What pursuits are worthwhile pursuing in order to live a life well lived? Philosophers have been debating this question since time immemorial. Starting with Epicurus 2300 years ago to Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill some philosophers have argued that to be ethical one should pursue actions and policies that bring about the most pleasure and the least amount of pain to the most amount of people. Thus, to them life is all about the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. This is called Utilitarianism.
There are many counter arguments to this approach to life. The most convincing one to me is the fact that, when asked, most people would rather choose a life of struggle and achievement rather than one of pure unadulterated pleasure that contained no opportunity for personal achievement. Simply stated, a life that contains nothing but the pursuit of pleasure would not be fulfilling for most people, it would instead result in a life that feels empty and depressing. Actions that lead to such a state surely cannot be the aim of life.
This debate, one the rages on till this day, is what Chanukah is really all about. Two thousand years ago the Greek King Antiochus oppressed Jews living in the Land of Israel and forbade them to practice their religion fully. A small band of valiant men known as the Maccabees revolted and miraculously were able to defeat the mighty Greek army and restore freedom of religion and expression in the Land of Israel. The first thing the Maccabees did after winning the war was return to the Temple in Jerusalem and kindle the candelabra. They were only able to find oil to light the candelabra for one day. According to lore, a miracle occurred and the oil lasted eight days — the exact amount of time it would take to get a new supply of oil.
Chanukah is thus celebrated as a festival of freedom over oppression and of the idea that even a small amount of light can dispel a large amount of darkness. The ancient Greeks believed in hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure as an ultimate concern. They were all about glorifying the body and materialistic pursuits. But even Aristotle criticized that way of living and instead thought that a eudaimonic approach to life would make it more fulfilling and worth living. Eudaimonia has often been translated as happiness — but a better characterization of eudaimonia would be living a life that it is more altruistic in nature, one that has a concern beyond the self and is therefore more in tune with one’s true nature.
The Maccabees represented opposition to the imposition of hedonistic values upon the masses. To them a life in the pursuit of pleasure was not worth living. They therefore were willing to risk their lives to oppose and defeat it so that they would then be free to pursue an eudaimonic life where they could serve God, a power greater than themselves.
Chanukah celebrates the triumph of a eudaimonic way of living over a hedonic way of life. It represents the best within people overcoming and defeating selfishness and self-centeredness. Social science research conducted over the last decade validates the eudaimonic perspective on life and demonstrates the hedonistic pursuits in the end do not bring satisfaction.
Ultimately Chanukah teaches that even if you are an underdog, when you struggle for the rights and benefits of others, rather than for special interests and selfish concerns, you can overcome huge odds and win. A timeless message indeed.