְמֹ֣תְתֵ֔הוּ וַיִּכְרׇת־בָּ֖הּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּרְא֧וּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֛ים כִּי־מֵ֥ת גִּבּוֹרָ֖ם וַיָּנֻֽסוּ׃
(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.
(ז) וּ זָכָה בְּחָכְמָה זָכָה בַּכֹּל, זָכָה בִּגְבוּרָה זָכָה בַּכֹּל, זָכָה בְּעשֶׁר זָכָה בַּכֹּל, אֵימָתַי בִּזְּמַן שֶׁהֵן מַתְּנוֹת שָׁמַיִם וּבָאוֹת בְּכֹחַ הַתּוֹרָה, אֲבָל גְּבוּרָתוֹ וְעָשְׁרוֹ שֶׁל בָּשָׂר וָדָם אֵינוֹ כְּלוּם, שֶׁכֵּן שְׁלֹמֹה אוֹמֵר (קהלת ט, יא): שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם. וְכֵן יִרְמְיָה אוֹמֵר (ירמיה ט, כב כג): כֹּה אָמַר ה' אַל יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאַל יִתְהַלֵּל הַגִּבּוֹר בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ אַל יִתְהַלֵּל עָשִׁיר בְּעָשְׁרוֹ, כִּי אִם בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל וגו', וּמַתָּנוֹת אֵלּוּ בִּזְּמַן שֶׁאֵינָן בָּאִין מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא סוֹפָן לְהִפָּסֵק מִמֶּנּוּ... שְׁנֵי גִּבּוֹרִים עָמְדוּ בָּעוֹלָם, אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶחָד מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, שִׁמְשׁוֹן מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְגָלְיַת מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, וּשְׁנֵיהֶם נֶאֶבְדוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם... לָמָּה, שֶׁלֹא הָיָה מַתְּנָתָן מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא חוֹטְפִין אוֹתָהּ לָהֶם.
(7) A person meriting wisdom has merited everything. A person meriting strength has merited everything. A person meriting wealth has merited everything. When? When they are gifts of the Heavens and come from the power of Torah. But human strength and wealth are nothing; for thus has Solomon stated (in Eccl. 9:11), “Again I saw that under the sun the race does not belong to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor even wealth to the discerning, nor even favor to the knowledgeable […].” Thus also has Jeremiah stated (in Jer. 9:22), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise boast in their wisdom, nor the strong boast in their strength, nor the wealthy boast in their wealth.’” So these gifts, when they do not come from the Holy One, blessed be He, will finally be cut off from them... Two strong men arose in the world, one was from Israel and one from the nations of the world. Samson was from Israel, while Goliath was from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from the world...Why? Because their gift was not from the Holy One, blessed be He. Rather they grabbed it up for themselves.
(א) עִקַּר הַגְּבוּרָה – בְּהַלֵּב, כִּי מִי שֶׁלִּבּוֹ חָזָק וְאֵינוֹ מִתְיָרֵא מִשּׁוּם אָדָם וּמִשּׁוּם דָּבָר, יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת גְּבוּרוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת וְלִכְבֹּשׁ הַמִּלְחָמוֹת עַל־יְדֵי חֹזֶק וְתֹקֶף לִבּוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְיָרֵא וְרָץ לְתוֹךְ תֹּקֶף הַמִּלְחָמָה,
(ב) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (אבות פ"ד): אֵיזֶהוּ גִּבּוֹר הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת שִׁמְשׁוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (שופטים י״ג:כ״ה): וַתָּחֶל רוּחַ ה' לְפַעֲמוֹ בְּמַחֲנֵה דָן בֵּין צָרְעָה וּבֵין אֶשְׁתָּאֹל; שֶׁבְּאוֹתָן הַמְּקוֹמוֹת צָלְחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ ה' וְלָבַשׁ גְּבוּרָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁבָּא לוֹ חֹזֶק וְתֹקֶף גְּבוּרָה בַּלֵּב, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה עָשָׂה גְּבוּרוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת:
(1) Strength is for the most part in the heart. When someone’s heart is mighty and he is not afraid of anyone or anything, he is able to perform awesome acts of strength and be victorious in battle because of his heart’s might and force—that he has no fear, and charges into the thick of the battle.
