Ma’oz Tzur, also known as “Rock of Ages” is a piyyut — liturgical poem — that we sing every year on Chanukah, each and every night after lighting the hanukiya. With its beautiful, stirring melody that we learn as children and resoundingly intone through adulthood, no Chanukah celebration would be complete without it.
But what does it mean? OK, you can look up a translation in the siddur or online and you’ll find that “Tzur Y’shu’ati” means “Rock of my salvation.” But what does that mean? What does it mean when we call God a “Rock?”
Well, a quick Google search reveals the following definition: “The solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth and other similar planets, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil or oceans.” OK, one does not need to be an expert in 13th century Jewish hymns to make an educated guess that this was not likely the author’s intention. He probably had something more poetic in mind when using the word “rock” to describe God.
So let’s look at some metaphoric ways we might use the word “rock.” If you’re a client of Prudential, whose famous logo is an illustration of The Rock of Gibraltar, a rock might symbolize strength, security, and reliability. But if you’re a fan of Simon and Garfunkel’s hit single, “I am a Rock,” a rock represents something completely different, an individual who lives in solitude, rejecting all human contact. And fans of professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, aka “The Rock,” will have yet another association. So which, if any, of these is it?
Next, we could look for places in the Bible where we find the word “rock” or “tzur.” Among the multitude of examples of the word, we find God described as “The Rock of his salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:15), an “Everlasting Rock” (Isaiah 26:4), and a “Rock of strength, a fortress of defense” (Psalm 31:3).”
From this sampling, we see a distinct pattern: God is strong. God is dependable. God is there for us, always. This characterization is consistent with the stanzas of Maoz Tzur (six in all) which describe God’s saving us from our enemies throughout time, including the Syrian-Greeks, our oppressors in the time of the Maccabees.
Today, we may not see ourselves as persecuted under dictatorial rulership as portrayed in Maoz Tzur. And yet we each have times when we are in great need of help, guidance and support—when we need that rock, that enduring presence in our lives to be a source of strength and comfort. In such instances, we turn to those on whom we know we can always rely, knowing that they will be there for us. The rock that is our dearest friendships. The rock that is our family and those we love. The Rock that is God.
In turn, we may ask ourselves how each of us can best exemplify Tzur — the source of strength and comfort for those in our lives who need our support, be it lending a hand (or shoulder) to a friend in need, or being a fixture in the community in good times and bad.
Maoz Tzur provides us with a model for how God has been a Rock for the Jewish people throughout the ages. From it, we draw inspiration ourselves to be the rock — that everlasting, unfailing presence in the lives of those in need.
Best wishes to everyone for a Hag Urim Samei’ah—A Chanukah filled with joy and enduring strength.
Hazzan Jeremy Stein is the cantor at Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid in Glendale. Stein recently completed a Masters of Jewish Education through the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
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