“Me too – I was wrong all these years”

Few Jewish festivals encapsulate the tumultuous experience of our people in exile as vividly as the festival of Chanukah. 

It commemorates a miraculous victory of a small Jewish force living in Judea, under Greek rule, who eventually triumphed against a far larger Greek army.

As always, beneath the military conflict lay a profound ideological clash: Jewish ethical monotheism versus a polytheistic worldview that exalted human reason, physical beauty, and athleticism.

“In those days, as in these times”, this story unfolds before our eyes in real time. 

The Jewish people in the Land of Israel face a mortal threat, surrounded by enemies united in their fight to annihilate its existence.

But beneath the surface of this dramatic military conflict lies the timeless ideological battle between the forces of good and evil as played out throughout history.

In its timeless and universal wisdom, the Torah uses life and death as synonyms for good and evil.

For any unbiased observer of history, it is evident that the story of the Jewish people is defined by their unwavering commitment to choosing life.

As the military conflict unfolds in Israel, it is paramount that each and every Jew worldwide,  assume responsibility for the ideological struggle at the heart of this war.

To commemorate the miracle of Chanukah we kindle the menorah in a place which radiates its light to the outside world. 

The continued survival of our people is further ensured by us shining the Torah’s timeless and universal values to the outside world. 

This is true not only because it strengthens our Jewish identity and pride allowing us to be ourselves without being defensive. It also illuminates a dark and confused world that desperately seeks guidance and inspiration from a people who have been endowed to serve as “light unto the nations”, engendering a greater enmity between the Jewish people and the non-Jewish world. 

For a post-holocaust generation the prevailing wisdom was to be “a Jew at home and a citizen on the street”. However, the Rebbe inspired a generation with a revolutionary, counter intuitive approach. He believed that in order to rekindle the flame of a people decimated by one of  history’s darkest moments, it was imperative to evoke a brilliant new light in all its glory. 

To this end he galvanized young men and women who blazed a trail for this new era, reigniting the sparks of the Jewish people by encouraging them to illuminate the outside world with the light of Torah and commandments.

This approach is perhaps best captured by the countless public menorah lightings now held in cities and towns worldwide.

For many years, many Jews felt embarrassed or even afraid of such high-profile Jewish activism, going so far as to argue that it ran counter to the U.S. Constitution.

Change is in the air. A recent tweet captured the shifting sentiments of prominent Jewish leaders from across the spectrum, acknowledging that the Rebbe was right. The tweet stated simply, “Me too—I was wrong all these years.”

As our brothers and sisters risk their lives, fighting to defend and protect the Jewish people in the land of Israel, let us do all we can to fight the ideological battle by illuminating the world around us with the infinite light of Torah and commandments.

In the the words of King Solomon, ״For the Commandment is a light, and the Torah is a lamp”.