Shabbis Chanukah – Miketz 2024: Judith, Her True or Maybe Not So True Story
by devadmin | December 26, 2024 5:29 pm
Judith, Her True or Maybe Not So True Story:
Let’s begin by wishing a very happy Shabbis Chanukah to all my readers. May the Chanukah lights brightly illuminate your homes and lives.
This past week, as Chanukah was approaching, Yiddin all over the world were getting ready to celebrate and recall the great miracle that took place in the Beis Hamikdash (139 BCE). Business owners, and specifically those with non-Jewish arbeyter (employees), were busy hosting office ‘holiday parties,’ if you chap, for the staff. Others were guests at such parties. Is this kosher? May Yiddin attend Christmas parties?
So happened that when the heylige Ois went to place an order for the annual ‘office party,’ he was told that it was impossible to arrange delivery at the requested time. Why? Because other restaurant customers, all Shoimer Toirah -and a few mitzvis- were also having their annual parties; everyone wanted delivery at the same time. And so it was that in the days leading up to Chanukah which this year mamish kimat coincide with the big goyishe holiday, that Yiddin -in a sign of achdus (togetherness)- were sitting with goyim eating glatt-kosher food including Chinese of course, at their respective annual Christmas…err we meant Holiday parties. Nice!
And in the kiddish Hashem department, at a party the Ois himself was hosting and attending, one of the guests excused himself to chap a Mincha with a minyan in-mittin-derinin mamish (in the middle) of the secret Santa festivities and nearly missed out on getting his Christmas present, a broch mamish (nearly a catastrophe). On the other hand, earlier today, the Ois received a WhatsApp message from one of his tyere (great) kinderlach asking if we could, in addition to the annual and expected Chanukah presents, also have a secret Santa. A naya modeh (a new custom has befallen the Jews); oy vey! Nu, azoy-geyt-iz (that’s how the world goes); it’s yom tov for the goyim and we Yiddin must avada show our appreciation for the arbeyter. Seemingly when it comes to sholom bayis and that would include the sholom in the office, once a year, Yiddin and goyim get together to break a little kosher bread. Is that so giferlich? Ver veyst? One thing is zicher: on the scale of avayris committed during the year, this one doesn’t rank very high. Veyter.
Just last week we were bashing Reuvain, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah and even took a dig at Dina; we noted that each of them behaved less than admirably at times. A few medroshim blamed Dina for going ‘out about town’ where Shechem laid his eyes and eventually himself, forcibly on her. Ober with Chanukah upon us, let’s avada recall that according to the heylige Gemora and several medroshim, it was a woman (maybe more than one) going out, that helped bring about the neys (miracle of Chanukah). And who was this person and why isn’t her name as popular as are Rochel, Leah, Soro, Rivka and others? Ver veyst, but let us meet Yehudis (Judith), also known as Judith whose story is widely told in Jewish tradition. From Rashi to the Rashbam and many a medrish, her story comes to life each Chanukah and it’s quite the read. What is the connection between the story of Yehudis and Chanukah? Who is Yehudis? What made her do what she did? What exactly happened? Let’s begin here:
Said Rebbe Yehoshua Ben Levi in the heylige Gemora (Shabbis 23a) azoy: “Women are obligated in the lighting of Chanukah candles, since they were also involved in the miracle.” This obligation on women to light the menorah overrides the general rule that women are normally exempt from a mitzvas-ahsei she-ha-zeman grama, (a time-bound positive commandment.) Ober the heylige Gemora left us guessing: which women were involved and what exactly did they or didn’t they do?
Not to worry, because here comes Rashi to further illuminate with yet another sexually charged myseh that either happened, or didn’t. Says Rashi (Shabbis 23a) azoy: The Yivonim (Greeks) had decreed that all engaged Jewish maidens (virgins) were to have sexual relations with a Greek officer before their marriage. Rashi says what? Shreklich (shocking) as this sounds, seemingly, in order to break and destroy the sanctity of the Jewish home, the Syrian-Greek kings appointed officers in the towns of Israel to break in, if you chap – rape mamish- the Jewish girls. It was forbidden mamish for any girl to get married without first visiting, if you chap, the presiding officer. This decree was in effect for three years and eight months. Why historians refer to the period of the Greek Empire as the Enlightenment, ver veyst?
