It is worth delving further into this, that this specific punishment – Yaakov Avinu being punished through his daughter being defiled – was a sign for his children being punished in a similar manner. It is known from Megillat Antiochus that one of the first decrees that the Greeks decreed was that every Bat Yisrael would be defiled by the governor before her marriage. And so, the Rambam writes (Hilchot Chanukah 3:1): וּפָשְׁטוּ יָדָם בְּמָמוֹנָם וּבִבְנוֹתֵיהֶם – And they stretched out their hands against their money and daughters.
Along these same lines, the Ran writes (Shabbat 10a, Rif): שׁ ֶאַף הֵן הָיוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַנֵּס – For they too were part of the miracle; that the Greeks decreed on all the brides that they would be defiled by the governor first. Thus, just as with Yaakov Avinu, when he was negligent in his service, it was decreed upon him that the gentiles would stretch out their hands against his daughter, so too in the future, when his children were negligent in their service, the Yevanim stretched out their hands against their daughters.
The Tzlach, Rav Yechezkel Landau, in his sermons, says that the Yevanim had one goal – to harm the Levi’im and the women. And why did they command Am Yisrael to write on the horn of the bull that they have no portion in the G-d of Israel? For one reason. They wanted to reawaken the sin of the golden calf. And who formed that idol? It was Aharon HaKohen! He adds, while Bnei Yisrael are the chelek (portion) of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, at the moment they stood in front of the golden calf and declared “אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל”, they removed themselves from this privileged position, except for one tribe – Shevet Levi, who were not involved in the sin. Rabbotai, this means, if the Yevanim wanted to accuse Am Yisrael regarding Cheit Ha’Eigel, they could only accuse eleven tribes and not the tribe of Levi.
Additionally, there was another segment of Am Yisrael that could not be accused – the women, as they too were not involved in the sin. Rav Landau says, since the Yevanim could not accuse the Levi’im nor the women, they issued decrees against both; every woman who married would be defiled by the governor first. What did they gain from this? Two things. First, to defile the women, and second, a woman who was defiled by a gentile could not marry a Kohen – thus, the Levi’im could not marry and have children! The Yevanim wanted to kill two birds with one stone.
We can now understand a wonderful idea. The decrees of the Yevanim were against Rosh Chodesh – the sanctification of the month, the observance of Shabbat, and Brit Milah. What did they want to achieve by fighting specifically against these commandments? Chazal say it was for a very simple reason; these three commandments are forbidden for non-Jews to observe, and therefore they fought specifically against these commandments. And why are these three commandments forbidden for non-Jews to observe? Because regarding the Shabbat it is said: נוּחָתוֹ לֹא יִשׁ ְכְּנוּ עֲרֵלִיםגַּם בִּמְ – Even in His rest, the uncircumcised shall not dwell; a non-Jew who circumcises himself is still called uncircumcised; and the commandment of sanctifying the month was given only to Am Yisrael and not to the nations of the world. Additionally, the Yevanim fought against commandments that are called chukim (statutes), and each of these three are referenced as a חֹק.
Another point, the Yevanim wanted to be called בָּנִים (sons) to the extent Bnei Yisrael were. And who is called a “son”? One who is given special commandments like Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Milah. The Bnei Yissaschar (Kislev Tevet 4:88) brings forth the reasoning for abolishing these three mitzvot, as presented by the Chida (Rosh David, Miketz). Their reason was that through these three mitzvot it is recognized that Bnei Yisrael are called “sons”. Supporting Pesukim and Halachot are then brought to link each mitzvah with such a status.
Sefer LeHa’ir LeHorot u’LeHaskil (Ma'amarei Chanukah) presents a very beautiful yesod. The Yevanim decreed against Brit Milah; and while circumcision being abolished applies to all of Am Yisrael, the direct impact is on the tribe of Levi. Why? Because the tribe of Levi was the only one willing to risk their lives for Brit Milah! The Gemara (Yevamot 71b) explains that those in Bnei Yisrael born in the desert wilderness were not circumcised until they entered Eretz Yisrael, and the reason is due to danger. Danger stemming from weakness caused by traveling in the desert, or because the pleasant north wind did not blow in the desert. Why did the north wind not blow? Because Bnei Yisrael were rebuked by Hakadosh Baruch Hu due to Cheit Ha’Eigel. As mentioned earlier, Levi did not participate in this sin. Thus, the majority of Am Yisrael were already accustomed to skipping over Brit Milah from the time in the desert, unlike the tribe of Levi, for whom this was the first time they were forbidden to circumcise. Therefore, this decree was a specific attack on the Shevet Levi!
The Yevanim also decreed to abolish the korbanot – a direct attack on the tribe of Levi, as this was their primary work and focus. Similarly, when they defiled the oils in the Mikdash, it directly impacted Shevet Levi, and when they forbade engaging in Torah study, it directly affected the spiritual leaders of the people – Shevet Levi.
In addition to attacking Shevet Levi, as stated earlier in the name of the Tzlach, they targeted the women, since these were the only two groups not involved in Cheit Ha’Eigel. First, every woman who married would be defiled by the governor before being wed. Next, if they abolished Shabbat, the mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles – a commandment for the woman – would be nullified too! Lastly, they forbade the women of Am Yisrael from immersing in the mikvah, and forbade living in houses with doors, because without a door there is no modesty in the house. For this reason. Chazal instituted lighting the Chanukiah at the entrance of the house – where the destruction of Galut Yavan began!
In sefer Zecher David, the author says the Yevanim wanted to harm Kiddush HaChodesh not because it was a חֹק and not over the status of בָּנִים. There was another reason. They wanted to harm a gift given to women! The Tur writes (Siman 417), Rosh Chodesh is not forbidden in doing work, but, it is stated in the Talmud Yerushalmi, that women have the custom not to do work on Rosh Chodesh. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer adds (45), because the women did not want to give their earrings to their husbands as the golden calf was being formed, Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave them a reward; that they should observe Rosh Chodesh more than the men. This means, when the Beit Hamikdash was standing, women had a day off every Rosh Chodesh because they did not sin with Cheit Ha’Eigel. Therefore, the Yevanim wanted to harm Rosh Chodesh, because Rosh Chodesh was a gift given to women who didn’t sin with the calf!
Based on these points, we can understand a very profound yesod. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to save the nation from the decrees of the Yevanim, He places, or deploys, Shevet Levi and the women of Am Yisrael against them. Why? Because, as the Tzlach explains, the main decrees of the Yevanim were against the tribe of Levi and the women of Am Yisrael, so middah k’neged middah (measure for measure) – He pitted the tribe of Levi and the women of Am Yisrael against them.
