Mind the Young - the Young Mind

Unlike other nations who sought to physically annihilate the Jewish people, the Greeks enjoyed the Jewish people and their contributions in the social, financial and intellectual arenas. In fact, the Greeks had a real appreciation and deep respect for the Torah and Jewish philosophy.

However, the Greeks could not tolerate the Jews' blind faith and submission to a Higher Power. For the Greeks, everything had to make sense, logically. Thus, Kabolas Ol was something the Greeks could not comprehend nor accept.

“Do Mitzvos, learn Torah!” the Greeks argued, “we will even help you build your Yeshivos! Just go about your learning as an intellectual pursuit, but not with a blind submission to Hashem!”

The Greeks wanted להשכיחם תורתיך - to eradicate the Kabolas Ol with which the Jew fulfilled the Mitzvos he does not understand, and to get rid of the Kabolas Ol with which the Jew fulfilled the Mitzvos that he does understand. 

As such, through formal debates at first, then later in an all-out military war, the Greeks fought to annihilate the "Kabolas Ol Yid".

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The Gemara tells us that the Greeks would instruct the Jew to write on the horn of an ox: “I have no part in the G-d of Israel”.

Why did the Greeks ask for such an affirmation? If a Jew wanted to pledge his allegiance to the Greeks, R”L, wouldn’t a huge “Proud Greek” flag on his front lawn suffice? Wouldn’t joining the Annual Greek Parade create better publicity than the small etchings on an ox’s horn?

The Gemara teaches us that there was more to the ox horn than just advertising. In fact, the Greeks did not even need advertising to promote their cause. The Greeks relied solely on the single factor necessary for any ideology to survive: the children.

The Greeks understood that in order for Kabolas Ol to become a part of one's nature, it must be inculcated from the earliest stages. Thus, in order for the Greek agenda to be successful, the anti-Kabolas Ol campaign must begin from the earliest stages in the child's development.

In those days, the babies would drink from small ox horns - the ancient baby bottle. Therefore, even before the baby could read the words etched on the bottle, they would expose the baby to this heresy, even so subtly. This exposure, at such a young age, would have the devastating results that the Greeks sought to affect.

  

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Dovid Hamelech asks Hashem: מאוייבי תחכמני, make me wiser than my enemies. This can also be read as, I become wise from my enemies, meaning, we can learn from our enemies.

From the Greeks we learn the importance of a young child's mind, and the great lengths we must go to insulate and purify the environment in which we raise our children. For, when dealing with such a fragile and delicate existence, there is no room for compromises. We must make sure to raise our children in the pure, holy and wholesome environment of Torah and Kedusha.

Only then can we expect, with Hashem’s help, to raise children who will withstand the onslaught of immorality, and anti-Torah ideals that plague the world today.

Only by ensuring their strong and unwavering Chinuch Al Taharas Hakodesh, can we hope to raise children who will walk by the light of the Torah through these last dark stages of Galus.

May we merit to march with our children to the Beis Hamikdosh, and celebrate Chanukah with Moshiach Tzidkeinu!