Page:Philip Birnbaum - ha-Siddur ha-Shalem (The Daily Prayer Book,1949).pdf/747

722 pleased to accept my advice, and do not fight them with this small army lest you be disgraced in the sight of all the kings. Send letters to all your royal provinces; let all the army officers without exception come with armored elephants.” This pleased king Antiochus. He sent letters to all his royal domains, and the chieftains of various clans arrived with armored elephants. Wicked Bagris invaded Jerusalem for the second time. He broke through the wall, shattered the gateway, made thirteen breaches in the Temple, and ground the stones to dust. He thought to himself: “This time they shall not defeat me; my army is numerous, my hand is mighty.” However, the God of heaven did not think so.

The five sons of Mattathias went to Mizpeh in Gilead, where the house of Israel had been saved in the days of Samuel the prophet. They fasted, sat in ashes and prayed to the God of heaven for mercy; then a good plan came to their mind. These were their names: Judah, the firstborn; Simeon, the second; Yoḥanan, the third; Jonathan, the fourth; Elazar, the fifth. Their father blessed them, saying: "Judah my son, I compare you to Judah the son of Jacob who was likened to a lion. Simeon my son, I compare you to Simeon the son of Jacob who slew the men of Shechem. Yoḥanan my son, I compare you to Abner the son of Ner, general of Israel’s army. Jonathan my son, I compare you to Jonathan the son of Saul who defeated the Philistines. Elazar my son, I compare you to Phinehas the son of Elazar, who was zealous for his God and rescued the Israelites.” Soon afterwards the five sons of Mattathias attacked the pagan forces, inflicting severe losses upon them. One of the brothers, Judah, was killed.