Q&A: Greek Culture
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Greek Culture
Question
I have to say I expected the Rabbi to write an article for Hanukkah about Israeli/Jewish culture or wisdom and Greek culture or wisdom—what the differences are and what they have in common, or all kinds of things connected to that… There’s still one day left 🙂
Answer
I’ve grown tired of articles on this worn-out topic, where everyone loads their own ideas onto history.
As I understand it, the essence of Greek culture was athletics, physique, and fitness (the gymnasium and the like).
The Jews liked to sit and read Torah, rest on the Sabbath, and so on, and that’s what the battles were fought over.
We won, and that’s why we eat sweet sufganiyot, latkes, and dairy foods. To hell with being toned.