Insight on the festival of Lights, please read
(inspired by a lesson by R.Akiva Tatz)
The Greeks wanted the Jews to live by Greek culture. When the Jews refused to change their ways, Antiochus, the Greek-Syrian Leader embarked on a campaign to eradicate the spirit of the Jews, outlawing circumcision, Shabbat, and Torah study. It was then that the Maccabees rose up in protest.
The Jews won this battle through picking up arms and fighting. The Battle was a totally spiritual battle, it was a fight to destroy the Jewish spirit. The Greek-Syrians did not want to kill the Jews at all. They wanted the Jews to adapt to the idolatrous practices. (which would lead to a spiritual death, not a physical one)
So why did we pick up arms? Shouldn't it be enough to fight back spiritually? The answer is NO. That is not enough. We are taught that, everything is from Heaven except for the fear of Heaven. When it comes to serving G-d, this is up to us,meaning it's up to us to actually take physical action to get closer to G-d. Sometimes it means fighting a physical war, which doesn't always mean with guns and bombs...
a) standing up on the bus so an older man/woman can sit instead of you.
b) Stopping what you are doing, putting your hand in your pocket and take out some change to give money to someone in need.
c) walking to shul to pray, etc etc...
These are all physical battles which spread light in the world and destroy the darkness...and get us closer to G-d.
This is the war that we are still fighting today...
Help spread the light of Torah in the world, by Donating to Yeshivat Ohr Avaraham.
I continue to benefit greatly from this Yeshiva, and I am happy to be participating in this worthy fundraising cause, and I hope that it will be successful. The success of my personal portion of this campaign depends mainly on my physical efforts, and on those of all my friends and family. (-:
THANKS A MILLION EVERYONE!
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