One of the festive songs of Hanukkah is ‘Mi Yimalel’ – ‘Who Will Speak Of’. Not to take anything away from our classic ‘Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel’, Mi Yimalel is a bit more layered in describing what it is we are celebrating.
When we speak of Hanukkah and the Maccabees, we often talk about the war they waged and the victory of the few over the many. It is the stuff of fantasies. Unfortunately, outside of discussing a war, we often only think of oil, fried foods and dreidels. Is the sophistication of Hanukkah sitting in a celebration of warfare?
The song ‘Mi Yimalel’ asks who will speak of the mighty deeds of Israel. It then proceeds to state that every generation needs a hero who can lead everyone. It concludes by saying that in our day all Jews must unite and stand together.
As Jews, we don’t celebrate a war or the killing of an enemy. We celebrate heroes, leaders and the brave people with vision who unite us when we so easily divide ourselves.
Hanukkah celebrates the understanding that brave leaders with strong Jewish grounding can bring us to a place where we can overcome insurmountable odds.
You are a hero, Rachael.