Why do we like to hear divrei Torah about holidays before the holiday, but afterwards, it's all just so uninteresting? Apparently, we want to be spiritually prepared in advance (or at least on the holiday) to appreciate its meaning, and afterwards, the insights are too far away from next year to make a difference in preparing for our meaningful holiday.
But is this correct? Doesn't this emphasis on preparing for the holiday's meaning really boil down to an intellectual interest, to the exclusion of religious growth? Because after all, if I'm really interested in drawing close to God, I should look to see what lessons from the holiday (both in light of insights and my observance) will impact my life afterward? The dvar Torah about Chanukah should be welcomed before or on Chanukah, of course. But it should be most welcomed afterwards.
In that light, here is my final chanukah thought. A friend in shul told me that he heard a Dvar Torah about Chanukah and money, which goes something like this: Why is it that to get a chanukah candle, a poor person must even have to sell his overcoat if necessary? Is there a connection between Chanukah and money? He answered that indeed, the Rambam says that the Greeks "pashtu yadam b'mamonam" extended their hands to the Jew's money. The connection, my friend quoted in the name of someone else, is that the Jews must have sinned with money, and were therefore punished by the Greeks midah k'neged midah, measure for measure.
This idea leaves me cold, even uncomfortable because of the presumed knowledge of the mind of God.
I suggested a different idea. That there is indeed a connection between Chanukah and money: Why is the Greek's assault on the Jews' money or property significant enough to warrant a mention by the Rambam? Because of what wealth represents. When leaving Egypt, God told the Jews to take silver and gold from the Egyptians. What ever would they need it for? For the building of the Mishkan, the temple dedicated to God. Silver and gold--wealth in general-- are, from a religious perspective, to be channelled to the service of God. Property becomes the means by which we do many of the mitzvot.
Thus, we say in Al Hanisim that the Greeks tried "l'hashkicham Toratecha u'l'haaviram mechukei retzonecha", to cause the Jews to forget the Torah and to remove them from the laws which are God's will. What is the difference between these two things? "Causing the Jews to forget the Torah" is an attempt to assimilate the Jews. "Removing them from the laws" may mean something else--removing them practically from their ability to observe the laws by taking away their wealth and property. In the absence of assimilation, this will separate Jews from the Torah.
Since wealth and property are the means for the dedication of the material to the Divine, and this was under attack by the Greeks, we must be willing to rededicate ourselves to that value. For this reason, even a poor person with little property must be willing to part with so much in order to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah lights.
As we move on from Chanukah, may God bless us with the wisdom to use whatever resources we have to add holiness into our lives and into the world.
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