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The Talmud in Shabbos asks the famous question "Mai hanukkah" what is hanukkah? I would like understand that question from a modern day perspective.

After all, the spiritual component of hanukkah is the conquest of the "enlightened" physical Hellenistic majority by the few Torah students.

Yet nowadays the reform (or so called haskala- "enlightened") movement is large (if you count the number of members) and unfortunately the physical has replaced the spiritual for a generation of lost Jews. (Are there more Jews for J R"L today than observant Jews?)

In addition the rekindling of the menorah in the bet hamikdash we no longer have begs the question.

So I repeat the question and would love to understand the answer - in 5773- "Mai hanukkah?" What are we celebrating?

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Not sure why someone minus oned me. I am sincerely interested in understanding this, halachically for a shiur I am preparing. – Victor Grazi Dec 12 '12 at 3:02
Is your question "What meaning do non-observant or non-orthodox Jews find in Chanukah?" – HodofHod Dec 12 '12 at 3:35
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@VictorGrazi What do you mean "understanding this, halachically"? You don't seem to be asking a question of Halacha. Also I think you are wrongfully conflating the original Enlightenment thinkers with the modern Reform Movement, and even worse with certain Christians. – Double AA♦ Dec 12 '12 at 3:40
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This question reminds me of judaism.stackexchange.com/q/14700/759 which I note is closed by community fiat. – Double AA♦ Dec 12 '12 at 3:42
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I am not following the question at all. Chanuka "celebrates" the same things it has always celebrated. The questioner needs to explain why the points he raises are relevant to the issue. – LazerA Dec 12 '12 at 3:55

closed as not a real question by Isaac Moses, msh210♦ Dec 12 '12 at 15:14

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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This is my own answer based on a answer I have heard to a different question. Why do we always say "Zaicher L'Ytziyas Mitzrayim"? As the commentaries explain we were in the lowest possible level of Tumah and at the last moment - the moment of no return - Hashem saved us and took us out of Mitzrayim. So too we pray that even though as the generations progress we are on a lower level, please Hashem remember us and take us out of this Galus just like you took us out of Mitzrayim when we were at a low level.

Based on this I would like to answer "Yes we are in a generation where the reform movement is large, but we are celebrating the victory of the pure over the impure, Tzadikim over the Reshaim, etc., and we still celebrate Chanuka to show that so too in our times, in our days, one day soon we will celebrate this again.

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