Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayeshev 5768 by Rabbi Rafi Rank

There are those who view Hanukkah and Christmas in some sort of annual end-of-the-year competition, yet these two holidays are really different. Hanukkah is about the rebirth of Jewish autonomy, commemorates a military victory, and is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar. Christmas is about the birth of a messiah, celebrates a season of peace, and is a major holiday in the Christian calendar.

If Christmas and Hanukkah were in a boxing rink, a classic mismatch between a heavyweight and a lightweight, it wouldn’t take more than one round before Hanukkah was out cold. Then again were our great grandparents to witness exactly what has become of Hanukkah, they’d be scratching their heads and steeped in earnest debate. This minor holiday is celebrated with latkah parties, menorah lightings, the giving of gifts, commercial hoopla in the major department stores and let’s not forget monster hanukkiyot, lit by triumphant rabbis holding torches aloft in cherry pickers.

Not that I disapprove, mind you. We learn in Pirkei Avot—

Vehevay zahir bemitzvah kalah kivahamurah…

We should treat the minor mitzvot as seriously as the major mitzvot (Pirkei Avot 2:1)

And when it comes to Hanukkah, we’ve certainly fulfilled the rabbis’ directive.

If we play up Hanukkah, it shouldn’t be to compete with Christmas. The accidental coincidence of these two holidays each year affords us, as Jews, an opportunity to honor our Christian friends for their religious convictions and observances. Wishing them a Merry Christmas, sending holiday cards, or even giving gifts are all appropirate depending on the circumstances. Acknowledging the holiday of our non-Jewish neighbors does not weaken Jewish identity. Ignoring Jewish traditions weakens Jewish identity.

The first Hanukkah candle is lit Tuesday evening, December 4. I hope that it will begin eight days of menorah lightings, latkah parties, a little dreidel action, and fun with friends. Should we play up Hanukkah? Absolutely! We have a duty to take care of those minor mitzvot. But we have an equal duty to honor our good friends and neighbors who are now preparing for a major religious observance. There are many roads to God, and as Conservative Jews, we honor all those who are courageous enough to walk those pathways.