Much has been written about the war and struggle between Greek philosophy and Jewish law during the holiday of Hanukkah, but we will attempt to understand another layer and depth in this protracted battle.
The Torah of Israel proclaimed ethics and morality to the world, therefore the wisdom of Israel seeks the purpose of every created being and action in the world. The simple premise of the followers is the will and purpose of the Creator, and therefore the main focus and most resources will be allocated for the benefit of this essence.
But Greece set itself a different goal: aesthetics, beauty. The Greeks were the first to shift the main focus from the essence to the external, thus sanctifying beauty and grace regardless of the subject they adorned.
R. S. R. Hirsch explained the status of beauty in the Book of Genesis (Chapter 2):
הגן היה מספק את כל צרכיו הגשמיים של האדם. אולם, הכתוב מקדים את "נחמד למראה" ל"טוב למאכל", הוה אומר: את סיפוק חוש היופי - לסיפוק חוש הטעם ותאוות המאכל. כאן זכה חוש היופי להצדקתו ולהקדשתו וגם בכך מתגלה מעלתו היתרה של האדם... הרי האדם הוא היצור היחיד המסוגל ליהנות מן היופי, ומכאן הוכחה לחשיבות חוש היופי - לייעודו המוסרי של האדם. אכן, צורות הנוי המצויות בבריאה וחוש האדם ליהנות בהן - מונעים את האדם מהידרדר לדרגת הבהמה. השמחה ביפי הטבע ובנוי הצמחים תביאנו לשמוח גם ביופי מוסרי. חברה שאיננה חסה על היפה - גם האדם יגדל בה פרא. שמחת האדם בהרמוניה אסתטית קרובה לשמחתו בהרמוניה מוסרית.
The garden would provide for all of man's physical needs. However, the text places "pleasant to the eyes" before "good for food," meaning: the satisfaction of the sense of beauty comes before the satisfaction of the sense of taste and the desire for food. Here, the sense of beauty found its justification and dedication, and in this too, the superior merit of man is revealed... After all, man is the only creature capable of enjoying beauty, and from this comes proof of the importance of the sense of beauty - for man's moral purpose. Indeed, the forms of beauty found in creation and the human sense to enjoy them prevent man from descending to the level of an animal. The joy in the beauty of nature and the structure of plants will lead us to rejoice also in moral beauty. A society that does not protect beauty - will also produce wild people. A person's joy in aesthetic harmony is close to their joy in moral harmony.
It seems that beauty has a central place in creation, it distinguishes humans from other creatures. But there's a catch, that's where the greatest danger lies.
אל תשיאך חכמת יון אשר אין לה פרי כי אם פרחים (ריה"ל)
Do not be led astray by Greek wisdom, which bears no fruit but only flowers (R. Yehudah Halevi).
What is the flaw in flowers? Three things expand a person's mind: a beautiful home, a beautiful wife, and beautiful vessels (Berachot 57b). After all, beauty is blessed and beneficial.
"May God beautify Yaphes" - may the beauty of Yaphes be in the tents of Shem (Megillah 9b). The beauty of Yaphes ("the sons of Yapheth are Gomer, Magog, Madai, and Yavan") is not flawed and is destined to serve in the Temple.
Whoever has not seen Herod's building has not seen a beautiful building in their life (Bava Batra 4a).
But truly, there is no flaw in the flowers. Furthermore, a flower is a sign of future fruit and the continuation of life and seed. If there are no flowers, there will be no fruit either. But a flower that doesn't bear fruit after it is like a mere קליפה - "shell."
The problem arose when beauty became an end in itself; the wise men of Greece neglected the inherently arduous and demanding pursuit and focused primarily on the superficial and easy. The great danger of beauty is its allure and temptation; it has the ability to make a person forget their purpose and aspirations and draw them into a vicious cycle in order to conquer the aesthetic.
Therefore, the Greeks did not go to war solely out of colonialist ambitions. They had an educational goal: to teach the entire world the philosophy and values of Greece. Greek philosophers placed the image and materiality as the pinnacle of perfection and failed to transcend beyond that to the spirit. Greece wanted the whole world to turn to their gods and saw a "threat" in Israel, which maintained its uniqueness and rejected materialism.
Beauty is empty of content; its role is to help material human beings continue their work. The Greeks presented beauty to Israel as an element that does not harm holiness, but this is "Greek wisdom." The Greeks incorporated beauty into their religion; instead of being a mere shell, it became an essence. Therein lay the danger to Israel, that they would be unable to distinguish between the essential and the trivial.
But according to Jewish law, after fulfilling the Torah and the commandments, the use of beauty and charm is permitted; the importance lies in maintaining the balance between the two.
R' Shlomo Rabinowitz
