There are several myths about Chanukah. That Judah Maccabee defeated the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus decisively and regained independence for the Judean state. That when Judah did regain control of the Temple, a miracle took place. The first act on re-possession was to light the Ner Tamid, the eternal light on the seven-branch candelabrum. All Temple vessels and materials had to be…
A Lesson from History
I have been reading about The Hundred Years’ War between France and England by Jonathan Sumption the well-known and controversial barrister, former member of the Supreme Court of Great Britain. It is a boring book about petty rivalries and seemingly endless battles and intrigues. It reflects the command of detail, rather than broad brush strokes one expects from lawyers and academics.…
Napoleon and Macron
I have always been fascinated by Napoleon Bonaparte (in French it is Napoléon). As a schoolboy, I read the Dutch historian Pieter Geyl’s “Napoleon For and Against” and realized that there were so many different ways of understanding him. History was not clear cut or one-sided. Was he good or bad? A great mind, a brilliant general, a visionary, or…
Kristallnacht
The 9th of November was the anniversary of the Kristallnacht attack on the Jews of Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland in 1938. The Nazis unleashed a hugely popular, pogrom that murdered nearly a hundred Jews and injured thousands. They destroyed 267 synagogues, and seven thousand businesses, and homes. Some 30, 000 Jews were arrested, most of whom were never heard of…
Abraham’s Children
Anyone familiar with the art of Cathedrals and Churches in Europe will know that someone called Melchizedek figures prominently. Who was he? After rescuing Lot from captivity, “Malchizedek” (note the difference between Malchi and Melchi) king of Shalem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest to God on High and he blessed Abraham who then gave him a tenth…
The Rainbow and Halloween
After Noah’s flood, God gave the rainbow as a sign that never again would humanity be destroyed because of its failings. To this day, there is a blessing of thanksgiving on seeing a rainbow “Who remembers and keeps His covenant and fulfills his promise” (Brachot 59a). In medieval times there was a debate about whether the rainbow was a new creation…