To recap: whom did the Maccabees battle, first and foremost? Not the non-Jews, but Jewish renegades.
I meant to add: Yeshayahu Leibowitz said, regarding the schism of observant and non-observant Jews in Israel, that civil war, like “Pilegesh Begiv’ah” (Shoftim chapter 19) is not an unthinkable eventuality.
Here’s a riddle. The Rambam (Avoda Zara 2:9) writes:
מגדף שחזר בו בתוך כדי דיבור אינו כלום אלא כיון שגידף בעדים נסקל
What could he mean? What does the first half of the sentence have to do with the other half?
Explain all the words. Then read our answer here.
Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parashath Wayeshev/Hanukkah 5770
In a nutshell, here is the prelude to the valiant war fought by the Hashmonaim (Makkabim) about 2,165 years ago:
The powers that be at the time offered “the honor” of performing an act of avodah zarah to Mattithiyahu ben Yohanan, the High Priest.
He refused.
The powers that be offered it to another, who accepted.
However, before he had a change to perform this act of avodah zarah, he was killed by Mattithiyahu.
As one could imagine, the powers that be were not at all thrilled the prospect of having their authority threatened. Sound familiar?
And so, Mattithiyahu, his sons, and increasing number of followers retreated, plotted and planned, and fought on of the most spiritually important wars, Israel has ever fought. Well, they were all important.
But who was it that they fought?
Do most Jews, inside or outside of Israel, even know the answer to this question?
Examples of attempted answers to this question include:
1. Syrians
2. Greeks
3. Syrian Greeks
4. Selucid Greeks
How about Jews? That’s right. Jews. Jews were among those the Hashmonaim fought and killed.
Assimilated, Hellenized Jews.
“Oh, but that was then; this is now.” (Huh?)
“No, the Westernized Jews of today have a different status now.” (Why?)
“No, you don’t understand. There aren’t really any rasha’im (evil people) today. It’s not their fault. We have to show them, and bring them back to Torah.” (Even though the Gemara says otherwise. Uncensored Rav A. Y. says otherwise as well.)
And these responses are coming from religious Jews! I do not even have to complicate matters by listing some of the responses from the non-religious, or so-called “liberal” ones!
Now, I am by no means, suggesting the we go around killing people that we don’t like, let alone try to sort out all who I think is evil or who you think is evil.
יש רגליים לדבר שחטא אליעזר ברלנד, ולא “אם ראית ת”ח שחטא בלילה על תהרהר אחריו ביום כו'”, אלא כעבריין, ובשאט נפש.
ומכיון שמפרסמים את החנפים מפני חילול השם, ובמקום שיש חילול השם אין חולקין כבוד לרב, יצאה חוברת שמבארת את העניין בהרחבה רבה. אינני יכול להעיד על כולו, אך שווה בדיקה מכמה טעמים, ובפרט עבור הצריך לזה. העלון נמצא באתר “ברסלב אמת” במדור השמאלי, ונקרא “ובערת הרע מקרבך”. הבאתי אותו גם כאן:
השם יגדור פרצות עמנו, אמן!
Here is a really interesting article by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed. I am not saying I always agree with his own analysis, but rather that the sources brought are central and deserve to be studied.
OK. But what’s the topic?
Hard to give just one answer: “Dina demalchusa dina“, the exceptions thereof, the possible reasons for this rule, how come Jewish wars don’t violate “Pikuach Nefesh”, living in and settling Israel, Lo Sechanem and Mesirah, destroying Jewish homes, God forbid, and more.
See it here.