Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0pt;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

A very simple question must be asked about the events of Chanukah.  We know that Chanukah was a religious war.  In the Purim story, Haman wanted to physically kill us, whereas the Greeks wanted us to leave our religion and become Hellenists.  However, in the beginning of Hilchos Chanukah, while telling the history of Chanukah, the Rambam writes that the Greeks both tried to nullify the Jewish religion and grabbed our money and our daughters.  Why would they do that?  If they just wanted us to forsake our religion, how would it help to take our money and our women? Wouldn’t that just antagonize us and cause us to rebel? Why did they even need our money and women? Didn’t they have plenty of their own?

Rav Yochanan Zweig suggests a very fundamental answer.  The Greeks wanted a good fight. They sought a challenge.  If the Greeks took away the Jews’ religion, only the rabbis and kohanim in the Beis Hamikdash would fight.  What kind of fight is that?  But if they took their women and money, then everyone would fight and it would be a decent match.

The Jews are the exact opposite.  We fight with a certain goal in mind.  If we can accomplish that goal without fighting, even better.  We came to Canaan to conquer it but before every battle, we said to the inhabitants that if they accepted the Noahide laws, then they would be spared.  We avoid fighting at all costs.  If we have no other choice, we will fight, but solely with a certain objective in mind.  We will not fight so that we can have a sense of victory.  This is one of the messages of Chanukah.  When we deal with our spouses, children or others, it is not about the fight, but simply about accomplishing our goals.