Madoff Madness vs Macabee Miracles

This year’s Hanukkah lights are dimmer than usual. Hanukkah is to be a time of family and food, of games and gifts. It is a time of Jewish pride in which we show the world the miracle of the Jews, the blessings of our unique people.

But this year, the Hanukkah lights cast a shadow of shame. And embarrassment. And sorrow. For in our midst are families whose life savings have, in an instant, disappeared. In our midst are organizations and philanthropies that have been wiped out. And if that’s not bad enough, this crime was committed by one of ours. And if that’s not bad enough, this tragedy is global in scale. If that’s not bad enough, this crime boldly defies Jewish tradition which teaches that honesty in business is the first concern of the heavenly court of justice. If that’s not bad enough, it profanes the name of God who demands righteousness. Truly, it feels like this year’s festival of lights were extinguished even before they were lit.

If Hanukkah is first and foremost a time of light amidst a lot of darkness, the families and organizations directly affected by Bernard Madoff’s alleged scandalous and unprecedented crime, need our light. They must know that as they have stood by us, so will we stand by them. They who feel vulnerable must know that we are here for them without judgment or recrimination. They who feel lost, whose lives have been forever changed must know that as the Macabees overcame great odds, so too will they… with us at their side.

In these challenging times, we need to draw strength from each other.

Now more than ever we need community for support.

Now more than ever we need social service organizations to serve our community.

Now more than ever we need our sanctuaries to be places of refuge, places that inspire us to live out our highest values and aspirations.

Now more than ever we need the wisdom of tradition to guide us.

And we find it in the story of Hanukkah:

The miracles of Hanukkah are well known: There is the miracle of the oil and the miracle of the Macabee’s victory. But a little known Hanukkah story tells of a different miracle and in so doing offers hope in these difficult days.

The Second Book of Macabees, a book not included in the Hebrew Bible but still part of the historical record of the Jewish people, tells of the days before King Antiochus and Judah Macabbee. In 187 BCE, Seleucus IV was crowned the leader of the Seleucid Dynasty. Though the Seleucid Empire ruled the Land of Israel, they had to pay tribute to the larger, more powerful Roman Empire. They turned, therefore, to the Land of Israel and were delighted to discover that the Temple in Jerusalem contained untold treasures. Billions.

So King Seleucus sent his assistant, Heliodorus to confiscate this vast wealth. When Heliodorus arrived he was welcomed as an emissary of the royal court. He explains why he has come and asks if the rumors about the Temple’s wealth are true. They were, he was told. So Heliodorus declares that he must take the funds.

As word spread, the Jews of Jerusalem came pouring out of their homes very upset. This money had been set aside as an endowment specifically for widows and orphans. So the Jews protested. They prostrated themselves before God in prayer and anguish. And just as Heliodorus came forward to seize the treasury, he was struck down and disabled. God had heeded the prayers and miraculously intervened.

The Temple’s finances were saved. For now, the Jews could rest easy. (But the Jews were about to face an even graver threat. Selecus was succeeded by his brother Antiochus who would forever live in infamy in the story of Hanukkah.)

In our own day we have not been so lucky. Even the endowment we set aside for “widows and orphans” was stolen. We know that in our time, God does not perform outward miracles like thwarting a thief at the last minute. But like the story of the oil, perhaps the true miracle here is not Divine intervention but human initiative.

The Temple held tremendous assets dedicated to helping the needy. In the face of force, in the face of fear, the Jews of Jerusalem could have given up on the money. After all, it was resources reserved for lowest of the social class- widows and orphans. But they held their ground. They took care of the most vulnerable, the weakest. Calling out to God, they defended their values. And God listened.

In this story, we are inspired to stand firm, to take the initiative and affirm our values even in the face of threats. This story is little known but the familiar symbols of the holiday, likewise offer a message of hope.

Hanukkah reminds us that a little can go a long way. Like the oil in the Temple, this year we will have to spread our resources thinner and hope that the light does not significantly diminish.

Hanukkah reminds us that the weak can overcome the many. We may feel downtrodden facing the numerous challenges before our nation and our families. But like the Macabees, with wisdom, resolve and with the strength of our spirit, we can overcome great odds.

Hanukkah reminds us of the fragility of life. Our lives, like a dreidel, are topsy turvy. One minute we’re up. The next minute we spin out of control and fall. One minute we land on gimmel, a gold mine, and rake it in. The next, we fall flat on shin and lose our lot. But we get back up and keep on spinning.

Hanukkah reminds us who is a hero. A hero is not the one who gets the biggest return on his investments, not the one with the largest portfolio. No, heroes like Judah Macabee stand up for what was right. Far from betraying their friends and their people for self gain, heroes fight for their people in the service of God.

Hanukkah reminds us of the value of money. On Hanukkah we play with chocolate gelt. We play with it and we eat it. No, real money is not a play thing. We all know that. But just as in the game in which the first move is to place money into a communal pot, so too we know that the money we give away is the only money we really own.

Haunkkah reminds us to rededicate our lives to the holy. Just as the Macabees purified and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, so too must we purify our lives, rededicating ourselves to sacred values- to modest living, to holy pursuits, to collective responsibility.

This year the lights of Hanukkah may seem dimmer, the gifts may be fewer. But the message of Hanukkah continues to shine forth brightly. We will not allow Madoff, the Grinch who stole Hanukkah, to damper the message Hanukkah continues to shine forth. For the light of Hanukkah is not the sparkle of gelt but the spirit of God, not the radiance of riches but the light of hope.