On Chanuka and Spirituality, from the Hippy Yeshiva

jewschool.com posted a sweet word from Shaul Judelman of Bat Ayin Yeshiva on the meaning of Chanuka. The following is an excerpt, click here for the full text.

The exile that is commemorated in Chanukah is unique in that it was the only exile in which we weren't driven out of Israel. In fact even the Holy Temple was functioning. It was not a physical threat — rather a spiritual threat. It is referred to as darkness. Darkness doesn't mean there's nothing out there: it means that I can't see it. Much like modern Judaism as I grew to know it America, it was very much lacking the depth of spiritual life. There were great big synagogues and community centers, but it was largely a place for basketball and socializing, not searching. Some bright cases involved food drives and social action. Those were real, but even they were barren of the light that spiritual awareness can offer those actions. This darkness in the Jewish community was coupled with the general mainstream American values which don't exactly support spiritual development for the sake of righteous action, which I feel is the core of Judaism. Yet the mono-culture and drive to standardize leave our Judaism bereft of its teeth. We are blessed with a spiritual faith that holds transforming this world into something better as the major tenet. For those who were lucky to have a guiding light to this message of Judaism, we found no role-models until going off on our own, like Abraham had to, or as every spiritual seeker must.