The Greeks are known for the tremendous wisdom they contributed to the world. The Jewish people, for time immemorial, cherished intellect and the pursuit of wisdom as well. Why then, couldn’t we get along?
Chanukah: Why The Conflict?
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The Greeks are known for the tremendous wisdom they contributed to the world. The Jewish people, for time immemorial, cherished intellect and the pursuit of wisdom as well. Why then, couldn’t we get along?
What causes people to be magnanimous? What’s the right way to handle success? When the first Chabad Rebbe bested his opponents and achieved legitimacy for the new Chassidic movement, he wrote a letter to his followers which set their priorities straight.
Torah delineates a variety of punishments and penalizations, but imprisonment is not among them. Torah describes Joseph’s incarceration as a feature of the Egyptian ‘judicial system’ – not as a recommendation. In Torah law, prison is not mentioned at all.
Yosef was sent to prison where he met Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. He asked for their assistance in securing his release, and in response, Hashem punished him with two more years of imprisonment. Yet those two ministers were instrumental -- by Hashem’s design -- in Yosef’s ultimate release. How does this make sense?
We all love to celebrate Chanukah, the holiday which marks our victory over the Syrian Greeks and the miracle of the oil. Did you know that it took the sages a full year to decide whether they were victorious?
Behind the scenes in the Chanukah story.