(2) This is the aspect of “Who is strong? The one who conquers his evil inclination” (Avot 4:1). This is likewise the aspect of the strength of Shimshon, of whom it is said, “God’s spirit began to move him in the camp of Dan, between Tzorah and Eshtaol” (Judges 13:25). In those places God’s spirit came over him and he donned strength. That is, he received might and forceful strength in the heart, and through this performed awesome acts of strength.
Before nearly every act of Shimshon's strength, the pasuk says וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֗ה. What do you think this implies?
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom;
Let not the strong man glory in his strength;
Let not the rich man glory in his riches.
(צב) יוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא יִצְחָק, דְּדַרְגֵּיהּ גְּבוּרָה, לְקִבְלֵיהּ יוֹמָא חֲמִישָׁאָה, דְּאִיהוּ הוֹד, דַּרְגָּא דְּדָוִד.
On the second day (of Sukkot) is Yitzchak, whose quality is Gevurah.
It appears that the true strength of Yitzchak lies precisely in his passivity. One of the basic desirers of man is to become independent, to make a name for himself. No one likes to live in the shadow of others, especially parents... yet Yitzchak, in an amazing display of inner strength, understood that for Avraham's revolution to be successful, it needed a generation of consolidation, time for regrouping and internalizing the successes of his parents. Striking out on his own would have sunk the revolution, splintering it before it was ready. It would take a couple of generations to become twelve distinct tribes, distinct but united in a common goal. Yitzchak understood this, and happily copied his father. He was proud to be "Yitzchak, the son of Avraham; Avraham begot Yitzchak" (Bereishit 25:19).
Yitzchak may have been passive, but this was the passivity of great strength and courage. This passivity allowed him to be the vital link between Avraham and Yaakov, the father of “B’nei Yisrael”.
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר... אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר.
(1) Ben Zoma said... Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
(יב) עוד. מסרת גבורים ביד חלשים. לכאורה הלא היו גבורים גדולים חשמונאי ובניו כנזכר בספר יוסיפון. אלא הכוונה דהיו כל כך צדיקים דלא תלו נצחונם מחמת גבורתם רק מאת ה' היתה זאת. וזהו מאמרם חלשים, שהיו חלשים בדעתם שידעו שמחמתם לא ינצחו רק מחמת עזר ה'. והנה בכל הגאולות לא היה פעולת ישראל רק הקדוש ברוך הוא בעצמו נצח והכניע הקליפות בלי פעולת ישראל וגם גבי המן עיקר הנס היה רק על ידי אלהים. אמנם בגאולת חשמונאי ובניו היה פעולה מישראל דעשו מלחמה ובדבר שאדם עושה פעולה הוא נסיון גדול להאמין שלא פועל ידו גרם רק מאתו ברוך הוא עוזר האמיתי ולזה צריכין הסתכלות בבורא ברוך הוא שמחמת הסתכלותם באדון כל רואה שהכל הוא מאתו שעל ידי כן זכה להנס ההוא ומדליקין נרות חנוכה דנר הוא אור רמז הסתכלות שמחמת הסתכלותם בבורא ידעו כי ה' הוא נצח קרבין.
(In Al HaNisim it is written) "You placed strong ones in the hands of the weak." But weren't the Hasmoneans great and mighty, as mentioned in the book of Josephus? Rather, the intention of this phrase is that these men were such tzaddikim, righteous individuals, that they did not credit their victory to their strength; rather, it was from Hashem. This is why they are called chalashim, weak, because they were weak in their opinions of themselves: they knew that from their own effort they would not win, but from the help of Hashem. And so too all of the redemptions that the Jews have experienced are Hashem's acts. Regarding the manna, the essence of the miracle was through Hashem. With the redemption of the Hasmoneans, there was action on the part of the Jews, which made it a greater test for them to believe and internalize that it was not their deeds but Hashem's that brought about success. It is though this "seeing" of Hashem that enabled the Hasmoneans to merit the miracle of military victory. Now we light Chanukah candles, for candles and the light they shed are a reference to the Maccabees' "looking" and contemplation of Hashem, the cause of their victory.