comparing Mayor Rob Ford to King Antiochus from the Channuka story

      As a resident of the great city of Toronto, its somewhat embarassing to constantly be reminded that our mayor is a crack smoking liar.  When Ford was elected a few years ago, I was unimpressed with him, and his ideas and his policies.  But sometimes you don't always agree with whoever gets elected to office but you wait and see what happens.  Ford has gone further and further downhill, caught on video smoking crack and admitting to it.  He has lied and his boorish and bullying behaviour is not becoming of an elected official.  Imagine trying to explain to young children that this is our mayor.  When he gets made fun of on TV talk shows constantly, at first its funny, but then its sad that our great city is connected to this man. 

As Channuka is approaching next week I was studying a book called "A Different Light" edited by Noam Zion to prepare for an adult education program.  I read an article by Victor Tcherikover, exerpted from "Hellenistic Civilization and the Jews" (p.175-181), which highlights Antiochus Epiphanes as a "mad missionary".  Here are some points about King Antiochus, a man with no political tact who did not know how to act as a King. 

 

•At times would leave the palace and wander and converse with insignificant people.

•Was more than once seen in the company of shady company of aliens of unknown identity and origin.

•If he heard of a drinking party, he would join, often making such a strange impression, many would fear him and make their escape.

•Full of contradictions and sudden surprises. 

•At a festival once jumped on stage to dance with other players, causing many to leave the hall in shame.

•Silent among the company of his best friends but talkative among strangers.

•Irritable and nervous, ever striving to do something extraordinary and to astound the world.

•Sometimes walked the streets handing out rings of gold or simple stones but gave others worthless objects such as dates or dice.

•The humorists openly mocked him, calling him Antiochus “Epimanes”  (mad) instead of Epiphanes (the god manifest)

As I finished reading I realized, this King is very similar to Mayor Rob Ford.  Ford also keeps shady company, joins in drinking alcohol, full of contradictions and causes others to leave his company in shame.  I found it fascinating to compare the two characters.  Antiochus is the villian of the Channuka story, who imposes discriminatory rules over the Jewish people, who eventually fight back for religious freedom and re-establish a sovereign Jewish state.  I hope that for our great city of Toronto, we too are able to convince Mayor Ford to enter some sort of rehab program and allow responsible town councillors to run the city properly until next years election.