Wisdom of the Nations

As we approach Chanuka, the time that we celebrate victory over the Greek Empire and the Hellenism that went with it, it is appropriate to try to make sense of the comments Chazal make about foreign culture and when it is right to learn from it.

The damage caused by ‘Greek wisdom’

The gemara relates that towards the end of the Hasmonean dynasty two brothers fought over the throne, causing a civil war. One controlled Yerushalayim while the other set up a siege on the outside. However, there was co-operation concerning the service of the Beis Hamikdash, and sacrificial animals were lifted over the city walls for this purpose.

This situation continued until an elder used ‘Greek wisdom’ to communicate to the besiegers that the city would not fall as long as the sacrifices continued. The next day a pig was lifted over the walls, it dug its nails in to the wall and all of Eretz Yisrael (figuratively) shook. At that time the rabbis declared a curse on anyone who either raises pigs or teaches Greek wisdom. Those who were close to the monarchy were given special dispensation to use Greek wisdom.[1]

Many questions arise here. Why was the use of Greek wisdom necessary to be able to communicate the message about the service in the Beis Hamikdash? If Greek wisdom is something intrinsically connected to immoral or disloyal behaviour, why was its use permitted beforehand? And why was special dispensation given to some?

Rashi translates ‘Greek wisdom’ as ‘hints’.[2] According to this it seems that the elder did not want to openly advise the prevention of sacrifices, out of fear for how this would be perceived by those who understood their significance.[3] Perhaps there is no inherent problem with Greek wisdom, but Chazal prohibited its use so that people would remember what happened when it was used for bad.

In contrast, the Meiri explains that ‘Greek wisdom’ was forbidden it captures the mind and destroys many of the cornerstones of religion. because Nevertheless, a leniency was given for those close to the monarchy because without this they would not have any influence. Thus they needed to put themselves in potential spiritual danger in order to help protect religion for the masses.[4]

Jewish attitudes to philosophy

These different views of what Greek wisdom is may reflect on how we are supposed to view Greek culture as a whole, and what Chanuka should mean to us. The Maharal writes that the Greek kingdom was naturally opposed to the Torah because of its supremacy over their wisdom. He explains that this superiority stems from the fact that the Torah is from G-d and therefore supernatural. They also fought against the Beis Hamikdash because of its Divine Holiness.[5]

It is apparent in many places that this negative view of the Greeks affected the way the Maharal related to their scholars, holding them in very low regard.[6] He is fundamentally opposed to the way philosophy focuses on what can be understood using human intellect, claiming that the wisdom of the Torah is not just on a higher level but on a different plane.[7]

The Maharal was well aware that this view was by no means unanimous, even within Jewish thought. The Rambam agreed with a huge amount of the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato, including the focus on human intelligence.[8] This earned him much criticism from the Maharal, and at times it even seems as if the Maharal considered some of the Rambam’s views heretical.[9]

The essence of Chanuka

According to Maharal, it is easy to see that Chanuka is a celebration of the triumph of the Torah and its followers over heresy and its followers. It is no surprise that he devotes a whole sefer (Ner Mitzva) to explaining the significance of this.

According to the Rambam one might think that Chanuka is less fundamental. If the Greeks were right about so much, what we are rejoicing over is less obvious. Indeed, Chanuka is not mentioned even once in Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam’s guide to the principles of Judaism.

However, there is something basic to remember on Chanuka, according to all views. As we mentioned in ‘Divine providence, free will and Coincidence’, Aristotle believed that G-d is not concerned with our lowly existence on the Earth. This was one of the parts of his philosophy that even the Rambam was critical of. On Chanuka, when we celebrate the victory of the few over the many and the miracle of the oil, this point stands out.[10]

It is for this reason that Chazal tell us that the days of Chanuka were instituted for hallel and thanksgiving.[11] In fact, the Rambam puts the laws of hallel for all the festivals within the laws of Chanuka.[12]

Perhaps this is also why the Rambam writes:

מצות נר חנוכה מצוה חביבה היא עד מאד, וצריך אדם להזהר בה כדי להודיע הנס ולהוסיף בשבח האל והודיה לו על הנסים שעשה לנו.

(הלכות מגילה וחנוכה פ"ד הי"ב)

The mitzvah of Ner Chanuka is very dear, and one must be careful with it in order to transmit the (message of the) miracle and to add praise of G-d and thanks to Him for the miracles that He did for us.

(Hilchos Megila v’Chanuka 4:12)

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[1] Sotah 49b, and other places.

[2] Menachos 64b

[3] See ‘He has no physical form’

[4] This is the explanation the Meiri gives in Bava Kama 83a. However,  in Sotah 47a he explains like Rashi.

[5] Ner Mitzva, at the beginning of part 2.

[6] See Tiferes Yisrael chapters 6, 9, 16 and throughout the sefer.

[7] Ibid. chapters 7-8

[8] For example, at the beginning of part 2 of Moreh Nevuchim the Rambam writes that twenty-five introductory rules are needed to prove the fundamentals of our faith. For the proof of twenty-four of them he merely references to Aristotle and those who followed him. See also part 1 perek 68, where he agrees to the philosophers’ description of G-d’s intellect.

[9] In Tiferes Yisrael chapters 5-7 he strongly argues with the Rambam over a number of issues. He also argues with the Ramban there, but his language in doing so is far more respectful. In the continuation of the sefer he constantly attacks the views of the philosophers (now omitting the fact that the Rambam concurred with them), in chapter 10 describing their preference of studying metaphysics as ‘complete heresy’.

However, it should also be pointed out that in Be’er Hagola, Be’er 4 chapter 1, the Maharal heaps praises on the Rambam. It is not clear to me how to resolve this seeming contradiction.

[10] See Moreh Nevuchim 2:25 where the Rambam writes that the proof that the world was created (and did not always exist) is from the miracles described by the Nevi’im.

[11] Shabbos 21b

[12] Hilchos Megila v’Chanuka, 3:6-14