1.
We've barely had time to wish each other a happy new Hebrew year, and already we find ourselves marking our second Hanukkah of this war – a war that continues to expand and reshape the region. The heroism of the Hasmoneans connects naturally with the self-sacrifice of our soldiers in a way that we have almost come to take for granted. "We kindle these lights for the miracles and for the wars." There's something about these special times that lifts us from the banality of our daily routines to grand historical heights we had nearly forgotten. We stood on the summit of Mount Hermon; now our eyes, and none but ours gaze eastward at the ancient expanse that is taking shape before us.
From the balcony of my home in Rehovot, I light the Hanukkah candles, looking directly toward Modiin, clearly visible on the horizon. The first time we lit candles there, my daughter Daria and I stood amazed at the direct, visual connection to the historic battlefield unfolding before us. "He performed miracles for our ancestors in those days and at this time." And what is time, if not an expression of God Himself whose name, written but not pronounced, encompasses past, present, and future. This is the Eternity of Israel, who "does not lie nor relent, for He is not human that He should relent."
2.
In the current war, we have seen sermons delivered to soldiers by their commanders before they go into battle, sermons that will resonate among generations of future fighters. The small band of Judah's soldiers stood astonished before the mighty army of Seron, advancing up the ascent of Beth Horon (now Route 433). Judah Maccabee's battle order addressed their fears and became a rallying cry for the freedom fighters of Israel throughout the ages:
"It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude or a small company: For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of a host; but strength cometh from heaven. They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us: But we fight for our lives and our laws. Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them" (1Maccabees 3:18-22).
Today, we know what Judah and his fighters knew already in the second century BCE. We saw the savages who came during Simchat Torah with arrogance and wickedness, seeking to destroy us, our wives, and our children and to plunder us.
"There is no choice," Judah told his soldiers.
"There is no choice," our fighters said as they set out to restore the honor of Israel and bring back our captives.
3.
Judah fell in battle against the general Bacchides in 160 BCE at Elasa, north of Jerusalem. With his death, the gains of the revolt were lost, and the foreign rulers reinstated their oppressive decrees. The rebels fled to the desert and sent their wives and children to the Nabateans for protection. However, the Nabateans exploited the Jews' weakness and massacred them all. When the rebels heard the news, they mourned deeply and were gripped by despair.
At this critical moment, Jonathan, the youngest of the five sons of Mattathias, took command. He encouraged the rebels to continue fighting for their freedom. First, they avenged the Nabateans, and over the next two years, they waged a guerrilla war against Bacchides, ultimately forcing him to retreat to Antioch.
Jonathan learned from Judah's failure and did not immediately launch an assault on Jerusalem. Instead, he established a base in Michmash, north of Jerusalem. Over the next seven years, he built a strong army of approximately 40,000 soldiers. During the intermediate days (Hol HaMoed) of Sukkot in 152 BCE, Jonathan stormed Jerusalem, purified the Temple, and expelled the enemy and its henchmen from the city.
In the following decade, Jonathan liberated the land and strengthened international alliances. His successes were cut short when the Seleucid, Diodotus Tryphon, deceived him with false promises of peace, luring him to Acre, where he was killed.
Of the five brothers, only Simon remained to complete their mission. In 142 BCE, Simon established the independent Jewish state:
"...The yoke of the nations was removed from Israel… then the people began to write in documents and contracts: 'In the first year of Simon the High Priest, Commander of the Army, and Leader of the Jews'" (ibid 13:43).
Hanukkah, therefore, marks the Independence Day of the Hasmonean kingdom, which was established after 25 years of struggle for freedom. Indeed, Maimonides highlights this:
"In the Second Temple era, when the Greek kings issued decrees against Israel… the Hasmoneans prevailed… delivered Israel from their hands… and sovereignty was restored to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple."
Only after recounting this historical context does Maimonides mention the story of the miracle of the oil.
4.
As the final exile drew to a close, the Zionist movement emerged into the life of our people, calling for a return to the ancient homeland and the re-establishment of the Jewish state. In the face of adversity, the Zionist vision was reduced to the idea of a "safe haven for the Jewish people from its persecutors." This minimalist approach was embraced by certain circles as if it were divinely ordained and eventually eroded the Zionist vision and even gave rise to post-Zionism, as the goal – the establishment of the state – was deemed to have already been achieved.
In some respects, this restricted vision also influenced our military doctrine, which has been characterized by waiting for the enemy even as it strengthens and prepares for war against us so as to gain temporary calm.
Hanukkah lifts our gaze to view the present through the lens of eternity, especially this year, as we recall the depths from which we began our struggle a year and a quarter ago and consider where we stand now. It is crucial that we do not squander this opportunity. At the heart of the konseptzia – the preconceived notions – that blinded us from putting together the dots in the lead-up to October 7, lies the old notion of a "safe haven."
5.
David Ben-Gurion did not see things this way. As early as 1937, he stated: "The definition of Zionism's ultimate goal is nothing less than the full and complete redemption of the Jewish people in their land, ingathering of the exiles and national sovereignty."
He did not shy away from using ancient terms like redemption and messianism: "What sustained the Jewish people through all generations and led to the creation of the state was the messianic vision of the Prophets of Israel – a vision of Jewish and universal redemption. The State of Israel is now the instrument for realizing this messianic vision."
Two years earlier, in 1935, Ze'ev Jabotinsky declared in Vienna:
"Even the Jewish state is not an ultimate goal... it will be followed by a second step: The return of the people to Zion, the liquidation of exile, a solution to the Jewish quest. And the true final goal of Noble Zionism will not appear until the third step – what actually great nations exist for: The creation of a national culture to share its glory with the world, as written: 'From Zion goes forth Torah.'"
Towards the end of the 20th century, former Air Force commander Benny Peled viewed the aspiration for a "safe haven" as being part of an exile mentality:
"I want this definition of a Jewish reservation within recognized and secure borders, supported by sponsors, to be erased. In its place there should be a definition consistent with Theodor Herzl's vision of a Jewish state: 'The establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel by those Jews among the Jewish people who have grown weary of life in exile and subjugation and are ready to give their lives for it.'"
Early on the eve of World War I, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook referred to the notion of a "safe haven" as a "small slice of cake": "It is not the feeble voice of a hated nation in the world seeking a safe refuge from its persecutors that is worthy of reviving this eternal movement. Rather, it is the awakening of a holy nation, the chosen among peoples, the Lion of Judah, rising from its long slumber and returning to its inheritance – 'the pride of Jacob, whom He love. Selah.'"
6.
We stand before two competing visions: a safe haven versus the full redemption of Israel. This debate echoes the essence of Hanukkah: the miracle of the oil or the miracle of political independence. October 6 versus October 8, with the massacre of October 7 in the middle. Crisis is also the moment of birth.
Minimalist Zionism grew out of the hardships of exile; now is the time to rise above this minimalism and remember who we are. This is just the beginning of an era of wonders. Light the candles and take heart: "You turned my lament into dancing; You undid my sackcloth and girded me with joy" (Psalms 30:12).
