What is the story of Judith? Can you tell me if there a Jewish source for information. I read that at one time this story was told and related to Hanukah. A friend told me other religions tell the story of Judith and it is not in the Jewish Bible. I can not find a Jewish source. Is there commentary about Judith.
Some background may help: Judaism has a rich set of sources for its history. Many stories are recorded in the Bible. Many more stories are recorded in the Talmud or oral traditions. Our oral traditions also include the several thousand years of responsum by the outstanding luminaries of each generation.
The Bible has a special status–the books of the Bible were written under prophetic inspiration. They were written by prophets. For example the statements by Malachi or Isaiah that we, the Jews, will one day offer sacrifices in a rebuilt temple, is more than an affirmation of our wishes–it is a prophetic promise written under prophetic inspiration.
With this background we can now discuss Judith. Judith is a true story and its validity AND relevance to our sacred traditions are accepted throughout Orthodox circles. However the story of Judith was not written under prophetic inspiration. This lack of prophetic inspiration in no way diminishes the truth or relevance of the story.
Let us review the story and its relevance to the holiday of Chanukah. Chanukah is a holiday celebrating “freedom of religion.” The Greeks/ Hellenists did not allow Freedom of religion. They did not allow us to learn our Torah. They also did not allow us to keep our rituals.
One of the more horrible intrusions of our religious privacy was the custom for the governor to have relations with every new bride prior to her wedding. Judith was one such Jewish woman about to be married. The governor insisted on having relations with her. She decided to do something about the way women were being treated.
She acted like she welcomed the encounter. She prepared a festive dairy meal with fatty foods. After partaking of the meal the governor feel asleep. Judith then took the governor’s sword and cut off his head.
To commemorate Judith’s heroic act we traditionally eat dairy products and cheese. Some also understand this as a source for the tradition to eat “Latkes”, basically potato pancakes cooked in oil.
In summary this is a true story and is an act of heroism which saved the dignity of Jewish women. The fact that the story has not been reported by prophets in no way diminishes the story’s validity or relevance
Respectfully
Russell Jay Hendel