Hanukkah and the Art of Converting Secular Wisdom

Judaism teaches us to “believe” in the wisdom of the nations. But this is a subtler art than most realize.

Dec 29, 2024

Each year at Hanukkah we are called upon to confront the “Hellenist” within us—the part within our people, and ourselves, that is attracted to our surrounding nations’ cultures, particularly Western culture. Hanukkah teaches us that this culture, despite its many upsides, contains elements that may dim and darken our Jewish faith. And yet, we are also called to transform this darkness into light.

It seems that in recent generations, this challenge has become especially relevant. More than ever before, the West accosts us with a barrage of technological innovations and cultural creations that captivate our senses and hearts, weakening our connection to God, and ourselves. From the flickering screens in every palm to the ecosystem of ideas an ideals that fill the cultural air, the new “Greece” surrounds us from every side, threatening to consume us.

It is easy to absolve ourselves of this challenge by dismissing others as the new Hellenists while seeing ourselves as the old, good Hasmoneans. But this is the easiest and worst way to evade the issue. There are degrees of Hellenism, and the challenge for each individual and group is to acknowledge the degree to which they have succumbed to it, and address it.

Converting Wisdom

Judaism has no interest in merely rejecting or pushing away Western culture. Rather, it wishes to clarify, rectify, and elevate it. Here, our sages come to our aid, providing us with a foundational rule of thumb that has served as a guiding light throughout our journey in the diaspora:

If someone were to tell you that there is wisdom among the nations, believe it… that there is Torah among the nations, do not believe it. (Eicha Raba 2:13)

But what does this principle truly mean? How do we differentiate between “wisdom” and “Torah,” and what does it mean to believe and to not believe in them?

The common interpretation today is that all “wisdom” among the nations that is theoretical, spiritual, or intellectual in nature—i.e., does not instruct one to transgress the Torah’s commandments but simply to broaden their mind—is permissible to adopt. The only things that are forbidden to receive from the nations are active practices that presume to replace our “Torah,” e.g. non-Jewish religious practices.

But this interpretation is superficial at best. It ignores the fact that “wisdom” is almost never neutral or purely theoretical. Every philosophy, ideology, belief system, therapeutic method, and artistic creation is always intertwined with values and imagery that function as a kind of “Torah” with practical implications, which must be filtered out.

A deeper reading of the Sages’ imperative “wisdom among the nations, believe it” would not read it as a call to believe that there is wisdom among the nations, which is obvious. Rather, it should be read as saying we should bring their wisdom under the wings of faith—i.e., convert it. The wisdom of the nations must be detached from its original, secular context and “reborn” within the holy context of Torah.

Point, Line, Plane

To assist us, we can use a triad of concepts that Chassidut adopted from geometry and infused with spiritual depth: point, line, and plane. These concepts have themselves been converted to symbolize three basic stages of growth and development:

Point: the initial seed, an origin point with an as-yet unfulfilled potential.
Line: the initial development of the seed, expanding it in a specific direction.
Plane: the expansion of the line into a complete conceptual system that actualize and all aspects of the original idea.1

Now, the concept of “wisdom” in Kabbalah is associated specifically with the image of the point. The “wisdom among the nations” exists in the form of metaphorical points—elements or “sparks” of truth and beauty scattered, like diamonds in a mine, within man-made belief systems that are inevitably incomplete. This incompleteness is because the human intellect, being part of the universe, is forever limited in its ability to grasp the entirety of the universe. Every worldview it creates will have a “blind spot” stemming from its subjective perspective. However, it does have holy sparks of truth that need to be redeemed.

If “wisdom” is a point, then “Torah” is akin to a plane. The Torah provides an overarching perspective on reality that ultimately relates to every aspect of existence. Torah thought is always multidimensional, offering us numerous perspectives and calling us to compose a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Similarly, Torah study is a “holistic” experience that encompasses a topic from every angle while also delving into its spiritual depths.

This comparison grants us a new and deeper understanding of the saying “Wisdom among the nations, believe it; Torah among the nations, do not believe it.”

The saying teaches that there are numerous points of wisdom among the nations, many fragments of truth. However, they do not possess a complete plane—a comprehensive worldview worthy of being called “Torah.” Moreover, if we fall at the feet of a secular belief system, say a certain scientific theory or a therapeutical method, as if it were a whole and rectified “plane” (even if we recognize it has some flaws or heretical points that need to be removed), then we are unconsciously “worshipping” it as though it were Torah. In such a case, the rule “Wisdom among the nations, believe it” no longer applies; instead, “Torah among the nations, do not believe it” does.

If secular wisdom is point-like and Torah is plane-like, then what is the line? The line would signify the conversion process of a spark of wisdom into Torah—uprooting the element of truth or beauty from its original secular context and planting it within the worldview and practice of Torah.

Total Immersion

When a non-Jew converts he undergoes a total, all-encompassing metamorphosis. This is manifested by the fact that sprinkling a few drops of water is insufficient for conversion; full immersion in a purifying mikveh is required. The same goes for converting secular wisdom. It cannot stop at merely “point-like,” surgical adjustments. It requires a complete transformation—embedding it within the Torah’s worldview until it becomes part of it.

May we merit redeeming all the points of light from the surrounding Western culture so that all “the beauty of Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem,” and the nations will unite “to call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.”

Happy Hanukkah!

This essay was translated through the kind help of my Patreon supporters:

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