Yesterday’ post told the story of Hanukkah as one of liberation. The story of Hanukkah, is also told as one of civil war between Jews living in the land of Israel, some so-called “traditionalists” and others “assimilationists” who wanted to follow the ways of their gentile neighbors. According to this story, which includes miraculous intervention by God in the form of unimaginable military victories, the Jews who fought for the purity of both the temple and Jewish tradition were victorious.

This was a bitter war which pitted brother against brother and family against family. Ironically, this story of the fight against assimilation includes some rather incredible novelties on the part of the supposed traditionalists. They wrote the story, at least Second Maccabees, in Greek! So much for their opposition to Helenic culture.
Those fighting in the name of the tradition, the ones designated at Hasidim – literally, pious ones – are the first Jews we know of to fight on the Sabbath. In the name of the tradition, they violated the tradition! Or more accurately, they redefined fidelity to the tradition in new ways. If that is not a creative understanding of tradition, I don’t know what is. And it’s surely worthy of celebration, even if the idea of a civil war is not.
Where do you see people needlessly fighting over the definition of who is traditional and who is assimilated? Where do you see the most exciting new uses of the Jewish tradition, uses that you believe will add vitality to either the Jewish people or to the world?