Chazal explain that the meaning of the word Chanukah is חנו בכ"ה, 'They rested on the Twenty-fifth (of Kislev).' The simple meaning is that the war came to an end and the Beis HaMikdash was restored. However, the Rebbe of Krashnevitz suggest an alternate explanation:
When we are taught that the Greeks issued decrees against the Jews we may fail to internalize with the pressure and stress of the situation. The Beis HaMikdash was being held captive and subjected to horrible Chilul Hashem. Limud HaTorah was restricted through vice-grip patrols. Basic Minhagim were banned and the religious calendar disturbed. The religious persecution was a being executed with an iron-fist. When was an Erlicheh Yid (a simple religious Jew) supposed to get any spiritual satisfaction from
The answer is that no matter what the situation, even on the verge of death, a Jew can always take refuge in saying the Pasuk of Shema Yisrael. The Gemara teaches that it is enough to fulfill the Torah's requirement of daily study. It reinforces Emunah. It teaches us that Hashem is with us now and revealed blessing will emerge in the end.
The Passuk שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד is comprised of twenty-five letters. It was in these words, these twenty five letters that even under the Greek oppression was a Yid able to find some level of Ruchniyus.
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