On Shavuos we will once again commemorate the receiving of the Torah at Sinai some 3,300 years ago. The holiday is celebrated with great joy, as we remember this most seminal and transformative moment in our nation’s history. We appreciate the tremendous gift that is the Torah, and reflect upon the unbroken chain of mesorah (tradition) that has spanned all the generations from Sinai to our day.
This tradition was often transmitted and preserved amid great difficulty and persecution. There were many giants of Torah who lived their lives under the most oppressive of circumstances, including torture, forced relocation, and worse.
In most cases, these challenges to Torah study came from without. However, there have been times in our history when our worst enemies came from within.
Such was the case during the reign of Alexander Yannai, a Hasmonean ruler during the first century BCE. It was only through the heroic actions of a few great leaders that the Torah again reoccupied its rightful place of eminence.
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Alexander Yannai served as king and kohen gadol for twenty-seven years, from 103-76 BCE. He was a member of the Tzadukkim (Sadducees), a prominent group during the Second Temple period that rejected the authenticity of such basic Jewish tenets as the Oral Law, reward and punishment, and olam haba. Yannai was married to the righteous Shlomtzion, who prevailed upon her husband to deal kindly with his opposition, the Perushim (Pharisees).
Shlomtzion’s brother, Shimon ben Shetach, was the leading sage of the time. Yannai conferred with Shimon on both political and religious matters. However, this peaceful, productive arrangement would not last long.
Foremost on Yannai’s mind was a desire to expand Judah to an even greater extent than his predecessors had done – the Hasmonean state would reach its largest territorial size and political power during his reign. He was particularly focused on securing the Mediterranean coast and its port cities, which included Acco in the north and Gaza in the south. He also aimed to expand Jewish holdings in Transjordan.
Early on, Yannai had much success. Between 103 and 95 BCE he used an army consisting primarily of foreign mercenary soldiers, as well as an alliance formed with Cleopatra III of Egypt, to secure the entire coastal region from the hands of her son and rival, Ptolemy Lathyrus.
Hasmonean territory soon extended all the way south to the Egyptian border. Yannai was also victorious over numerous Greek cities in Transjordan known as the Decapolis.
Despite his numerous military accomplishments, Yannai failed to garner the support of the Perushim for his ambitions. They were unimpressed with his selfish goals of personal triumph and glory. They further resented his use of mercenaries, who drained the Judean economy. Many also found fault with Yannai’s insistence on occupying the positions of both king and kohen gadol.
Over the next twelve years, a sizable rift developed between Yannai and his people, one that would lead to internal violence, bloodshed, and civil war. Many sages were tortured and killed. Others were forced to seek refuge, either by fleeing the country or going into hiding.
The Tzadukkim took advantage of the situation. Using their close relationship with Yannai, they secured practically every significant political position for their party. Even the Sanhedrin came under Sadducean control, and their insistence on a literal interpretation of the Torah guaranteed errors in judgment. It also resulted in the appointment of ignorant men to the role of kohen gadol.
Ignorance and spiritual decline were becoming a real issue for the Perushim as well. Too few teachers remained active in the land to adequately teach Torah to the next generation of students. In the words of the Gemara (Kiddushin 66a), “The world was desolate” from lack of Torah.
