When we sit and recount the tragic events of the past year in the land of Israel, i.e. the suicidal disengagement plan, the evacuation of Jewish residents of Gush Katif, the continuous mortar attacks on Israeli settlements and cities and the callous treatment by the Israeli government of the Gush Katif refugees, we can only cry out to the Almighty G-d of Israel and beseech him for the strength and courage to go on.

In our prayers and supplications, at this time of Chanukah, we ask for the indomitable faith, tenacity and fortitude to do the will of Hashem. In these times of spiritual darkness, of national disunity and collective pain and trevail, we can bemoan the fact that the leaders of the Israeli government, the Sharons and Netanyahus of the world lack the basic faith it takes to be a leader of the Jewish nation. As they lead us down a path of further territorial concessions to the Arab enemy, and as they further attempt to foster and encourage the forces of assimilation, our response can and must be one of resolve to do the will of the Almighty without fear of world opinion.

We must take comfort, hope, strength and inspiration from true Jewish leaders. Especially now, during the holiday of Chanukah, we must take a deeper look at just who the Maccabees were, of the great leaders of the Hasmonean Dynasty. We must find out the real meaning of Chanukah and emulate these values in our hearts, the whole year through.

The Sages (Shabbat 21b) asked: What is Chanukah? The Rabbis taught: From the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, eight days of Chanukah are observed, during which eulogies are not made and fasting is not permitted. For when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all of the oils [used for kindling the Menorah]. And when the Hasmonean House prevailed and defeated them, they searched and found only one jar of oil which was sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol – and this jar had oil sufficient only to burn for one day. But a miracle occurred and the oil burned for eight days.

The next year, the Sages designated these eight days as a festival, with songs of praise and thanksgiving. During the period of the second Holy Temple, the Greek kings issued harsh decrees against Israel, outlawing their religious practices and forbidding them to engage in the study of Torah and the practice of mitzvot. They stole their money and their daughters, entered the Sanctuary and ravaged it, defiling all that was ritually pure. They caused Israel great anguish and oppressed them until the G-d of our fathers had mercy upon them and delivered them and saved them from the hands of their enemies. The Hasmonean House – the Kohanim Gedolim – prevailed and killed them and saved Israel from their hands. And they designated a king from among the kohanim, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than two hundred years, until the destruction of the second Holy Temple.

It was on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev that Israel prevailed and defeated their enemies. They entered the Sanctuary and found only one jar [of oil] which was pure. It contained only enough for one day, but they lit the lights of the Menorah from it for eight days, until they pressed olives and extracted pure oil (Rambam, Hilchot Chanukah 3).

The wars that the Maccabees waged against the Assyrian-Greek hellenists, are the same wars that we fight today.

Today in Israel, our hellenized, gentilized leaders relinquish G-d given Jewish land into the hands of the burgeoning and malignant Arab enemy. An enemy who has vowed our physical and spiritual annihilation. Our leaders do not speak the uniqueness and special status of the House of Israel. They have contempt for the G-d of Israel and for His Holy Torah.

Our leaders cower in fear when they face the nations of the world and they do not fear Hashem. They have erected gods of silver and gold, better known as US economic aid. Our leaders enact laws that discourage the promulgation of true Jewish values that are predicated on a Divine Source.

We are a people that stands alone. In the face of such rabid hatred of G-d and all that He stands for, our only hope is to remain Maccabees. To display the courage to fight, to gird our loins and to prepare to defend our faith. To know in our hearts, that the G-d of Israel goes into battle with us and never leaves our side.

Our mission is for each of us to become an Emunah Shleima (a person of complete faith in G-d). Our history is replete and rich with such exemplary persona.

We need only look at Mattityahu, the Kohen Gadol of the town of Modin.When a Syrian officer built an altar in the marketplace of the village and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the Greek gods. Mattityahu replied, "I, my sons and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our G-d made with our ancestors!"

Let us look to Yochanan, the Kohen Gadol, the father of the Hasmonean family, who foresaw the danger to Judaism from the penetration of Syrian-Greek influence into the Holy Land. He knew the Jewish people could never give up their faith in G-d and accept the idol-worship of the Syrians. Yochanan was therefore opposed to any attempt on the part of the Jewish Hellenists to introduce Greek and Syrian customs into the land. He was scorned by the Hellenists for his outspoken beliefs.

Let us extol the virtues of Yehudit, the daughter of Yochanan of the Hasmonean Dynasty. We know that the town of Bethulia, in the land of Judea, came under siege by Holofernes, a mighty Syrian-Greek general, at the head of a huge army.
Holofernes was notorious for his cruelty in suppressing rebellions. When he captured a rebel stronghold, he showed no mercy to the men, women, and children sheltered there.

Now he was determined to crush the rebellion of the town of Bethulia, whose inhabitants refused to recognize the oppressive rule of the Syrians.

The men of the beleaguered town fought bravely and desperately to repulse the repeated assults by the superior enemy forces. Seeing that he couldn't take the fortified town by force, Holofernes decided to starve the inhabitants into submission. He cut off the food and water supply, and before long the town was indeed brought to the verge of surrender.

Hungry and thirsty and in utter despair, the townspeople gathered in the marketplace and demanded that, rather than die of hunger and thirst, they should surrender to the enemy.

Uzzia, the commander of the defense forces, and the Elders of the town, tried to calm the populace without success. Finally they pleaded, "Give us five more days. If no salvation comes by the end of five days, we will surrender. Just five more days..."

Reluctantly the people agreed, and slowly they dispersed. Only one person, a woman, remained in her place, as if riveted to it, and she addressed Uzzia and the Elders, who had also turned to go. Her voice was clear and firm.

"Why do you test G-d, giving Him only five days in which to send us His help? If you truly have faith in G-d, you must never give up your trust in Him. Besides, don't you know that surrender to Holofernes is worse than death?!"

Yehudit fed the evil Helefornes, cheese and wine. He became inebriated and passed out. Yehudit propped a pillow under his head and rolled him over on his face. Then she uttered a silent prayer: "Answer me, O Lord, as You answered Yael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, when you delivered the wicked general Sissera into her hands.Strengthen me this once that I may bring Your deliverance to my people whom this cruel man vowed to destroy, and let the nations know that You have not forsaken us...." She then took his sword and cut his head off.

In our present day spiritual wilderness, we need only examine the deeds of our righteous predecessors. Now, more than ever, the inspiration of Chanukah must pervade our neshomas. May the G-d of Israel give us the strength to do His will.

Ms. Sidman served as JDL's national director from 1983 to 1985.