Ober raboyseyee, one Jewish girl concocted a plan to put an end to this illegal breaking and entering scheme. Who is this mystery woman? Rashi doesn’t quite tell us. Ober Toisfis (Shabbis 10a) does: The woman who did the miracle was the daughter of Yoichonon. She brought cheese to the enemy general and cut off his head, causing the enemy to flee. Cheese? Is that the whole story? Shoin, let us review what we know with some degree of truth.
Yehudis was the daughter of Yochonon Kohen Gadol and that alone is already connected to Chanukah. She was a sister of Mattisyahu Kohen Gadol, the hero of Chanukah.
Veyter: The Kol Bo, in his discussion on Chanukah, brings more detail to the story of Yehudis. He writes azoy: Women are also obligated in the Chanukah lights, because they too were part of the miracle. The enemies wanted to wipe out all men, women and children. Different commentators say that the miracle happened by a woman. Her name was Yehudis, the daughter of Yochanan Kohen Gadol. She was very beautiful and the king wanted to marry her. She went to the king of Greece and fed him cheese products that made him thirsty. He then drank until he became so drunk that he fell into a deep sleep. She then grabbed his sword and chopped off his head, and brought it to Yerushalayim. As soon as the army noticed that their king was dead, they all ran away. Therefore, we eat cheese products on Chanukah.
The Rashbam in Tosafos writes: The main part of the miracles happened through women. Purim through Esther and Chanukah through Yehudis. The Rashbam’s words are amazing. The main part of the Chanukah miracle happened through Yehudis, not the Chashmonaim and not the flask of oil! Is that what they taught us in yeshiva? Not! If this story about Yehudis is taka factual and why should we think otherwise, why is that this subject was never taught? Why is it that Yehudis isn’t as well-known as Esther, everyone’s favorite queen? Shoin and before we answer that questions, let’s read one more medrish which confirms the Yehudis story and tells us azoy:
Said Rabbi Nissim of Gerona azoy: the Greeks decreed that when a Jewish woman got married, but before she could have intimate relations with her husband, she was forced to have relations with the local governor of her town. He further mentions that the miracle of Chanukah was only achieved as a result of the actions of one woman: the daughter of Matisyahu Koihen Godol. Seemingly, Matisyahu’s daughter was engaged, and on her wedding day she tore her gown and said to all the men, “How dare you make my sisters suffer…stand up for Klal Yisrael and fight the Greeks!” All the men listened and went to war.
Says the medrish (Chemdas Yomim) azoy: Yehudis, daughter of the Koihen Godol (High Priest) got engaged: Mazel tov! Tired of seeing all the Jewish brides being violated in advance of their own weddings, she developed and implemented a plan which went like this: The Syrian king, Eliporni (Holofernes in Greek), heard that a number of his officials had been killed. In response, he gathered his army, marched upon Yirsuholayim and surrounded the city. There he and his army lay in siege. The alarmingly beautiful Yehudis recognized the gravity of the situation. The people would soon die of starvation and thirst if nothing was done. She volunteered to visit with the king and rescue the city. She prepared a large bag of salty cheeses and other foods. She left the city, announced herself to the Syrian guards, showed them the contents of the bag, and explained who she was. They took her to the king.
Overtaken with her beauty, and thinking with his little head, if you chap, King Holofernes greeted her with joy, and made a lavish feast in her honor. The king, hopeful of a happy ending, ate the cheese, drank some wine, as is the custom – wine and cheese seemingly always go together- and shoin. The king asked all his officers to clear the room; he and Yehudis sat alone together, eating. After being plied with enough wine, the devilish king fell into a deep sleep. And very much like the noble and brave Yael, in the days of the Prophetess D’voirah (Deborah), Yehudis did not quiver, she did not fear. She did as she knew must be done to save her people. She drew the king’s sword, and cut off his head, the big one. She placed Holofernes’ (king no longer) head into her bag and left. She brought the head of the dead king to the leader of the army of the Yiddin, who hung it on the wall of the city, where it would be visible to the Greeks. When morning came, the Greeks arose, and gazed with bewilderment on the head of their king. Panic-stricken, they broke ranks and fled.
