Imperial Feast
One of the holidays celebrated by Jews doesn’t have Biblical roots. Hanukkah commemorates the inauguration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BC Maccabean Revolt. As such it is beyond the timeframe of the Old Testament. Referring to that, “Hanukkah” means “inauguration” in Hebrew. Observed during eight nights, a candle is added to a nine-branched candelabrum – called Hanukkyah in Hebrew – each night. The ninth candle is used to light the others. Last year, I commented on the very special iconography of this celebration in Happy Hanukkah: On Jewish Demons. In 2011, it was celebrated on December 20, and provided a few provocative pictures (see above).
In the Jewish tradition, Hanukkah is special because it doesn’t appear in the Bible; i.e. it isn’t a holiday commanded by God (the same applies to Purim). Hence, it offers an extraordinary insight into the transition of the Judaic culture from being based in the Bible to one based in the blasphemous Talmud. Moreover, it has a distinctive imperial touch. The most similar Jewish holiday is Pesach, which celebrates the transition from slavery in Egypt to liberty. The transition then was from empire to stateless desert. Hanukkah celebrates a different type of freedom.
ADL is unlikely to sue me for these words. The Jews speaking at the event made the obvious link.
“The torch-lit parade marking Hitler’s rise to power 70 years ago, represented the epitome of darkness, kindling the Hanukkah lights at this very spot represents the absolute triumph of good over evil.” said Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yehuda Tiechtel, who is shown in the picture above.
The words sound good. I am sure that if replacing the nouns, they would have contributed enormously to Hitler’s 1933 rally. Yet, Rabbi Tiechtel failed to explain why the lighting represents “the absolute triumph of good over evil.” That is a strange claim by the people responsible for the monstrous acts of violence often reported in this website, and that have caused the Second Maccabean State to be defined as a terror state by the UN. Dear Rabbi Tiechtel, let me just quote part of one of the articles on that decision, article 1716 says: “…
The firing of white phosphorus shells over the UNRWA compound in Gaza City is one of such cases in which precautions were not taken in the choice of weapons and methods in the attack and these facts were compounded by reckless disregard for the consequences. The intentional strike at the Al Quds hospital using high explosive artillery shells and using white phosphorous in and around the hospital also violated Articles 18 and 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
With regard to the attack against Al Wafa hospital, the Mission found a violation of the same provisions, as well as a violation of the customary law prohibition against attacks which may be expected to cause excessive damage to civilians and civilian objects.” Is this your light, Rabbi Tiechtel? Is the light of ignited phosphorous on the skin of innocent children the way you define “goodness?”
Roy Tov
+ +