The Denver Jewish news., 1921-12-21
The Rekindled Menoraht
A STORY FOR CHANUkAH

IN Ihe days t.Nt the Syrluh sDluicrs
swept over the land of Israel. laking
even Jerusalem and polluting the TcIn-
pie there. young Daniel of Modin fol-
lowed his townsman, Judas, son of
Mattathias, into the mountains. There
Judas assembled together his army.
and. poorly provided with weapons. ILL
the trained hosts of Syria And in
the end he conquered by The aid of
the living God in whose name he
fought. but not until many brave Ju-
deans had purchased the liberty Of
their country with their blood.
In the days that followed the battle
of Bethhoron. Daniel, altho rejoicing
in the victory of Judas Maccabcus
over the Syrians. knew the darkness
and the bitterness of defeat. He felt
that ii would have been far easier
to have died upon the field of bat
tie than to have been left wounded
and blinded, no longer able TO fight
for his country and hardly able TO
help himself thru the long years that
,till stretched before him.
\ commrade had taken him to the
home of Cyrus before rejoining the
Maccabean army and there Daniel liy'
cd in poverty and loneliness, hearing
only rumors of the wonderful vic
tories won by Judas and his soldiers.
Cyrus was an old. old man. very help
less because of his age, 50 feeble and
removed from the stirring times in
which he lived that he hardly knew
there was great war raging. which
was To bring peace and freedom to all
OF Israel. For he spent his days nod
ding in the sunshine; even when he
was fully awake he never spoke OF
the present. but loved to tell tales
of his own boyhood before the Syrians
had swept over the land and polluted
lIie shrines of Israel.
Daniel would surely have gone mad
with loneliness and his own despair,
had it not been for Reuben, II hoy just
grown to manhood. old Cyrus's grand
son and the only one of his blood who
rrma iped in the world. for all the resi-
bcen the cause of great grief and
disappointment to young Reuben thar
lac had not been allowed to join the
armies of Judas The Maccabce. In
the early days of the war lie had in
deed run away from home ana pre-
scented himself before the great soldier
begging to he allowed to fight agains,
The hosts of Syria. But altho RriI-
hen WAS tall and well-grown for his
YEARS and Judas was sorely in need
Of warriors, the great commander felt
forced to refuse tile boys prayer.
Your grandfather is an old man
and helpless, he told Reuben. after
Questioning him of his home and peo-
pie. and should he fall into the hands
of the soldiers of Antioclus. it would
20 hard with him. For they spare
'"ithcr old age nor piety, If the ru-
morS that have reached me of the
death of old Eliczer he true. II is
your duty to care for him rs long rs
he needs you: someday. perhaps. il
may be given You to serve the God of
Battles''
So. with that kindly smile which
somehow seemed 10 accord so well
with his stern features. Judas sent the
disappointed youth back 10 his OVID
home. For a while the lad ragged at
the quiet life lie was forced to lead,
hidden in the mountains with only the
dreamy old man for company while
all the rest of Israel seemed Hooking
TO Judas'S banner. But he became q
litde more recouciled when after the
lattlc of Bcthhoron two soldiers dress
the door of his grandfather's hut and
demanded shelter for the night.
one of them left early the next
morning 10 rejoin his brothers in the
field. hut the younger man. being
blinded and wounded. wal obliged to
remain. Now the days were not ut all
long for Reuben. for Daniel required
many things and the hoy took great
delight in nursing one who had re-
ccived his hurts while lighting in
JudHs'S army. Then when Daniels
wounds We're healed and he was able
to grope about in the sunshine lean
ing on his staff, Reuben became his
constant companion. always eager to
listen TO the tales the blinded soldier
told of camp life and adventures IN
the hills with Judas and his men. The
boys heart often filed with envy III
the thought of what had been denied
lIim: yet he was Il little glad that he
had remained at himc. not only 10 care
for his grandfather. but to serve this