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Shabbat Channuka (2025)

Shabbat Mikeitz, Channuka, and Rosh Chodesh

Dvar Torah - Strength by virtue of spirit
On Shabbat Chanukah, the weekly reading from the Prophets comes from the book of Zechariah. In it, the prophet describes a powerful vision: a golden menorah, flanked by olive trees that provide it with a constant supply of oil. When Zechariah asks what this image means, he is given a timeless answer:
“Not by might, and not by power, but by My spirit, says G-d.”

This vision was given at a moment of national vulnerability. The Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylonia, the Second Temple was under construction, and the political and military realities were daunting. Zechariah’s message was clear: the strength of the Jewish people does not ultimately radiate from the battlefield or political dominance. Our deepest strength has always come from living with purpose, values, and faith — from walking in the ways of G-d.

Chanukah is the lived expression of this idea. We certainly remember the bravery of the Maccabees and the battles they fought, but when we commemorate Chanukah, we do not do so with symbols of military triumph. Instead, we light the menorah. At the center of the holiday is not the military victory, but the miracle of the oil, the quiet, persistent light that should not have lasted, but did.

This is deeply intentional. The menorah proclaims that Jewish continuity is not sustained by force, but by dedication to Judaism. Even when we must fight, what ultimately defines us is not the sword, but the flame.

Remarkably, this same vision carries into modern Jewish history. The emblem of the State of Israel is not a symbol of power. It is Zechariah’s menorah — a golden menorah with olive branches on either side. As Menachem Begin famously put it: “Not by virtue of power, but by the power of virtue”. The modern Jewish state anchors its identity in the prophetic symbol of spiritual endurance.

When we light the Chanukah candles, we are not merely remembering a miracle of the past. We are affirming Zechariah’s vision in the present: that our Jewish identity draws its strength from its spirit.

Trivia
This is the “triple-play” Shabbat: In synagogue we will take out 3 Torah scrolls for Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Channuka readings; Birkhat Hamazon (grace after meals) will be the lengthiest possible with 3 separate insertions for the above events

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 15:39/17:19
Tel-Aviv 16:18/17:20
Budapest 15:36/16:47
Paris 16:37/17:50
NYC 16:13/17:17
Vancouver 15:57/17:11

Shabbat Shalom, Channuka Sameach, and Chodesh Tov!



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