We often talk about the history and the mitzwoth involved in Hannukah, but we rarely really look to see what Hannukah can teach us today.
I'd like to relate a very simple idea that can change our Hannukah experience forever.
The Beit HaMikdash, we are taught, is a model of the world. More importantly, it's also a model of a person. The Zohar and other Kabbalistic texts go into great detail explaining how each functioning part of the Mikdash represents an integral organ of the human body.
In light of this piece of knowledge, it behooves us to reexamine the miracle of Hannukah.
The Greeks devastated our culture, outlawed some of the most foundational mitzwoth and violated the most Holy place in all of creation, the Beit HaMikdash. Violated it utterly and wholly. Idols and everything else impure were so thoroughly invested in that Holy place that it seemed like it could never be returned to its Holy status. It could never be pure again.
The miracle of Hannukah was that we were able to remove all of that filth and light the menorah with a pure untainted light. Halachah says that it would have been permissible to light impure oil in the menorah, when the Mikdash was in such a state, but the Jewish people so wanted to be pure themselves, that they insisted on seeking out pure oil. Chazal teach that when one seeks to be Holy, Heaven opens its doors to them.
Hannukah is a special occasion like no other. On Hannukah, just watching the Hannukah candles burn and truly desiring to be pure will purify you.
Just as on Hannukah the Mikdash, a model of a person was made pure once more, so too you, no matter how thoroughly impure and filthy you may feel, will be made pure.
What a beautiful Chag HaShem gave us. This is why we say a full Hallel all eight days of Hannukah. This is why there is no outright mitzwah to eat a festive meal on Hannukah. It is only if we want to be pure, then we choose for ourselves to make a Holy seudah on Hannukah.
When we choose to be Holy, HaShem opens the door. That's why the Hannukah lights are first and foremost to be placed by the door.
Showing posts with label hannukah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hannukah. Show all posts
2.12.10
24.12.09
mitzwoth as smoke signals
[I gave this dvar Torah on Zot Hannukah 5770.]
Hannukah is to a year what Tikkun Hatzot is to a day. In the depths of the darkness we remember the deepest light of the world, the light of the Holy Temple, the revelation of the Highest in the lowest. (God in this world)
Rebbe Natan explains that the first mitzwah given to the Nation of Israel is the mitzwah of [seeking and] proclaiming the new moon is (Likkutei Halachot, very begining) because that is the essential purpose of the Jew, to seek out the spark of light in the darkness.
When we proclaim the new moon, the new month, Rosh Hodesh, the Mishnah [Rosh HaShanah 2:4] describes what that used to be like: They would light fires on the hilltops to signal to those far away that the new moon had been seen and the new month had begin. Rosh Hodesh is a very holy celebration we have each and every month.There were huge feasts and celebrations in the Temple each Rosh Hodesh.
When the signal fire reached the tallest hilltop visible to all those Jewish communities outside of the land of Israel they would wave the fire back and forth up and down until they saw answering fires throughout the exile. (throughout the rest of the surrounding countries) The words used are beautiful: They would wave the fire back and forth until the whole exile was alight like one giant bonfire. Think about that imagery: one little light, waving until the whole world seems to be filled with a roaring answering flame.
That's Hannukah.
One little candle waving until the whole world is alight with the revelation of Godliness.
That's every mitzwah, as we are taught, נר מצוה ותורה אור, a mitzwah is a candle.
That's what it means to be a Jew. To seek out that little bit of light, in every occasion, in every place, in every person and wave that little spark of a candle until the whole world is going up, alight in the flames of Godliness.
Hannukah is to a year what Tikkun Hatzot is to a day. In the depths of the darkness we remember the deepest light of the world, the light of the Holy Temple, the revelation of the Highest in the lowest. (God in this world)
Rebbe Natan explains that the first mitzwah given to the Nation of Israel is the mitzwah of [seeking and] proclaiming the new moon is (Likkutei Halachot, very begining) because that is the essential purpose of the Jew, to seek out the spark of light in the darkness.
When we proclaim the new moon, the new month, Rosh Hodesh, the Mishnah [Rosh HaShanah 2:4] describes what that used to be like: They would light fires on the hilltops to signal to those far away that the new moon had been seen and the new month had begin. Rosh Hodesh is a very holy celebration we have each and every month.There were huge feasts and celebrations in the Temple each Rosh Hodesh.
When the signal fire reached the tallest hilltop visible to all those Jewish communities outside of the land of Israel they would wave the fire back and forth up and down until they saw answering fires throughout the exile. (throughout the rest of the surrounding countries) The words used are beautiful: They would wave the fire back and forth until the whole exile was alight like one giant bonfire. Think about that imagery: one little light, waving until the whole world seems to be filled with a roaring answering flame.
