Cry of Grace

The haftora that we read on Channuka ends with an rebuke to Zerubavel’s opponents. “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubavel (you will) become a plain. He will bring out the cornerstone, with cheers of ‘grace, grace!’ for it” (Zechariah 4:7).

Zerubavel was attempting to lay the foundations of the Second Temple and there were many who opposed him. The prophet compares his opponents to a great mountain. As Zerubavel takes out the cornerstone for the Temple the great mounatin will turn into a plain, in other words his opponents will simply dissipate. And when people see that cornerstone of the Temple they will loudly express their excitement over the beauty of this stone. The power of the cornerstone to blow away the enemies of Israel lies in its grace and beauty.

The opponents that we faced during the days of the Second Temple were also…