Be a Maccabee! The Secret of Jewish Survival and Victory
Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greeks who had conquered Judea and attempted to forcefully convert the Jewish people to paganism and the worship of their idols. Despite the fact that the invading forces outnumbered them by many multiples, the small band of Maccabees refused to submit. Though the odds were starkly against them, they battled fearlessly against the army of Antiochus and miraculously won.
The secret of the Maccabees victory is incredibly relevant today as their descendants are facing a global surge of opposition and violence. How can we defend ourselves and prevail over those who assail us?
There are various explanations of the term Maccabee itself. Some suggest that it is derived from the Hebrew word “makevet,” which means hammer, in that the leader of the Maccabee, Judah, was the hammer of God. Yet many sources teach that the word “מכבי/Maccabee” is an acronym for the verse “מי־כמכה בּאלם י-הוה/Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei/Who is like You among the powerful, O Lord?” (Exodus 15:11).
This verse was engraved on the swords and the shields of the Maccabees. It was a clear reminder to both those who bore these weapons, as well as those who fought against them, that the strength of Israel was not merely physical. Judah Maccabee and his brothers and followers were fierce warriors, but their victory came not simply from the might of their bodies nor the brilliance of their military strategy. Their primary strength was their faith!
The miracle of Chanukah, like all miracles throughout history, are purely and simply the result of God’s intervention and salvation. When, like the Maccabees, we turn to God and trust in Him, He fortifies us and enables us to survive and thrive in order that we can perform our mission of making Him known and radiating His light throughout the darkness.
— Pnei Hashem is an introduction to the deepest depths of the human experience based on the esoteric teachings of Torah. www.pneihashem.com