That's Hannukah.
One little candle waving until the whole world is alight with the revelation of Godliness.
That's every mitzwah, as we are taught, נר מצוה ותורה אור, a mitzwah is a candle.
That's what it means to be a Jew. To seek out that little bit of light, in every occasion, in every place, in every person and wave that little spark of a candle until the whole world is going up, alight in the flames of Godliness.
dividing the land
When the Israelites arrived back home after the exodus from Egypt, the division of the land took place through a lottery.
This wasn't any ordinary lottery, but rather before each result was drawn, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) would announce through prophecy which result would be drawn from the lottery.
This was the method through which it was made clear to the whole nation that the division of the land was divinely determined.
(source: http://www.steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=1801 )
We can't begin to imagine or understand the amount of theatrics HaShem underwent to make us feel special. Remember that each day. Remember all the wonderful things that took place to bring you to where you are now. Remember that even if now you are in darkness, (Yavan, Greece, was hinted at by the word darkness in the Torah, so its an appropriate teaching for post-Hannukah) you won't be for long. Don't give up.
This wasn't any ordinary lottery, but rather before each result was drawn, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) would announce through prophecy which result would be drawn from the lottery.
This was the method through which it was made clear to the whole nation that the division of the land was divinely determined.
(source: http://www.steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=1801 )
We can't begin to imagine or understand the amount of theatrics HaShem underwent to make us feel special. Remember that each day. Remember all the wonderful things that took place to bring you to where you are now. Remember that even if now you are in darkness, (Yavan, Greece, was hinted at by the word darkness in the Torah, so its an appropriate teaching for post-Hannukah) you won't be for long. Don't give up.
25.12.08
brighter than the eye can see
What makes Hannukah and Purim different from Shabbat and the other Yom Tovs on which we don't do melachah? (very very loosely translated: 'work')
According to the Tzemah Tzedek, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, in his book Derech Mitzwotecha explaining about the mitzwah of Hannukah candles, the light that is revealed on Hannukah and Purim is so powerful and from such a high place that we cannot readily receive it.
We awaken the revelation of the light with the performance of the mitzwah, but the light itself is beyond us. Since it is beyond us, we can't mistakenly transmit it to the dark side, to the elements of creation that utterly lack holiness.
By contrast, on Shabbath (and Yom Tov) the light brought down is specifically meant to be received, and when we create (through our mitzwah observance) the appropriate vessels we do receive enlightenment. It is for this reason that we don't do melachah, we don't involve ourselves with anything lacking inherent holiness. If we were to be involved in the mundane with such a level of enlightenment, then we would be channeling all of this divine influx directly to the unholy forces, the dark side. For this reason (among others) HaShem commanded us to abstain from worldly concerns on Shabbat and Yom Tov.
On Hannukah, where we ourselves cannot receive this tremendous light, there's no need to abstain from worldly matters, there's no danger of us transmitting any of the divine illumination to the other side.
There are two areas of specific interest to women on Hannukah:
- A wife who lights the Hannukah candles in the home completes the mitzwah for her husband--even against his will. This means that if the husband is away from home and he intends to light the candles himself, purposely intending not to be included in the lighting his wife will perform in the home, he is still included in her lighting, and has no need or mitzwah to light the candles himself. To me this is interesting because there aren't many mitzwoth at all that can be fulfilled for someone in direct contradiction to their own intent or desire, completely against their will. The reason in our case is because the mitzwah rests primarily on the home, not on the individual (wherever they might be) and women and men are both obligated to light Hannukah candles.
- While there is no mitzwah not to perform melachah as we mentioned already, there is a custom (and Jewish customs are like Torah) for women to abstain from melachah during the half hour or so that the candles are supposed to be lit. I wanted to suggest that this implies that even though, in general, the light of Hannukah is beyond our perception, women are able to attain a certain level of connection with this light, and consequently they aren't supposed to work during the time of candle lighting.
21.12.08
into the darkness
Most people have a natural fear of darkness.
To learn a little bit more about darkness and light, we can look at the daily cycle. As the sun passes noon and begins to fall, we already know that night is imminent, it's coming no matter what. When night falls it gets darker and darker until in the depths of the darkness, midnight, we know even if we cannot see it that the night has already begun its approach to morning. At the very moment of midnight, there is a Jewish custom to awaken and mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. The end of the text which is read at Tikkun Hatzot, as the custom is called, takes heart at the promised return of the Temple in the end of days.
This grows to encompass any and all unknowns, that's what darkness inherently is.
