8 Days of Chanuka #4

How could Bnei Yisrael have been yotzei for lighting the menorah with shemen shel nes? Lighting the menorah can only be done with shemen zayit from a tree! R' Chaim Brisker writes that really, the miracle was not in the quantity of the oil, but in the quality. The Maccabim poured in all of the oil on the first day, and rather then new oil miraculously appearing, the same oil was able to last for 8 days, burning up only 1/8 every day. Following this, the nes also occured on the 1st day, resolving the Beit Yosef's kashya.

An apparent message in the words of Reb Chaim is that we should try improve oursleves, not just by increasing the miztvot we do, but the quality of the ones that we already do. That is a real task! As the days of Chanuka come to a close soon, we should not forget how the candles represent not just a physical light to remind us of the nissim Hashme does for us, but a spiritual light which should help light our way through the darkness of this world (maybe i'll write more about that next Chanuka iy"H). B'ezrat Hashem, we should be zoche to keep this flame with us throughout the rest of the year, to light the path when we might be drifting off into the dark.

I hope you enjoyed your Chanuka 5769!

R' Nosson Tzvi Finkel shlit"a Lighting Neirot Chanuka

If you don't know, Rav Nosson Tzvi is the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir. He has Parkinsons and is always shaking terribly. If you have ever heard him speak you know that it's difficult for him to talk. (He doesn't take painkillers because he doesn't want them to affect his memory and cause any of his Torah to be forgotten.) This is real ameilut.

Celebrating the Pach Shemen

The Gemara in Shabbos (21a) teaches, "מאי חנוכה?- What is Chanuka?..." Basically, the Greeks came and took over. They entered the Mikdash, desecrated it, and ruined all the oil. But the Maccabim fought back, and when they entered the Beit Hamikdash they found but one pach shemen with the seal of the Kohen Gadol that had enough oil for one day. Hashem caused a nes and it lasted for another 7. Later on, Chazal established these days to be commemorated for praise and thanks; להודות ולהלל. It would seem from the Gemara that the basis for the establishment of Chanuka was the finding of the oil and its miraculous burning.

It appears odd then, that Chanuka should be based off of this when in על הנסים we commemorate the great victory Hashem granted us over the Greeks and the Mityavnim.

כשעמדה מלכות יון הרשעה על עמך ישראל להשכחם תורתך ולהעבירם מחקי רצונך...מסרת גברים ביד חלשים ורבים ביד מעטים וכו

The evil Greeks tried to destroy our Torah, but Hashem handed over the mighty to the weak and the many to the few. It would seem that we are celebrating the great triumph of Am Yisrael over the enemies. Also, how could the finding of some oil, and even its lasting for 7 days, compare to such a great victory that saved Torah for all future generations?

When Yosef was sold to the caravn which took him down to Mitzraim, the Torah tells us that it was carrying good smelling spices. The Midrash tells us that this is specified since it was not the way of Arabs to be carrying anything other than bad smelling things, such as petroleum and resin. But HaKadosh Boruch Hu was with the tzaddik and provided scaks of bsamim instead of the usual bad smell.

R' Chaim Shmuelevitz tz"l asks (Sichot Mussar, Maamar 16), if Yosef was being taken down to Miztraim, the most unholy place in the world; from ben zkunim shel Yaakov, from his home where Yaakov Avinu taught him all that he had learned from Shem v'Ever; what difference would it have made whether the trip down smelled nice or not. Yosef was forced into a dark situation with no hope of freedom by his own brothers; would it have really affected anything if it smelled good?

At that time Yosef could hvae come to despair. It might have seemed to him that Hashem had turned away from him and that he was lost and forgotten. Hashem sent him this bsamim in an unnatural way to show him that this was not true. Rather, He was going down with him to Mitzraim, hand in hand; as Hashem promised Yaakov: אנכי ארד עמך מצרימה ואנכי אעלך גם עלה. It was meant to be a ray of light in the dark.

This nes was not in the spices themsleves, but in the act through which Hashem told Yosef that he is not being abondoned and that he should have hope. It was meant to be mechazek him that these yisurim were coming from Hashem's love for him. It may have seemed insignificant, but it was in truth a "neshika pratit." Through this we can understand why the finding of teh pach shemen was so significant. It was a "neshika pratit" from HaKadosh Boruch Hu! After all, what shows a father's true affection for his son? When he does something extra to show his love. We know the famous maxhloket between R' Akiva and R' Eliezer in Masechet Succah, whether we sit in a succah in remmebrance of the actual succot that Bnei Yisrael sat in or because of the Ananei HaKavod. It it is becasue of the Ananei HaKavod, why would we celebrate that miracle of the midbar in such a way but not do the same for the other great miracles: the mann and the Be'er Miriam? The mann & the be'er were a source of food and water for Bnei Yisrael, necessary for survival. But the ananim were extra. They leveled out the terrain, they protected against snakes and scorpions... They weren't there to insure survival! Rather they were there to provide extra comfort, as a sign of love from Hashem.

The victory of the Maccabim was certainly a great miracle from Hashem, but it was necessary for survival and for Torah. Hashem promised us that we will never be destroyed! But this didn't show that Hashem still had for us. But through the shemen and the lighting of the Menorah, a nes that was not necessary, that was above and beyond, we saw that Hashem still loved us! There was a light shining in the dark times for us to look to. It was because we were zoche to this He'arat Panim that Chazal established the 8 days of Chanuka l'hodot u'lehallel.

8 Days of Chanuka #3

We mark the 1st day of Chanuka in remmebrance of the spiritual battle of the Jews. They were unfortunately very preoccupied with the battle against the Greeks. But nissim were done for them and they did not forsake the Torah or mitzvot.

(Divrei Yoel)

The ikar nes on the 1st day was the finding of the pach shemen. And through finding the pach, the Samech Mem (the satan, ס"מ) surrendered. פ"ך has the same gematria as ס"מ, and through the finding of it, the strength of the satan was detsroyed and he was subdued.

(Bnei Yisaschar)

8 Days of Chanuka #2

The actual finding of the pach shemen among the "sea of tumah," and that it was in a hidden place that was not made unholy by the Greeks as well was a miracle. So the finding of the oil on the 1st day was itslef a separate miracle from the candles lasting 8 days which we commemorate.

(HaEshkol)

The 1st day was established to be commemorated because there was a victory of the Prushim over the Tziddukim & Mit'yavnim on that day. And since the miracle was with the oil, Chazal established to light candles for the 1st day as well.

(Sfarim)

8 Days of Chanuka #1

The Beit Yosef has a famous kashya: We celebrate 8 days of Chanuka in remembranc eof the 8 days the Menorah remained lit. Yet the miracle was only for 7 days; there was enough oil for the 1st day as the Gemara in Shabbos (21b) tells us. So why do we celebrate the 1st day as well? The Sefer Yemei Shmonah brings down 500 teirutzim to this question, so hopefully I'll post a few by the time Chanuka gets here.

The Beit Yosef himslef offers 3 explanations:

1. The people at that time divided up the oil that they had into 8 portions. Every night they put in one portion and they saw that it lasted until the following day. So they saw that every night, even the 1st night, was a miracle.
2. On the 1st night they poured in all the oil but the jug miraculously remained full, so even on the 1st night they recognized the miracle.
3. On the 1st night they poured in all the oil, and saw the following day that the candles remined full of oil. And so it was every night.

(Yemei Shmonah p.19- Mahut HaKushya)