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Freedom to Worship, and from CoercionDecember 2004From the Desk of Rabbi CohonOr zarua latzadik uleyshirei lev simcha-light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart. -Psalms Light is the great symbol of the holiday of Chanukah, just as light is the image of God's first creation. Y'hi or the Torah tells us in the very beginning of Genesis: Let there be light! And it is light that is the essential image and message of this highly popular holiday. But for all the candles and decorations, the true light of Chanukah is a metaphor: it is the light of religious freedom that shines through in this festival of lights. We are mostly familiar with the events that led to the holiday we celebrate: how the Syrian-Greek Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV tried to impose pagan worship on the Jews of Israel. How a small group of faithful Jews led a guerilla war-the first successful one in human history-for their independence around 165 BCE. How the Hasmonean family, called the Maccabees, led the long (20 year) fight for the right to worship God as they chose, and to teach Jewish law and customs to their children. And finally, how they cleansed the Temple, and reinstituted traditional worship, and gave thanks to God. The victory of the "few over the many, the weak over the strong" was accomplished by faith, cleverness, chutzpah, the stubborn refusal to give up, and the acceptance of sacrifice when necessary. It was a victory for monotheism, the belief in one God, and for a Jewish culture based on ethics, study, and community. And it made an enormous difference in world history. By rabbinic tradition, Chanukah is considered a minor festival, but in historical importance and religious motivation it is major in every respect. Without the Maccabees' courageous response to religious persecution, there would be no Judaism today. Nor, for that matter, would there be any Western religious practice as we know it-no Judaism, but no Christianity or Islam either, without the events of Chanukah. Freedom of religious expression is a shining moral light, indeed, and one that is denied in many countries in the world. The abiding lessons of Chanukah today are twofold: first, that each religion in a free society must have the right to its own beliefs and practices. No government should mandate or fund observance, nor should it restrict it. And second, that each of us has the personal obligation to carry forward that light through our own observance of Chanukah, by lighting our own Chanukiot (Chanukah menorahs). For that is the truest measure of the light that we bring to Chanukah: a light of purpose, meaning, understanding, and holiness. Chag Chanukah Samei'ach-a happy holiday of lights. L'shalom v'rei'ut, in peace and friendship, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon
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