Maoz tzur 5th stanza/ Nachum  Stone

 

ופרצו חומות מגדלי
Mishna middot 2.3

לִפְנִים מִמֶּנּוּ, סוֹרֵג, גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים. וּשְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה פְרָצוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, שֶׁפְּרָצוּם מַלְכֵי יָוָן. חָזְרוּ וּגְדָרוּם, וְגָזְרוּ כְנֶגְדָּם שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת.

There  was a fence called the “soreg”, 10 tefachim tall. It had 13 breaks in it , inflicted by the Hellenist kings. It was repaired, and in memorium were establish 13 bowings.

The soreg marked the point, which non-Jews could advance no further in the Temple area.

A soreg is a woven structure. As discussed in the mishnah, we are describing a latticed partition about a meter high that is made of woven slats such that there are open spaces to look through into the Mikdash. The Hellenists broke apart this soreg. They objected to the idea that there was a point that was off limits for the non-Jews. For them, the idea that there should be differentiation and separation between the Jews and the gentiles was ugly, and undermined their worldview, that the world should be an amalgamation of all the nations.

Many people feel that the Jewish people must live completely apart, walled off from outside influences, to prevent all forms of intermingling and assimilation. Over the centuries, many other Jewish leaders have argued no less convincingly, that our national aspiration is actually to lead the other nations.  Even before the Torah was given, we were charged to be ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש a priesthood to the other nations while maintaining our national holiness. We are to bring our unique theology as well as our moral voice to all of society. We need to show the nations of the world the Majesty of Torah, as well as its Truth. On the one hand, the soreg is open to allow the nations to see in. On the other hand, there is a point that they can go no further. The opening in the soreg goes in both directions. We need to be enriched by that which is ennobling of the other cultures while protecting our core values that are so vital to our mission

The Pnei Yehoshua (Shabbat 22b) answers the classic question on why we needed a Hanukkah miracle with the oil. Everyone knows that they could have used the defiled oil based on the rule that  טומאה הותרה בציבור  ; in the public sphere impurity is permitted under certain circumstances.

He answers, that the miracle was necessary, so that God could demonstrate to the whole world that the special relationship between God and the people of Israel had  been restored. It is our job to maintain and strengthen that relationship so that we can be God’s Messengers to the world as ממלכת כהנים; while preserving our unique status as גוי קדוש, the Holy Nation.