Hannukah is about illuminating the darkness. Yavan, the Greek empire, was called "darkness" by Chazal. Their persecution was an attempt to extinguish the light of Torah in the world and replace it with their own empty or dark culture.
But, Matityahu and his children plunged into the darkness clinging to the light of Torah, and as we are taught in Hassidut, a small amount of light illuminates a far greater darkness.
The novelty of this idea, the idea of Hannukah where rather than fearing the darkness we confront it head on, even seek it out, was adopted as the banner of Hassidut. This is why Hassidim (especially Chabad) refer to this time of year as the Rosh HaShanah of Hassidut. The Chabad Hassidim celebrated with a great feast the same day their Rebbe was taken into Russian custody. What did they celebrate? His eventual release, his certain conquest over the darkness. On the 19th of Kislev they celebrated an even greater celebration when the Rebbe was released.
So too, in Hassidut, we take great joy in the approach of Hannukah, even in the depth of the darkness that always comes before it. But this joy cannot even be compared to the celebration of the arrival of Hannukah.
To learn a little bit more about darkness and light, we can look at the daily cycle. As the sun passes noon and begins to fall, we already know that night is imminent, it's coming no matter what. When night falls it gets darker and darker until in the depths of the darkness, midnight, we know even if we cannot see it that the night has already begun its approach to morning. At the very moment of midnight, there is a Jewish custom to awaken and mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. The end of the text which is read at Tikkun Hatzot, as the custom is called, takes heart at the promised return of the Temple in the end of days.
Hannukah, as we mentioned in the past, (and as discussed in the Bnei Yissachar) represents the same time of Tikkun Hatzot in the yearly cycle. At the darkest point of the year, as the year begins to head in the inevitable direction of summer, yet the light of summer is still invisible, at that very time, we light the Hannukah candles in comemoration both of the desecration of the Holy Temple, and our triumph over the forces of darkness which led to the Holy Temple's re-dedication.
Today is the day before Hannukah, where the world is at its darkest. Today we need to rejoice with great and redoubled faith, for just as we know with absolute certainty that tonight the illumination of Hannukah will shine out on the world, so too, we know that HaShem will redeem His people from the darkness of this extended exile.
Hassidut and Hannukah unite together to teach us that in our day and age, a time that parallels the second to last plague of the 10 plagues that befell Egypt, that of Darkness, we need to head feerlessly into the belly of the darkness and therein draw down the light of Torah, illuminating the whole world with utter faith.
[It is an interesting aside to note that after the plague of darkness, the Jews approached their Egyptian neighbors to borrow vessels with which to serve HaShem in the desert. The Torah says that the Jews found favor (חן) in the eyes of the Egyptians, the very same letters that are at the root of the word חנוכה - Hannukah.]
19.12.08
beautiful women
Why are women generally more beautiful than men?
The Tzemach Tzedek explains in his Derech Mitzwotecha, while explaining the mitzwah of lighting the Hannukah Candles, that the mitzwah is meant to bring down a tremendous influx of light from Hochmah all the way to Malchut. He explains that while all the of the middot receive of this light, Malchut receives the most because it is the direct interface with the klippoth, the dark side, so it needs the excess light to drive away the darkness. [Since men represent yesod, and women malchut] Because women receive this greater surplus of light, they generally shine with more beauty.
The Tzemach Tzedek explains in his Derech Mitzwotecha, while explaining the mitzwah of lighting the Hannukah Candles, that the mitzwah is meant to bring down a tremendous influx of light from Hochmah all the way to Malchut. He explains that while all the of the middot receive of this light, Malchut receives the most because it is the direct interface with the klippoth, the dark side, so it needs the excess light to drive away the darkness. [Since men represent yesod, and women malchut] Because women receive this greater surplus of light, they generally shine with more beauty.
11.12.07
burning with the light of hannukah
During mincha I had a momentary flash of understanding regarding the Pri Ha'aretz I discussed earlier:
The Pri Ha'aretz explains that during tefillah our eyes must be downward and our hearts upward. He relates the Torah in which he mentions this to Hannukah on the whole, but I didn't understand the depth he was hinting at.
When our eyes are focused downwards, on seeking out HaShem's deep Wisdom in even the simplest places, we become like the wick, who pulls up the oil (one of the secret names of HaShem's wisdom) and offers it to the flame, to our hearts which are burning with a great thirst for HaShem's Wisdom.
Through this Torah of the Vitebsker Rebbe we actually become the candle, we enlighten ourselves until we burn with the light of Hannukah.
The Pri Ha'aretz explains that during tefillah our eyes must be downward and our hearts upward. He relates the Torah in which he mentions this to Hannukah on the whole, but I didn't understand the depth he was hinting at.
