Who Found the Cruse of Oil?
Words of Wisdom with Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
This week’s Dvar Torah was lightly edited from one written by past Adult Learning faculty member and esteemed educational colleague David Abramowitz, Executive Director of the Jewish Leadership Institute.
Photo by jyothivkumar on pixabay.com
Quick, who found the cruse of oil that lasted eight days?
On Chanukah we celebrate two miracles: our military victory over the Greeks and the one small cruse of oil that kept the menorah in the Temple lit for eight days.
Between the two miracles, our tradition holds that finding the oil is more important.
The re-dedication of the Temple capped by the eight days of menorah light is the real Chanukah miracle. That’s why the holiday is called Chanukah, which means “dedication,” and why we light a menorah to commemorate the events.
If I started with the question of who led the victory over the Greeks, everyone would know that the answer is Judah, the Maccabee.
But the hero who brought about the critical miracle goes un-named. Why is that?
This is one of Chanukah’s lessons.
Who the hero was isn’t important; it’s what they did that matters.
And to appreciate what they did, let’s look at what they didn’t do.
They weren’t looking for a jar of oil that would last eight days.
They weren’t trying to be a hero or trying to make a miracle happen.
They simply worked on the Jewish task facing them.
Who knows how many broken cruses he had to dig through to find the complete one? But dig he did, and the miraculous ensued.
Chanukah teaches us what it really means to be a Jew.
We never know what Jewish action we take will affect another Jew - or perhaps the Jewish world.
Our job is to consistently do something Jewish, and if we’re lucky, a miracle, large or small, will come to be.
Here’s an example.
Sarit Hadad is one of Israel’s top singers. One of her most popular songs is K’shehalev Bocheh, “When the Heart Cries.”
It’s not a typical pop song. It’s about dealing with despair and hope. She’s sung it for years, so her fans know it well, as you’ll see in the linked video.*
She’s performing the song at a concert that took place before October 7. (It’s the first video at the top of the page. You’ll see Sarit draped in an Israeli flag.) It’s a must-watch for its beauty, but also to understand the next video.
danielgordis.substack.com/p/when-the-heart-cries-only-god-hears? (1st video)
Here’s the background to the next video. On October 7, Moran Stella Yanai was kidnapped by the Palestinians and held hostage. She was released as part of a hostage deal.
She was in the audience of an Israeli TV show, and so was Sarit Hadad. Moran told her how the song affected her during her captivity.
Here’s the incredible video: danielgordis.substack.com/p/when-the-heart-cries-only-god-hears? (2nd video)
This is the Jewish action-unintended miracle connection in real time.
For years, Sarit chose to perform a song about Jewish yearning and prayer. She did it because the song was meaningful to her.
Just like the person who found the jar of oil, Sarit was not trying to create a miracle. She did something Jewish, and the Moran miracle ensued.
Perhaps this is a dramatic example, but the same action-unintended miracle equation applies to us.
Anything Jewish we do, especially if we add to what we’re doing now, has the potential to influence the Jewish future.
We do not know what we will inspire when we light Shabbat candles or go to synagogue or learn Hebrew on Duolingo or advocate for Israel. But inspiration there will be.
The final abomination that aroused the Maccabees to rebel was the Greek emperor placing a statue of Zeus in the Temple. It was a complete negation of Judaism.
We face the same abomination today. People accuse Israel of committing genocide. Not only is that a complete negation of Judaism’s values, it’s an intentional slap at our lived experience.
We, too, should be aroused - to take the next Jewish step in our lives.
We should make the effort to metaphorically search for any cruse of oil. Perhaps we will find the one cruse that leads to a miracle and brings light to the Jewish People.
Happy Chanukkah!
* The videos are courtesy of Danny Gordis’ Substack Israel from the Inside. I recommend it highly. Subscribe at https://danielgordis.substack.com
