B"H
Happy Chanukah everyone!
This afternoon (friday), we kick off the 8 day extravaganza of the "Festival of lights" (& donuts and latkas :). We light the 1st candle b4 Shabbat comes in, & tomorrow night after Shabbat ends, & continue for 6 more nights.
As we know, over 2,100 yrs. ago at this time, the Syrian-Greek Hellenists tried to stamp out our Jewish practice and beliefs.
Our Sages explain something very interesting. The Greeks didn't want to necessarily uproot our Torah learning or Mitzvah observance;
on the contrary, being "enlightened" themselves, they appreciated the great wisdom found in the Torah!
Rather, they despised the G-dliness, the holiness, behind our practice. "The commandments that make sense I understand.
'Don't murder.' 'Don't steal.' 'Set up courts of justice.' But eating kosher!? Putting on Tefillin!? That makes no sense!"
The Will of G-d behind Judaism was what the Greeks desired to stamp out.
When the Maccabees were victorious, they miraculously found one jug of undefiled oil to light the menorah.
Why had the Greeks defiled all of the oil they could find?
In kabbalah it's explained that oil represents a level higher than human, natural comprehension. The Greeks desired to eradicate that aspect of divine service from our lives. At this time of year, as we watch the flame of the menorah candles dance, we remind ourselves of the true, eternal divine dimension of our souls & our Judaism.
A holy level beyond intellect, beyond comprehension. A connection to G-d that defies our understanding.
~ To find out your Shabbat times, click here
To explore a treasure load of other insights, stories and guides about Chanukah, click here:
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3 years ago, I was learning in a Yeshiva in Toronto, Canada.
Every friday, we students would scatter throughout the city to meet with Jews we knew; in office buildings, malls, wherever,
to impart a thought on that week's parsha, put on tefillin w/ the men, or give out Shabbat candles to the women.
One friday before Chanukah, I went on a different route with my friend Asher Sossonko. When we visited his friends, he told them an unbelievable story, one which is well known, but I had never heard 1st hand. He relayed the story as follows:
"My grandfather, Asher Sossonkin, was a Jew who practiced real self-sacrifice.
Living in Russia, where it was illegal to practice or teach Torah, he nevertheless did his utmost to teach as many Jewish children as he could, until he was arrested and sent to Siberia, to a labor camp. There my grandfather never gave up, and with his great wisdom and joyful demeanor,
he was a beacon of hope to all of the Jews in the camp.
A particular Russian Jew, who was sent to the labor camp for crimes much less noble than spreading Torah, became very close to my grandfather. He learned a lot about his faith that he had never known, and began secretly to observe as much as he could in the camp.
As Chanukah approached, my grandfather taught this man about the holiday and the menorah.
"But how are we going to light the candles here in the camp!?" this man asked.
My grandfather replied: "Well, I will try and scrape together some potatoes and make holes in them.
I'll place some string inside and light them. It's not ideal, but it's the best we can do."
Now this man would not stand for this. He wanted the best for G-d. So he used the connections he had in camp, and in exchange for a large sum, he was able to have a metal menorah constructed in time for Chanukah.
So every night of Chanukah, with my grandfather leading the lighting, this menorah was lit in the back of their bunkhouse
(to the consternation of their non-Jewish bunkmates).
One night, on the 5th night of Chanukah, my grandfather & this Jew were watching the flames flicker and were silently singing the Chanukah songs, when suddenly they heard a shout:
"The commander's coming!"
Before even having a chance to hide the menorah, the door of the bunk house swung open, and in the entrance stood the commander.
Staring at my grandfather, the commander shouted:
"P'yat!?"(Russian for "five!?")
My grandfather nodded. "P'yat."
The commander nodded back, and with that, he was gone...
My grandfather always said, when recounting this story, that perhaps that "commander" was Elijah the prophet.
If it was, he didn't come in his merit.
He came in the merit of this simple Jew, who in his great desire to make G-d Happy, did his best to commemorate Chanukah in the most beautiful way he could."
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May we all have a great Chanukah, filled with light and warmth,
and may we watch the dancing flames of the Chanukah candles, and listen to what it seems to be shouting at us:
"The Jewish soul is eternal!"
Happy Chanukah!
-Daniel
Jerusalem, Israel
{1. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.
1. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-tav Ve-tzi-va-nu Le-had-lik Ner Cha-nu-kah.
2. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.
2. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam She-a-sa Ni-sim La-avo-te-nu Ba-ya-mim Ha-hem Bi-z'man Ha-zeh.
(This 3rd blessing is Only said b4 the 1st lighting:)
3. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
3. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam She-heche-ya-nu Ve-ki-yi-ma-nu Ve-higi-a-nu Liz-man Ha-zeh.}
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