After many Jewish girls had been violated and broken, the bizarre Greek decree was finally lifted and the Yiddishe mydlich were of course relieved. In honor of the women, who like Yehudis, gave much towards the miracle of Chanukah, a minor holiday was declared especially for them. They are to do no work for the first half hour that the Chanukah lights burn and that’s taka how it was in the Ois’s house growing up. Some women are more makpid (stricter) and don’t do any work, ever! Some hold that shopping is not work and is permitted anytime, especially on line and may make purchases immediately after candle lighting. Many people, in remembrance of the miracle at the hand of Yehudis, eat cheese or dairy products, to remember the noble deed of Yehudis.
Shoin and now that you read the incredible story of Yehudis, efsher you’re wondering why she isn’t mamish as popular as Esther and other Jewish heroines? We asked this question above and repeat it because you already forgot. Did Yehudis not save many Jewish women from being deflowered? And did her actions not help all the Yiddin? They did! And taka, why is this story not studied and more well known? And why are we eating oily doughnuts when we should be eating cheesecake as we do on the yom tov of Shovuis? Excellent questions, ober hear this: The entire story may not be true! What and OMG! How can that be? Who would make up such a story? Shoin, let’s dig a bit further.
Is Yehudis and her story even mentioned in the heylige Gemora? It is not! On the other hand, later commentators (medroshim) on the Gemora refer to her, always in the context of Chanukah. These commentators do not tell her story for its own sake, but use elements of her tale to explain the halochis and minhogim (commandments and customs) of Chanukah. As mentioned above, Rashi -and would dare argue with him- when discussing why women, as well as men, are required to light Chanukah candles, sums up the entire Yehudis storyline with one comment -one sentence- we find in the heylige Gemora (Shabbis 23a),
היו באותו הנס – שגזרו יוונים על כל בתולות הנשואות להיבעל לטפסר תחלה ועל יד אשה נעשה הנס:
They were part of the same miracle – when the Greeks decreed that Jewish virgin brides were to be bedded first by the ruler, a woman brought about the miraculous rescue.
Rashi does not mention Yehudis by name but refers mamish to her story. And if Rashi refers to the story, avada it’s 100% emes. Moreover, Rashi’s own grandson, the Rashbam, does mention Yehudis, and he is quoted as saying that the chief miracle of Purim came about through Esther, and that of Chanukah through Yehudis. Check out Toisifs on the heylige Gemora (Megillah 4a).
Wait! There’s more: Later commentators, The Ran, refers to Yehudis also not by name, but as the daughter of Yoichonon (glosses on Rif, Shabbis 10a). In his account, which he says comes from a medrish, the woman gave the chief enemy cheese to eat so as to make him thirsty and then drunk, at which point he fell asleep and she cut his head off. As an aside, when your wife or girlfriend offer you cheese and wine, get the hell out: your life might be in danger! Tell her you’re lactose intolerant! This, adds the Ran, is why it is customary to eat cheese on Chanukah. A similar version is found in the Kol Bo (section 44), a work outlining Jewish laws and customs dating to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. In this account, the king of Greece attempts to seduce Judith, the daughter of the high priest Yochonon, and she feeds him a cheese dish so that he will become thirsty, drink too much, and fall asleep.
The bottom line: Such references to Yehudis’s encounter with an enemy whom she fed either cheese or milk – compare to Yael’s heroism, a story that did in fact make into the Tanach. Oib azoy (if that is so), why taka do we not know more or study more about Yehudis? Where can we read more? And the answer raboyseyee is mamish shocking: It’s because her story is primarily found in the “Book of Yehudis” (Judith), a text that is considered part of the Catholic Bible but not the heylige Toirah and Tanach. Her story did not make the cut! OMG!
Is the entire Yehudis myseh a fable? Mamish made up? Says Rabbi Yaakov Emden in his מור וקציעה click here, that the story of Yehudis had nothing to do with Chanuka and actually happened during the first exile. In other words: she existed and the story may have taken place but had nothing to do with Chanukah. Well, blow me down with a feather. Ober, didn’t Rashi tell us that women are obligated to participate in the Chanukah candles because of the actions of one woman? He did? And wasn’t he referring to Yehudis? He was! What’s pshat here?
And if not true, why are women obligated in candles? According to some, they light a Chanukah candle because the miraculous victory of the Jews over their oppressors was relevant to all Jews, male and female, who wished to remain faithful to their ancient covenant. The Yehudis story was used to justify an extra stringency for women to abstain from work while the Hanukah candle burns.
