Chanukhah First Night--Now as Then

This year, Chanukhah falls after on the sundown after the winter solstice. Highly symbollic of the return of light to a darkened world. The lights are lit to celebrate, how with divine help, the Maccabbis were able to keep at bay the Selucid armies based in Damascus and Antioch. In "those days", the Temple was restored, Jews could worship openly, and once more stand up and be counted.

Each night, for the next eight nights, an additional candle is added to the menorah; each night lasts a little less time reminding us that after each darken period, there is a return to light and warmth. Houses are decorated with festive trimmings; there are games, special treats, and some even give small presents. The celebration of Chanukhah, however, is also tempered with the awareness that the alternation of light and dark, abundance and dearth, are part of a larger process--recession is not long coming, as the Chinese would say.

The multilayered message of Chanukhah is not lost on Israelis. As in the time of the Selucids, Israel is surrounded with those who would do it harm; who plot its destruction seeking to obliterate its people and its practices. The farcical truce with Hamas ended on Friday and already Hamas as increased its firework celebrations with salvos reaching Ashdod and threatening Beir Sheva in the Negev. Hizbullah steadily increases its arms build up and Iran continues unabatedly its pursuit of nuclear weaponry.

In good pietistic fashion, I focus on the lights of Chanukhah that change and peace require human as well as divine resoluteness to stand up and be counted--truth and light will prevail, but they need constant attention.

On this note, the divine comedy was played out last week. This year's Chanukhah Harry helper was none other than the Nobel Peace Prizer, Jimmy Carter. The peace maker dropped by the neighborhood to visit the downtrodden in Lebanon and offer his lobbying skills to Hamas. Jimmy reports on his website that he had a helicopter tour of the Latani region with the UNIFIL general.

[Italian general Graziano, commander of the UNIFIL peace keeping forces in Lebanon] showed us a graph of the many flights of Israeli planes over all parts of Lebanon, averaging about a dozen each day. Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese Armed Forces have any anti-aircraft weapons for defense.

They showed Jimmy a graph! I'm shocked. So, it would appear that they did not show Jimmy a graph of the number of rockets and forces Hizbullah has redeployed along Israel's border.

[Several days later], Bob, Hrair, and I met with Khaled Mashaal and his fellow Hamas politburo members, all of whom are scientists, medical doctors, or engineers – none trained in religion. It was the anniversary of Hamas' founding, and they were watching Prime Minister Haniya's speech in Gaza to an enormous crowd. We discussed items on my agenda that included an extension of the ceasefire in Gaza, life there under the Israeli sanctions, the Arab peace initiative, reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, the future of Palestinian leadership and elections in the West Bank and Gaza, and formulas for prisoner exchange to obtain the release of Corporal [sic] Shalit. Like the Syrians, they are patient, relatively satisfied with the status quo, and putting all their eggs in Obama's basket. We had to caution them about expecting too much of an immediate change in U.S. Middle East policy.

Carter must be trying to audition for Saturday Night Live. Clearly being this year's honorary Chanukhah Harry bringing seasons greetings to the secular Hamas politburo has gone to his head. Now, he is acting as a political advisor to known terrorists and kidnappers giving them sage advice about "putting their eggs in Obama's basket" to helping them set the price in silver for Sergeant Shalit.

More and more, the senior US statesman sounds like King Lear raging against the sound and fury of the storm with his advisor, Tom O'Bedlam, by his side. True to the season, Jimmy seems to be spreading his message of humor and joy in the States as well. As Arutz Sheva reports,

His visit to Lebanon, where he offered to help monitor upcoming elections, was met with fierce opposition by the widely respected Investors Business Daily, which referred to Carter as "our worst ex-president" who is a "confidant of thugs and terrorists everywhere."

Hizbullah is running in the elections in an attempt to increase its representation in the parliament. "Is he going as a monitor or a cheerleader for terror?" the business daily asked.

But, enough of this gloom and doom thinking. It's Chanukhah. Time to get together and visit friends and family. So, if you're in Jerusalem, come on out to Ephrat, over in the Gefen neighborhood and stop by for a L'Chaim and good cheer. We've left a light on for you by the gate. Don't be a stranger, ya hear?

Season's Greetings and God's Blessings to all.