Still In Need Of Miracles
By Yochanan Gordon
“And afterward Your children entered the inner chamber of Your house, cleansed Your courtyard, and purified Your Temple…”—Al HaNissim
“He Who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, in this time.”—Chanukah blessing
Jews everywhere are reeling, plunged into deep mourning in the aftermath of the horrific terror attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, which left innocent Jews murdered and many more wounded. Loss of life in this manner is always an unspeakable tragedy. What makes it even more difficult to process is its cruel juxtaposition with the holiday of Chanukah—the festival of light and miracles. Across the world, Jews stood candle in hand, reciting among the blessings: “He Who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, in this time.” And yet, one cannot help but feel a quiet dissonance.
The Gemara relates that Moshe Rabbeinu instituted the praises of the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei: HaKeil, HaGadol, HaGibor, v’HaNorah. After the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, Yirmiyahu omitted the word HaNorah, asking: Ayeh nor’osav—where is His awesomeness? Later, Daniel omitted HaGibor, asking: Ayeh gevuraso—where is His strength, when His children are enslaved? The Gemara wonders how they possessed the authority to amend the text. It answers that they knew Hashem is a G-d of truth, and they refused to flatter Him falsely. Later, the Men of the Great Assembly restored the blessings, explaining that His awesomeness lies in Jewish survival despite exile, and His strength in restraint. G-d forbid that anyone suggest removing a blessing from the Chanukah liturgy. But it would be dishonest to deny the difficulty of invoking miracles when they seemed so painfully absent in Bondi Beach on the first night of the festival.
There is a subtle but telling difference in the Al HaNissim prayer between Nusach Ari and other nuschaos. Most versions read: “V’achar kein bau banecha lidvir beisecha…,” “and afterward, Your children entered the inner sanctum of Your House,” implying a sequence that culminated in miraculous redemption. In Nusach Ari, however, the word kein is replaced with kach. At first glance they appear interchangeable, but the Arizal explains that kach connotes self-sacrifice. He points to the Mishnah in Avos: “If you have learned much Torah, do not take credit for yourself, for it was for this—l’kach—notzarta—that you were created.” Another Mishnahdeclares: “Kach hi darkah shel Torah”—this is the path of Torah: bread with salt, water in measure, sleeping on the ground, and a life of hardship—Torah acquired through mesirus nefesh. The Arizal is teaching that it was not miracles alone that redeemed the Chashmonaim, but their self-sacrifice that triggered victory. Throughout the generations, we have continued to embody that same mesirus nefesh—often without witnessing the miracles that once followed. Still, we refuse to allow terror and fear to stifle us. We raise our heads in defiance, adding light in response to the darkness our enemies seek to spread.
I am reminded of a penetrating insight attributed to Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik. The Gemarastates: “Rebbi Akiva would expound heaps upon heaps of laws from every kotz and crown of the letters.” The word kotz does not only mean a crown—it can also mean a thorn. Rebbi Akiva extracted Torah even from the pokes, the wounds, the painful protrusions of existence. Jews will continue to learn, to innovate, and to perform mitzvos amid profound self-sacrifice. Yet one cannot help but cry out: Ribbono Shel Olam—how can such desecration of Your Name be borne, when Jewish blood is spilled in the streets during a holiday of faith and light? Our faith remains intact. But we have suffered for far too long. You showed miracles to our forefathers in generations past, and today, more than ever, we remain—still—in need of miracles. n
Yochanan Gordon can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of Yochanan’s articles at 5TJT.com.
