Over Chanukah (and
Purim) we expand our Thanksgiving portion of Shemonah Esrei by adding the “Al
Hanisim” prayer. The introduction to the holiday-specific portion of the prayer
states: (remember that this is an addendum to that which we began with – Modim
Anachnu Lach – we thank You Hashem)
“For the miracles, for the deliverances, for the mighty acts
for the victories and for the battles which You performed for our fathers in
those days at this season.”
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wonders why we thank Hashem for
the Milchamot, for the battles. It doesn’t mean only for the victories- because
that is covered by the word “teshu’ot.” Rabbi Hirsch explains that it is
through the battles that we had to fight that we have come to truly appreciate
that which we had to fight for.
As the Talmud (Shabbat 130) puts it, “every Mitzvah that
Jews had to die for in order to fulfill, have become firmly entrenched within
the hearts of the Jewish People.
Sometimes we don’t realize how important something is until
we are forced to fight for it. In the case of the Chanukah story, the Jews were
forced to fight for their right to live Jewish lives. Through that war, their
commitment to Jewish life was reinforced.
Our hope is to live peaceful lives- without any need for
war. But at the same time we should ask ourselves: If we were every called upon
to fight for our rights to maintain our lives as Jews (either in the broad
sense or in a very limited and narrow way) would we be willing to do so?
Perhaps just by asking the hypothetical question we can reinforce our ties to
the Torah.
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