When our eyes are focused downwards, on seeking out HaShem's deep Wisdom in even the simplest places, we become like the wick, who pulls up the oil (one of the secret names of HaShem's wisdom) and offers it to the flame, to our hearts which are burning with a great thirst for HaShem's Wisdom.
Through this Torah of the Vitebsker Rebbe we actually become the candle, we enlighten ourselves until we burn with the light of Hannukah.
4.12.07
the first candle
Hannukah begins now in Yerushalayim. HaShem's light is being revealed down into the darkest places. Yerushalayim is awash in the light cast from the highest of heights. I pray we all merit to experience this on a very personal and intimate level.
5.12.06
two becomes one
There is nothing more basic in the world than putting two things together in order to create some new object. This is a fundamental essence of being alive. We consume food, reordering it into flesh and blood. We look at a bunch of stones stacked a certain way and see a house. We see a face, recognise a friend, and wish them well.
Every morning we are plunged into the chaos of existence, and we make order out of so much noise. Every generation we move further along in the task of classifiying and taming that chaos, drawing ordered logical rules out of a seemingly unpredictable environment.
Why is this the basis of life, and why is this possible?
When Yaakov Avinu has a divine revellation in his dream, the only physical proof left is the pile of rocks on which he slept; they were fused into a single rock. Why is this significant enough to warrant mention in the brevity of written Torah?
When we take two things that seem completely unrelated, and we combine them, the fact that this is even possible is miraculous. Look at man-made tools, if you are in the wrong country with the wrong standard voltage, your appliances might not work, or they might get fried. If you try and mix lego and duplo, you're out of luck. If you have the wrong component, your computer won't function. If all you have are AAA batteries and you need a 9-volt battery, what to do?
When we find novel and new ways to overcome apparent limitations and differences between ideas, people, languages, or other more material things, we are connecting to their underlying commonality. We can understand about the health of a human from the health of a flowe or of a mouse because we can get down to the level of DNA and find commonality. When we set off a fusion reaction, we are getting down to the level of the atom, common to all matter. We can go deeper and deeper and as we do, we see that everything is essentially the same, everything shares a common essence.
Everything comes from the same source.
Everything can be related because it all draws its existence from God. It is to remind us of this that God fused a couple of rocks under the head of the tzaddik Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov is called so because his name implies that he reveals Godliness throughout the entire world, even down to the level of the heel, the lowliest level.
This is a lesson especially appropriate to the coming festival of Hannukah, in which it is said (in the Torah Ohr among other sources) that the divine pressence sheds its light even down to the lowest levels, below the ten handbreadths that are normally untouched by such a revellation.
The goal of all of science is nothing more than to unify everything in existence through a common set of rules, a common foundation. In this sense science and religion blend perfectly.
Every morning we are plunged into the chaos of existence, and we make order out of so much noise. Every generation we move further along in the task of classifiying and taming that chaos, drawing ordered logical rules out of a seemingly unpredictable environment.
Why is this the basis of life, and why is this possible?
When Yaakov Avinu has a divine revellation in his dream, the only physical proof left is the pile of rocks on which he slept; they were fused into a single rock. Why is this significant enough to warrant mention in the brevity of written Torah?
When we take two things that seem completely unrelated, and we combine them, the fact that this is even possible is miraculous. Look at man-made tools, if you are in the wrong country with the wrong standard voltage, your appliances might not work, or they might get fried. If you try and mix lego and duplo, you're out of luck. If you have the wrong component, your computer won't function. If all you have are AAA batteries and you need a 9-volt battery, what to do?
When we find novel and new ways to overcome apparent limitations and differences between ideas, people, languages, or other more material things, we are connecting to their underlying commonality. We can understand about the health of a human from the health of a flowe or of a mouse because we can get down to the level of DNA and find commonality. When we set off a fusion reaction, we are getting down to the level of the atom, common to all matter. We can go deeper and deeper and as we do, we see that everything is essentially the same, everything shares a common essence.
Everything comes from the same source.
Everything can be related because it all draws its existence from God. It is to remind us of this that God fused a couple of rocks under the head of the tzaddik Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov is called so because his name implies that he reveals Godliness throughout the entire world, even down to the level of the heel, the lowliest level.
This is a lesson especially appropriate to the coming festival of Hannukah, in which it is said (in the Torah Ohr among other sources) that the divine pressence sheds its light even down to the lowest levels, below the ten handbreadths that are normally untouched by such a revellation.
The goal of all of science is nothing more than to unify everything in existence through a common set of rules, a common foundation. In this sense science and religion blend perfectly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Related posts
