Shabbos 23

“The mitzva is not only to kindle the light but to see the light as well.”

Putting aside the derogatory statements that open today’s text (I have come far enough in my daily readings to know the Talmud is not politically correct), we are told that women (who we learned elsewhere in the Talmud are not obligated to fulfill the same duties as men), are obligated to light the Hanukkah lamp. The Koren Talmud’s notes say that Judith was part of the Hanukkah miracle and there is a parallel with stories of her bravery and the miracle performed by Judah when he recaptured the temple from the Assyrian Greeks. 

We also learn that it is a gift to see a light: “the mitzva is not only to kindle the light but to see the light as well.” There is a discussion of the origins of the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah. The holiday is not mentioned in the Torah and it is asked “where did he command us” to light the lamps on Hanukkah.  We are told that the tradition has been established by the learned Rabbis in the ongoing conversation about the distinction between Rabbinic and Torah law, and we are to “heed the statements and decrees of the Sages.” Rav Nehemya says that we should follow the teachings of our elders: “Ask your father, and he will declare unto you, your Elders, and they will tell you.”

I am intrigued by the mention of Judith and her enigmatic connection to the Hanukkah holiday. She is never mentioned in the Talmud but there is a tradition that incorporates her narrative into the miracle of Hanukkah. Judith is said to have slaughtered the Assyrian general Holophernes in a daring move that resonates with how Queen Esther saved her people. Holophernes was serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s army and is responsible for the siege of Judith’s biblical hometown of Bethulia. She is described as an unusually beautiful widow who is able to seduce Holophernes with her charm and expert planning. 

In one telling of her story, Holophernes is charmed by Judith’s beauty. She is invited into Holophernes’ tent on the battlefield and feeds him salty cheese in order to stoke his thirst. He drinks a great amount of wine and falls into a drunken stupor. Judith takes advantage of the General’s comatose state and beheads him. The soldiers serving under the General discover his decapitated body and retreat in fear. As a result, she has saved her hometown from destruction. She returned to Bethulia with the General’s severed head as a trophy which inspired the Jewish people to rise up against Nebuchadnezzar’s army.

I have never heard of Judith before, and her association with the Hanukkah holiday. My research does not present any sort of conclusive evidence of the role she played in the rescue of the temple by Judah, but the idea of her is inspiring. She did her part in saving her people just like we are all obligated to do our part during these difficult times. We need strong Judiths now more than ever. Our modern-day Judith encompasses all the doctors and nurses who are fighting this virus on the front lines and the scientists who are working around the clock to find a vaccine in order to cut off its head. And we can all carry Judith within our hearts while we survive with our fortitude to weather this crisis and our beautiful souls.

Here is an article that provides background on the woman who appears on so many menorahs:

https://www.eldridgestreet.org/blog/judith-female-strength-in-myth-and-menorahs/