In Rav Avigdor Miller's dvar Torah for Parshas Mikeitz-Chanukah 5 – Suffering of Chanukah, pages 1-6 contain the Chanukah story, which is very worth reading just for that.
Then Rav Miller discusses the value of suffering & yissurim before returning to the Chanukah story on pages 12-14, including the bitter & not-so-well-known end of the Chashmonai family—meaning, their descendants, not those who starred in the Chanukah saga.
Then Rav Miller returns to the theme of suffering and turns our attitudes on their heads.
We think of times of suffering as "bad" while easier times are "good."
But on page 16, Rav Miller reorients us:
Then Rav Miller discusses the value of suffering & yissurim before returning to the Chanukah story on pages 12-14, including the bitter & not-so-well-known end of the Chashmonai family—meaning, their descendants, not those who starred in the Chanukah saga.
Then Rav Miller returns to the theme of suffering and turns our attitudes on their heads.
We think of times of suffering as "bad" while easier times are "good."
But on page 16, Rav Miller reorients us:
Don’t think that! Those are the good old days!
That’s the best time of your life. That's the apex, the summit of your success.
Your throne in the next world is built on tzaar, on sacrifice and difficulties.
You’ll be sitting on a golden throne because you had to chew the earth with your teeth in order to arrive at even a little bit of success in avodas Hashem.
On pages 18-19, Rav Miller returns to the Chanukah story & explains exactly the miracle of the pure olive oil.
Whenever Rav Miller describes an event from Torah & tradition, he always adds details that bring it to life, and that is exactly what he does with Chanukah story.
Plus, a Q&A appears on the last page regarding why our Sages utilized weapons at times, but today, they don't.
This is a common misunderstanding when people look back and use Jews like the Maccabees, etc., as their role model for military values; it's taking the idea out of context. So Rav Miller clarifies it there.
You can see more of his views on the subject here (including how the young Rav Miller got a hold of his own father's gun, which almost ended in a tremendous loss for Am Yisrael):
Whenever Rav Miller describes an event from Torah & tradition, he always adds details that bring it to life, and that is exactly what he does with Chanukah story.
Plus, a Q&A appears on the last page regarding why our Sages utilized weapons at times, but today, they don't.
This is a common misunderstanding when people look back and use Jews like the Maccabees, etc., as their role model for military values; it's taking the idea out of context. So Rav Miller clarifies it there.
You can see more of his views on the subject here (including how the young Rav Miller got a hold of his own father's gun, which almost ended in a tremendous loss for Am Yisrael):
Chanukah lights on a window sill in Eretz Yisrael by chavahjacobs
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