What right did the Maccabees have to go to war they were placing their lives in danger and only if one is forced to transgress one of the three cardinal sins is one permitted to place one's life in danger? The law is that if one is from the leaders of the generation and they see that the people need the leaders to take a stand then they can risk their lives even for a minor transgression. Therefore the text of Al hanism and the Rambam both emphasize that the kohanim were kadoshim and people of great stature