Al Hanisim
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
In Al Hanisim which we say during Chanukah, we thank Hashem that for the deliverance of the “mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few”. We also thank Hashem for delivering the “impure into the hands of the pure, the evil into the hands of the righteous and the rebellious into those who are involved in your Torah”.
The fact that the Chashmonaim were victorious over the Greeks who were mighty and many, teaches us about the great miracle of Chanukah. However, what does the fact that they were impure, wicked and rebellious have to do with the miracle of Chanukah? It seems that there is no connection to the miracle of overcoming the Greeks during the time of the victory of Chanukah.
The Rebbe answers this question by explaining the historical background of the Greek decrees. Matisyahu and his children were the minority of the Jewish people. The majority of Jews at that time were Hellenists who accepted Greek philosophy. Therefore the Chashmonaim, the minority, were involved in a two-front battle, one from without and one from within. They were battling the decrees that the Greeks had placed upon them. They were also struggling with the Jewish Hellenists who consented to those decrees.
Now we can understand the greatness of the miracle of Chanukah from both angles. Chanukah comprised the victory of the physical battle against the Greek army. The miracle is magnified by the fact that we were victorious not withstanding the fact that many of our people were not deserving of the miracle. The miracle is that Hashem considered the minority, who were the pure, the righteous and those that were occupied in Hashem’s Torah, over the majority.
What does this teach us when we light the Chanukah lights? The lights of Chanukah represent the lights of the Beis Hamikdash of the future redemption with Moshiach. In the world, Jewish people are a minority. Those that keep Torah and Mitzvos are a minority of the Jewish people. How could a minority of a minority possibly change the entire world and bring Moshiach? This is the lesson that Chanukah teaches us. Because of the self sacrifice of the minority Hashem performed a miracle for the majority as well.
This is especially relevant to us today. Today the power of the individual is even more potent than ever. Most people today are no longer Hellenists. There are not many that have an ideology that stands in opposition to the Torah and Mitzvos. The majority of the Jewish people that do not perform Torah and Mitzvos do not do so because they are against the Torah per se (chas v’shalom). Rather the majority of the Jewish people today are Tinokos Shenishba, they don’t understand what Torah and Mitzvos really is. Most Yidden are like the child at the Seder that doesn’t know how to ask. Therefore, the fact that they don’t perform Torah and Mitzvos is not held against them, nor can it hold back the Geulah. We cannot blame them, nor can they affect whether or not Klal Yisroel is ready for Geula. Therefore the individual, the minority will prevail in tipping the scales and bringing the redemption. Just as nothing stood in the way of the Chashmonaim from being victorious and bringing about the miracle of Chanukah, so too will we be victorious over the galus and bring Moshiach and rekindle the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash. May we merit the immediate revelation of Moshiach and the rekindling of the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi now!