The Yaavetz seems to have had intimate knowledge of the Christian canon, which included The Book of Judith, among other books. Says he azoy: In the Book of the Wars of Chashmonaim, which is most likely either Maccabees I or Maccabees II, women are not described as key factors in the causation of the miracle of Chanukah. Those books, during the Yaavetz’s time, had not yet been translated into Hebrew, and were but part of the Catholic canon. Another piece of evidence is from a letter he sent to the Vaad Arba Aratzot in 1757 in which he references specific chapters in Luke and Matthew. A well-read rabbi he was.
The bottom lines: Based on his writings, it seems very likely that the Yaavetz had read Yehudis’s story and reached his conclusions about the timeline of the tale. Sefer Yehudis is also mentioned in Shalshelet Hakabbalah. He seemed to think that the story took place in the early days of the Greeks and Chazal decided to use it as a basis for eating dairy products on Chanukah, i.e., they decided to remember those events together with events that are directly related to the Chanukah story. In other words: The entire Yehudis narrative and storyline may or may not have happened and even if they did, cheese may or may not have played a role. Says who? The Book of Judith does not specifically state that Yehudis got the horny king drunk on wine and cheese. On the other hand, we Yiddin have a tradition -seemingly made up -one with as many holes as Swiss cheese- that Yehudis fed Holofernes cheese davka to make him thirsty. For this reason, some have the tradition to eat cheese on Chanukah (Ran, Shabbos 10a). The Shulchan Aruch and the Darkei Moshe both write that we eat cheese on Chanukah. However, they differ when discussing what Yehudis gave the enemy to eat. The Shulchan Aruch writes in the name of the Ran that she fed the enemy ‘milk,’ while the Darkei Moshe writes in the name of the Ran that it was ‘cheese.’ Which was it? Ver veyst?
Another bottom line: The story of Yehudis, though not accepted by the Yiddin as part of our canon, stuck and the miracle of Chanukah does -in our times- have a strong connection to the dairy products that Yehudis fed the enemy. Obviously, Chanukah is not cheese and not milk. We don’t make a special brocho for the “mitzvah” of eating dairy products on Chanukah. That being stated, the fact that it is written in halacha before the halachos of the Chanukah candles is enough of an association to make us think a bit more about the entire Yehudis story.
The final bottom lines: Though we lack an existent Jewish narrative of the story of Yehudis, there is a strong oral tradition; who is going to argue with oral? The first two Books of the Maccabees are part of the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha are books of dubious canonicity, often falling between the Jewish and Christian Bibles. The Catholic Church generally accepts Apocryphal books in their canon but Jews and most Christian denominations do not. While we do not consider them to be holy, not having been authored with Divine inspiration, they can be an important source of historical information. (The third and fourth Books of the Maccabees are part of the Pseudopigraphia – the “false writings” that spuriously claim prestigious authorship. These books can also provide insights into the times in which they were written but are less useful than the first two. How our sages -including Rashi, the Ran and others- decided what was apocryphal and what might have been historically emes, ver veyst? Veyst zich ois azoy (it does then appear) that despite her early disappearance from Jewish circles, Yehudis proved too vital a figure to vanish entirely, and she has left her mark on Jewish texts, prayers, practices, and ritual art. A non-Jewish book that retells the story pretty much as we have it, has become part of our history. Yehudis is held as the model of a Jewish heroine, alongside the likes of Esther, Ruth, Devorah and Yael. The final bottom-line: when our sages of the medrish liked a story, backed up factually or not, the story stuck.
Oh, and we close with this from the heylige Toirah. As mentioned, Dina took some heat from Rashi and other exegetes for going out -her wanderings which led Shechem to lay eyes and hands on her. He paid with his little head which was chopped down to size in a mass circumcision. He was also killed. Yehudis too went out. She left the confines of her home and neighborhood to seek out the king for an audience. He paid with his big head.
A gittin Shabbis Chanukah and a gittin Choidesh Teyves!
The Heylige Oisvorfer Ruv
Yitz Grossman
Source URL: https://oisvorfer.com/shabbis-chanukah-miketz-2024-judith-her-true-or-maybe-not-so-true-story/