Ceremony and Celebration Family Edition, The Hagim, Hanukka, The Seventh Night, It Once Happened
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In the days when the Greeks had defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, an elderly and respected kohen by the name of Mattityahu lived with his five sons in a town called Modi’in, near Jerusalem.
One day, the officers of Antiochus arrived in Modi’in and built an altar in the marketplace, demanding that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the Greek gods.
Mattityahu replied to them, “I, my sons, and my brothers will always remain loyal to the covenant that our God made with our ancestors! We will not obey the king’s orders or stray from our religion one inch!”
At this moment, a Hellenised Jew approached the altar to sacrifice to the Greek gods. Mattityahu was filled with righteous outrage, so he reached for his sword and killed him. Then, together with his sons, he also killed the king’s officers and destroyed the altar that they had built.
Knowing that Antiochus would be furious when he heard about it, and knowing that he would send troops to kill them all, Mattityahu fled to the hills of Judaea, followed by his sons, calling out: “Whoever is for God and His Torah, follow me!” And so began the Hasmonean revolt against Antiochus and the Greeks.
POINT TO PONDER
- Do you think Mattityahu’s response was extreme? Is there a precedent for it in the Torah?