The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Opinion The only way to turn on a light is through war? | Israel today

2022-12-25T09:31:58.025Z


At the end of our conversation, I asked the pastor: "Say, between us, do you think that Jesus really loves the environment?". He sighed, spread both hands to his sides and said: "I need to bring people here"


Not on Hanukkah.

The body is already soaked in a liter or two of oil, the children are drunk from gifts and donuts, the house is full of the smell of pancakes, and the Jewish practice is suddenly pleasant.

What's better than lighting candles?

Not that I don't have fun cleaning the house for Passover or fasting on Yom Kippur, but you get the idea.

Kind light all around, such a beautiful holiday.

Is it any wonder that this holiday has become a crowd favorite?

Not only have countless catchy songs been composed for it, but it seems that everyone finds in it what they are looking for: one sees it as the festival of fanaticism, the other as the festival of light in which everyone takes part;

One sees it as the holiday that symbolizes the reconquest of the Land of Israel and the establishment of the second Jewish state, and the other sees it as a symbol of a universal cultural struggle.

The holiday of human effort versus the holiday of the divine miracle.

Did you know it's even a feminist holiday?

I promise you, ask Yehuda Maccabee's sister.

The many faces of Hanukkah invite everyone to come and make it "their" holiday.

The people of the settlement light Hanukkah candles in Beit Tzur, the place where one of the Maccabi battles took place and which today is on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Halhol - and the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, lights candles in the White House with her Jewish husband. The storm of fir trees that repeats itself every year reminds us that someone who even manages to see Hanukkah as part of a fabric of "winter celebrations" celebrated in many cultures. Hanukkah is simply "Hanuchrismas".

All of this reminds me of a conversation I had with the pastor who officiated in the church opposite the house we lived in abroad. Unlike most churches in the neighborhood, which except for a small trickle of believers who came on Sundays, were quite deserted - the church in front of us was bustling with life almost every day of the week, and was filled mainly with young men and women.

When I looked at their calendar of events, I saw that there was, for example, a special day in nature under the title "Jesus loves the environment!".

I met with the pastor for a fascinating conversation, at the end of which I asked him: "Say, between us, do you think Jesus really loves the environment?".

He sighed, spread both hands to his sides and said: "I need to bring people here."

The need to be relevant to the community outweighs the need to present the "truth", and it is much easier to talk about sustainability than to talk about Christian values.

These values ​​include, by the way, close assistance to the State of Israel so that all Jews will recognize Jesus and repent, but that is another story.

The tension between the desire to be relevant and the desire to be real is classic for Hanukkah.

This is true for all Israeli holidays, but especially on such a pleasant, friendly and enlightening holiday, it is easy for us to stay in our comfort zone and feel that this holiday confirms everything we believe in.

I would like to see us dare to challenge ourselves and face the difficult, confusing, challenging aspects of the Hasmonean story.

I once heard Ram Froman, the chairman of the secular forum, say that he does not celebrate Hanukkah, because if he had lived at that time he would have been considered a Greek, and he does not believe in religious fanaticism. I disagree with Froman in almost everything he says, but I appreciate The courage to stand in front of the holiday and understand that it doesn't just feel good on the back. I would like Hanukkah to make more of us move a little in our chairs and ask difficult questions.

What is the place of bigotry in our lives?

when is she good

Is the only way to turn on the light is through war?

What is the place of the temple in a world without temples?

What can the modern state of Israel learn from the Hasmonean state of Israel?

What can be learned from the type of events that the Jewish tradition emphasizes and celebrates?

The number eight in Judaism symbolizes the place of the miracle, the place that is above nature.

The way to open up to him is to stop leaning on the familiar and known, and to be ready to also accept what is foreign, new and wonderful from him.

Happy Hanukkah everyone!

were we wrong

We will fix it!

If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-12-25

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.