The story of Chanukkah is well known but there is a deeper message that we can take away from it beyond the great miracles and salvation of our people from the Greek persecution. The Greek culture was steeped in the physicality and placed the attribute of physical beauty at the top of their value system. Unlike other persecutions that our people have endured there was a uniqueness about the greek exile in that it was aimed at destroying the spiritual fabric of the Jewish nation. The idea of a spiritual value system, something beyond the physicality that we see and interact with, was something that the Greek's couldn't make peace with. They therefore were only interested in assimilating our people into greek culture and if we would have succumbed to their culture and ideas they would have accepted us happily. They had no interest to destroy our bodies, they were interested in destroying our souls.

This idea is highlighted by the nature of the miracles that we experienced. When the Chashmonaim retook the Holy Temple they didn't find enough pure oil to light the menorah. What is the difference between pure and impure oil? Can this difference be seen or felt? Even the strongest microscope that science and technology can develop will never be able to distinguish between pure and impure oil. This is entirely a spiritual reality. This is what the Chashmonaim fought for, the spiritual reality of the world as taught to us through the Torah.

The idea that there is something above and beyond the physical reality, a spiritual reality that the Torah delineates for us is something we must all reflect on and internalize. Although we are not living with the greek culture we are still left with many remnants of it. The social media reality we live in gives us a glimpse and view of everyone's physicality. We are filled with pictures and videos of people, but it causes us to disregard the spiritual aspect of a person. This is something that isn't seen on Facebook, Intsagram or Youtube. It can't be captured with the most advanced technology but it is the true reality of our existence.

Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom,

Heath