Hanukkah, in its spiritual meaning, is the revelation of a timeless inner process. The external events of 170 BCE—Antiochus’s desecration of the Temple, the persecution of the people, the uprising of the Maccabees, and the miracle of the oil—are branches of a deeper root: the eternal struggle between unity and egoism, between the force of love and bestowal that dwells in nature, which we call “the Creator” in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and the divisive egoistic force that is human nature.

This story begins not with the Maccabees, but with Abraham in ancient Babylon. He was the first to proclaim the call: “Whoever is moving toward the Creator, follow me!” Under this banner, he gathered people from many nations and backgrounds, teaching them the purpose of creation, the unity of all reality,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)