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[music]
>> With the Shem's loving grace, welcome to
One of Beams with your host Laser Brody.
Today's podcast is entitled George
Washington and the light of Hanukkah.
Uh few people realize that America owes
its independence to one of George
Washington's soldier who lit Hanukkah
candles in the year of 1777
and this was 5538
in the Hebrew calendar and here's the
story.
America declared its independence from
England on July 4th of 1776.
So the British, they sent the General
William Howe to quell the rebellion and
Howe's forces outnumbered, outflanked
and outmaneuvered General Washington's
fledgling army of volunteers and new
immigrants and freed slaves, a motley
group of people
couldn't possibly call them soldiers and
certainly not veteran soldiers. So
General Howe captured New York City and
in a very significant victory, he
captured what the Americans then made
their first capital, Philadelphia
and in autumn of this was in autumn of
the 1777.
So it looked like the newborn country of
the United States of America wasn't
going to live a very long lifespan. So
the British, they won battle after
battle and they were tenacious enemy
alone but in addition, they had 30,000
German emissaries helping them and they
were helped by the Tories, the Americans
that remained loyal to Great Britain and
as well as the Iroquois Confederation of
Native Americans that they also fought
alongside the British because they hoped
to protect their lands from colonial
expansion. Winning the war for
independence seemed hopeless to General
Washington and his campaign weary and
poorly equipped and exhausted army. So
regrouped and licking their wounds, they
marched into their winter encampment in
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania six days
before Hanukkah on December 19th, 1777.
Well, conditions in general and the
winter in particular had bordered on the
unbearable. The snowfall along with
shortages of provisions and clothing and
shoes, they made living conditions
extremely difficult. Well, the advantage
of the camp though, it was it was on a
plateau and it was about an hour away
from Philadelphia. Uh George Washington,
he had an inner battle and this is to
the external battle, an inner battle
between the despair of giving up and
surrendering to the British and making a
new strategy and trying to march on
Philadelphia and to liberate
Philadelphia.
But at this point in time, he was a lot
closer to despair.
And on New Year's Eve of December 31st,
1777,
this was the eighth night of Hanukkah.
General Washington decided that he'd
make the rounds and personally check on
the morale of his soldiers.
Uh
wrapped in his officer's coat and his
three-pointed hat, he went from tent to
tent and some of the men were sleeping
and others huddled around small fires
trying to keep warm. Well, in the
opening of one of the tents,
there was a young man and he looked like
he was huddled in prayer but he was
really leaning over a small candelabra,
a Hanukkah menorah and lighting candles
and this was one of the few possessions
that this young man brought with him
from Europe. He was a refugee from
Europe fleeing the persecution of Jews
in Europe but they must have brought him
good fortune because he was carrying it
around with his gear.
Well, intrigued, General Washington
asked him what he was doing.
Little had the young soldier expected to
find the commanding general of the
entire army at the entrance to his tent.
Well, General Washington was curious to
find out what those little candles
meant, what what were they talking
about? So they glowed so beautifully and
they illuminated the dismal darkness of
winter in Valley Forge. Well, the Jewish
soldier told General Washington about
what happened in the year 164 BCE. This
was
1,941
years before 1777.
Well, the Greek army had cap conquered
the holy land of Israel and they defied
the holy temple in Jerusalem and they
placed their idols in the most sacred
place of worship, the holy of holies.
Then he told General Washington about
this priestly family from the Hasmonean
clan. These were the Maccabees, fiercely
loyal to the Almighty and their ancient
faith. Well, they could not bear the
Greek abominations and and the evil of
the Greeks. Yet vastly outnumbered and
poorly equipped, the Maccabees, they
weren't soldiers at all. They were
Kohanim, they were priests in the holy
temple. They began a guerrilla war
against their oppressors and
miraculously overcame them. Then the
Almighty's help with the Almighty's
help, they succeeded in expelling the
Greek army entirely from the land of
Israel. Well, the soldier continued
explaining how they purified the
sanctuary and finding only one container
of oil which remained undefiled, they
used it to light the menorah. Yet
miraculously, that one vial of oil which
should have been enough for only one
day, it lasted for eight days and that's
why we celebrate the holiday for eight
days and light eight candles, one candle
in each night, add
another candle each night. And he told
the general that his prayer is
recalling, it's called the Al Hanisim
prayer and it recalls the victory of the
weak over the mighty and the few over
the many and the good over the evil.
And he says, like manner,
I sir, I pray for your success and for
our nation's victory as well. And as I
believe in God, I believe that our army
will succeed also.
So General Washington, he was enthralled
and he looked at the little flames and
at the face of the Jew, the illuminated
face of this young man who believed so
strongly.
The glow of insight and inspiration, it
warmed the general's soul. "So you're a
Jew?" he said to the young soldier,
"From the nation of prophets, well, I
treat what you said as a message from
the Almighty himself. With your little
lights and your inspiring story, you've
rekindled the fire of optimism in my
troubled heart." And the general shook
the young soldier's hand, saluted and
then completed continued his rounds.
Well, what happened in the coming months
is history. Washington's forces, they
scored a series of victories over the
British and this happened to be the
beginning of the turnaround that led to
total success, liberation of New York
City, liberation of Philadelphia and the
full independence of the United States
of America from England. Well, the
Jewish soldier, he survived and he
returned to his home in New York City on
Broome Street and two years later, there
was a knocking at the door when he and
his wife were sitting at the dinner
table and he the young man was amazed to
see these two official-looking men
standing there. He said, "What they want
from him?" He had no idea but a moment
later, he recovered his pose and
and invited them in. Well, after
introductions, one of the men stepped
forward and gave him a small box with
blue velvet lined with blue velvet and
took it out from inside his coat pocket.
He handed it to the Jewish post and
said, "Here, this is for you."
So the veteran soldier, he opened the
box and it was elegantly lined and
setting off the brilliant gold medallion
inside and on the broad medallion was an
engraved picture of a menorah and on the
other side
was
engraved on it
with admiration from George Washington.
One of the visitors handed him a letter
from General Washington and he said,
"This letter will explain everything."
Well, in letter,
General Washington wrote, "My dear
friend, you cannot fathom what you'd
accomplished that night at Valley Forge.
I couldn't sleep that night because I
was sure we had no chance of winning. We
lacked ammunition and the British
outnumbered us 10 to 1. We didn't have
food or bedding for the soldiers and I
saw our boys lying asleep in the
freezing cold under those thin blankets,
it just melted my resolve. So I
contemplated surrender and the situation
appeared hopeless but your lights and
your words, they changed all of that. If
it wasn't for your menorah, I don't know
where we would be standing today if if
we would be standing today as free men.
So we decided to present this medallion
to you as a testimonial to that night
which was a turning point in our
struggle for freedom."
Well, this cherished brothers and
sisters was one of the favorite Hanukkah
stories of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of saintly
blessed memory and may everyone have a
lovely and illuminated Hanukkah. Amen.
