Hi! Good Shabbos!! Good Yom Tov!!! Happy Chanukah!!!!
By zevi770 · November 29, 2013
Once again, in his truly remarkable fashion, the Rebbe changes our paradigm, giving us deeper insight, into what the story of Chanukah is and how it truly is being replayed in our time!
Firstly; How did the story of Chanukah come to be?
Unlike say Passover and Purim, where the bodies of the Jews were under attack, Chanukah was the first time, the bodies of the Jews were welcomed into the Greek culture – the Greek culture, which military occupied the Holy-Land at that time – was perhaps the height – apart from Judaism – of civilization, in its time!
Aristotle, Plato, Socrates; truly men of great intellect had risen; which gave rise to Alexander the Great, and the subsequent Syrian-Greek rule, Antiochus – bringing with, their culture.
So if the Greeks weren’t after the Jewish bodies; what were they After?!!
Their souls!
The Greeks could tolerate Judaism, as long as it was done in Greek style – in other words, if it was a science, a non-compelling addition to human intellect – something, that didn’t make man a servant to God; rather, a master of the gods!
It was this fundamental idea, that the Maccabees succeeded in eradicating – for a Judaism, as some, e.g. reform have created today – were man tells God what to do, not the other way around; is not a Judaism; it is another idol – man creating himself into a god!
Erringly similar, the miraculous salvation was realized through oil – which represents Chassidus, the soul of Torah; revealed primarily through the teachings of the Alter Rebbe in Tanya, and the subsequent Chabad Rebbes.
So to not fall prey to this odious narcissistic tendency in man – to egotistically accept oneself – as instead of, rationally and humbly submitting to God – we must light our souls!
Study Tanya (we have a few booklets modernizing and clarifying the Tanya http://kabbalahwisdom.org/tanya-2/ ) Soak yourself in the holy oil of Divinity; And Let Your Soul Merge Into Truth, That Man Becomes More Through Accepting Divine Wisdom, Not God-forbid Less!