Observation ·
What the Maccabees called their enemies reveals much about how both cultures saw themselves and what the conflict between them meant for the world.
Observation ·
The final, often-skipped stanza of the popular Hanukkah candle-lighting song Ma’oz Tsur presented the late rabbi with an unusual challenge.
Observation ·
The problem was not that the stars of the Hanukkah story were too heroic, but that they confused their military heroism for the capacity of communal leadership.
Observation ·
"It was one of the decisive events in human history. Never before had men been convinced, as they were then, that an idea was something to fight for and to die for."
Observation ·
English is a language notorious for its strange spellings, and its speakers are more willing to tolerate aberrations than are speakers of other languages.
Observation ·
Some end-of-year remarks on the path of life, spoken in honor of those who do end-of-life work.
Observation ·
It sounds less mercenary—which is probably also why real coins eventually gave way to chocolate ones.
Observation ·
The Maccabean revolt wasn’t just about independence. It was a culture war between those who embraced "Greek wisdom" and those who believed in transcendent, divine knowledge.
Observation ·
A modest suggestion for a new way of thinking about the original meaning of the word "Maccabee."
Observation ·
What are we to make of the fiery images, stories, and rituals that inform Jewish liturgy and Jewish self-understanding?
Observation ·
The book of Esther and the festival of Purim mark the beginnings of the exilic world, in which the battle to remain Jewish never really goes away.
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