Sanctifying the Mundane and the Profane

Assimilation, Isolation, or the Challenging In-Between? Can you choose?

Of Noah's three sons (yes, the famous Noah with the ark), the Jewish people are said to be descended from Shem (hence, "Semite"). The Greeks are said to be descended from his brother Japheth (Yefet), because one of Japheth's sons was named Yavan, which is Hebrew for "Greek."

The traditional Jewish interpretation of Greek culture is that it was devoted to beauty - to physical loveliness. This position is fundamentally an understanding of the biblical verse:

יפת אלוקים ליפת  

Translated by the King James version of the Bible, the text reads, "God shall enlarge Japheth" - with the presumption that the topic is territory. Read phonetically, however, the words are: "Yaft Elokhim le-Yefet," and the Hebrew word for beauty is "yofi." Thus, a translation that is perhaps too literal for the standard biblical context (Noah blessing his sons), but paves the way to creative and beautiful (!) interpretations could be: "God will give beauty to Japheth" (in which case, the father's blessing to his son is for physical attractiveness (or "pulchritude," surely the ugliest word ever to mean beauty). Noah goes on to bless Shem, continuing the verse: "he [Japheth] will dwell in the tents of Shem" - which in turn deserves myriad interpretations, but at the very least suggests that some connection between the traits of Shem and Japheth is possible.

The traditional Jewish criticism of the ancient Greek culture was indeed against the perceived focus on the physical instead of the spiritual, on the body instead of the soul, on appearance instead of actions....basically, on the superficial instead of on the depths.

The irony of this view is not that finger-pointing criticism against modern materialism in the Jewish community might be legitimately levied. The irony of this view is that an essential component of Jewish spirituality (though someone will always disagree) is beauty. Fulfilling the commandments to the extent possible - with the beautification of the physical objects of any mitzvah - is a cardinal principal. Thus, some people spend a great deal of money to have beautiful candlesticks for the Sabbath. Some people make sure to find as nearly perfect an etrog (citron) as possible. And nearly everybody lights lots of candles on Chanukah.

The basic requirement for Chanukah candles is one candle for each household for each of the eight days of the holiday. The better way to do it, however, prescribed one candle for every member of each household for each of the eight days of the holiday. But the best way to do it, and this is the way anyone is not under duress lights Chanukah candles in the modern era, is that every member of each household (some complications regarding married couples, and possibly girls, but leaving that aside - every member of each household) is to light the number of candles that represents the specific day of Chanukah each of the eight nights. Thus, one candle (plus shamash - the lighter) on the first night. Two candles (plus shamash) on the second night. Three on the third, and so on. This practice is labled: "mehadrin min ha-mehadrin" - glorifying the glorification. Making the candles more beautiful. So the very mitzvah that commemorates surviving the warring oppressors and the imposition of their culture of the physical makes sure to extol the miracle using beauty.

My own hiddur - beautification - of my Chanukah candles began in imitation of a friend's creation because it was clever and convenient. I had wanted to light oil, instead of wax candles, in commemoration of the miracle of oil. But the year before I started following in my friend's footsteps, I found the small glass jugs to hold the oil very messy and unwieldy, and besides, some broke. His solution: shot glasses. He filled them nearly full with water, topped them off with olive oil, and used floating wicks to provide flames. Convenient, because there was no fiddling and nearly no mess. Clever, because he used university shot glasses, which seemed to take the Greek culture of academic learning and sanctify it in the service of the holiday that commemorates victory against the Greeks. I loved it, and to this day (well, yesterday), I light university shot glasses if I'm at home.

False Pretenses: Lit Wednesday Morning for Photo Op

As for my question at the beginning - it merits further discussion, surely. Still, the bottom line is that it is far easier to allow yourself to be swallowed by the prevailing culture (it may done even unwittingly!)...and far easier to allow yourself to shun all elements of the prevailing culture...than it is to embrace both, and use each to enhance the other, which - if you ask me - is essentially, fundamentally, truly sanctifying the entire enterprise...bringing the beauty of Yefet to the tents of Shem.

PS: It's now post-Chanukah in Jerusalem - not the proper timing of this post. For all you in later time zones, enjoy the last few hours of the holiday!