When Light is Really Darkness

בס"ד
The Greeks and the Jews should have been great pals! They were both learned cultures who valued knowledge, so why was there such friction between them?

The Medrash teaches us that the description of existence before creation was actually a metaphor for our different exiles [see Bereshis Rabba 2:4]. Which word does the Medrash insist describes the Greeks? "חשך" – Darkness. If the Greek culture was so advanced in it's pursuit of various wisdoms, why does "חשך" aptly describe their oppression of the Jews?

Wisdom is compared to light, because they accomplish similar things. Understanding gives you a new perspective, just as light enables you to ascertain what was unfathomable in the dark.

When Hashem created the world He first created light. This light, according to some, was then crystallized into the sun, moon and stars. When Hashem finished creating the world, there was only one source of light, that which was divinely created.

But despite the concrete testament to Hashem's awesome power that these marvels represented, there was an inherent danger in them as well. What would happen if man started to believe that these sources of light were independent of G-d? That would be tragic. It would run directly contrary to the reason and purpose of their creation. The celestial bodies are known as the 'armies of the heavens' (צבא השמים), since part of their purpose is to reflect glory upon their creator. But if they are appreciated for themselves – without praising the One who put them there – then they might as well not be there! And without them – we have darkness.

Darkness is not simply the absence of light, it is also the absence of the message of light. Without the knowledge that all light comes from G-d, we may have physical light – but essentially we are dwelling in a mental darkness.

The same is true of wisdom. If we value wisdom, but insist on separating the wisdom from its proper divine source, then we have not wisdom, but ignorance.

The ancient Greek culture was rich with knowledge and wisdom, yet both of these were used in an inherently flawed fashion – to glorify the man who possessed them instead of worshiping G-d, who created them. Their light was really darkness.

To celebrate our victory over their flawed ideology we perform the opposite ritual. We light flames – a source of light that is clearly ascribable to man – and we acknowledge that in a deeper sense, even these dancing lights are actually a gift from G-d.

Yes, Hashem does give us the ability to partner Him in the creation of this magnificent world. And yes, we are able to be the source of glorious things like light and wisdom. But in order for us to truly 'get it' we must first acknowledge that we are only acting with the permission and blessing of the true source. It was the lack of this acknowledgment that represented the flaw in the Greek philosophy (you could call it their Achilles heel – hah!) And it is this acknowledgment that we broadcast by lighting our own little lights in salute of the great spiritual lights that Hashem gave us.

Happy Chanukah !