The True Message of Chanukah

Chanukah is not a very fulfilling festival when you live in the West. Spending 2 minutes lighting a chanukiah and singing some songs every night for 8 days just doesn't cut it against the trees, lights, tinsle, shopping, etc etc of the 'competition'.

So we should use these 8 days to reestablish our priorities, find our strength and place in the world.

As a child, I was never given 'Chanukah presents' as my father said that it was commercialisation due to Xmas and nothing to do with Chanukah itself. We did have Chanukah gelt though - a little baggy of chocolate money.

I didn't feel left out, I felt proud. Proud to be Jew and proud of everything else we have as Jews. Sure, they have Xmas, but we have Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, Purim, Chanukah, a bunch of fast days and the high holy days too. With every Yom Tov we get new clothes, Purim fulfils any 'dressing up' ambitions we might have, our spirituality is hightened with every Rosh HaShanah and even monthly with Rosh Chodesh. We have enough festivals, thank you, we don't need yours.

So this Chanukah we shouldn't feel that we are lacking, we shouldn't feel a need to compensate with many gifts and artificial celebrations.

Chanukah is a celebration of the victory of spirituality over materialism, Judaism over Hellenism. It is a victory of people who didn't think that everything Greek was therefore good. They fought against civilisation, did things that were politically incorrect (brit milah), threw rocks and headed for the hills. How many of us would do what they did?

Olympics, Gymnasium, Museum, Circus, Theatre, these are all Greek concepts that have insinuated there ways into our, Jewish, lives. Some of them have their place but we must be virulent and ensure they do not change us, they do not lower us from where we are supposed to be.

So use this Chanukah, strengthen yourself, and don't succumb to the tinsle.