בס"ד David Jay Derovan Ramat Beit Shemesh Kislev 5769 Divray Torah for Chanukah from the Netivot Shalom The following Divray Torah are from Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, by HaRav Shalom No ach Berzovsky, the Rebbe of Slonim, "ל,זצ Jerusalem, 2001. The booklet of essays was published posthumously, one year after the Rebbe passed away. Those passages that are translations are set off by quotation marks and the page reference in the booklet. ãåãì úéáä úëåðç øéù øåîæî מזמור 30, throughout all of Chanukah is Tehilim שיר של יום In Eretz Yisra el, the The obvious question is why our sages chose this chapter of.שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד Tehilim to recite. The Slonim Rebbe connects this question to the comment by the Maharsha (Shabbat 21b) that Chanukah is called by that name because of the consecration of the altar המזבח) (חנוכת in the Temple. The spiritual forces generated by the consecration of the altar המזבח) (חנוכת in the Temple ripple throughout every generation. They are connected with Chanukah because they provide us with the strength to reeducate and renew ourselves, especially after experiencing hard times. And that is exactly what the Maccabees did in driving the Seleucid Greeks out of Israel and rekindling the Menorah in the Temple. The miracle of the lighting of the Menorah set into motion a process of renewal of continuous increase, והולך,מוסיף as described by Beit Hillel that spread to the entire Temple and then to the entire people. This process is invoked and reappears every Chanukah. Thus, Chanukah is a time for every Jew to renew the spiritual strength of his household. Just as the light of the consecration of the altar is eternally lit, so, too, the light of the Menorah kindled by the Chashmona im shines brightly every year on Chanukah. Indeed, remarks the Slonim Rebbe, it says that God renew the Creation every day. Why must He do that? The Rebbe answers that this gives the Jew the strength and ability to renew himself every day. What has happened to me up to now happened. Today, I am newly created! (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 35) ãåãì úéáä úëåðç øéù øåîæî - Redux The Slonim Rebbe quotes the Saba MiSlonim, the Beit Avraham, who says that the first letters of the first three words of Tehilim 30, שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד,מזמור hint at the three Mitzvot that the Greeks tried to prevent the Jews from doing: מ'זמור מ = מילה ש'יר ש = שבת ח'נוכת ח = חודש The Greeks were intent on breaking the spiritual backs of the Jewish people. Unlike Purim, where the threat was physical, on Chanukah, the threat was spiritual. So, the Greeks chose three Mitzvot that are tied to the very foundation of Jewish belief. Each one of these Mitzvot is a key element in creating the connection between God and His people, Israel.
Circumcision ברית מילה is a sign of the covenant between God and the Jews. (See Berayshit 17:10) Shabbat is also a sign of the covenant. (See Shemot 31:17). The celebration of the New Moon and the first day of the month, Rosh Chodesh, is a symbol of our faith in God, that no matter how difficult the situation, God is with us. The waxing and waning of the moon represents the natural cycle that the Jewish people experience in their long march throughout history. Even when times are tough and it looks like we might fade away, we rise once again. Add one more word into the equation and the message changes. To the מ, ש, ח of.הבית word, the first three words of Tehilim 30 we must add the first letter of the next All together, these letters spell,שמחה joy. The joy that comes from the feeling that God is close by, the joy associated with the firm, clear belief that God is always with us is the foundation of our resistance to all the Greek threats to our spiritual well-being. Indeed, Tehilim 30 ends with exactly this sentiment: (יב) ה פ כ תּ מ ס פּ ד י ל מ חו ל ל י פּ תּ ח תּ שׂ קּ י ו תּ א זּ ר נ י שׂ מ ח ה: (12) For me, You turned my mourning into dancing; You opened my sackcloth, and girded me with happiness; (יג) ל מ ע ן י ז מּ ר כ בו ד ו א י דּ ם ה א ק י ל עו ל ם או ד ךּ : (13) Therefore, glory will sing praise to You, and not be silent; God my Lord, I will give thanks to You forever. Chanukah: The Celebration of Faith Chanukah commemorates the triumph of our faith in God over the attempts by the Greeks to destroy our faith. The Rebbe writes, The very existence of the Jew is based on faith.אמונה (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 40) Every Jew has a spark in his soul from the light of God above that illuminates his way during difficult times. And when it seems that to him that he is lost and that there is no way out, the spark flares and lights his way. This is the strength of the faith that is deeply rooted within the Jew. It comes from the forefathers, especially from Avraham Avinu, the first of the true believers. This is the little jug of oil that is revealed in time to save the Jew in times of despair and to light up his life in desperate times. Indeed, this is what the Rebbe of Lechovitz said: Even when a Jew does not feel his faith at all, heaven forbid, he must belief that in the deepest reaches of his soul he does believe, just that the clouds cover the light that shines from his belief. This is the promise of But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them, thereby breaking My covenant ו אַף גּ ם ז את בּ ה יו ת ם בּ א ר ץ א י ב יה ם א מ אַס תּ ים ו א - Lord with them, for I am the God their (VaYikra.(26:44 God has planted in the ג ע ל תּ ים ל כ ת ם ל ה פ ר בּ ר ית י א תּ ם כּ י א נ י ה' א קיה ם Jew the little jug of oil of faith that is always there for him, saving him in the land of his enemies. (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 41) Chanukah Celebrates the Tikkun of Hod - ãåä There are two holidays that are built around the number eight. The first is Shemini Atzeret, עצרת.שמיני The second is Chanukah. In the Peri Etz Cha yim of Rav Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari, we read that when the angel dislocated Ya akov Avinu s --- 2 ---
thigh, he damaged the Sefirah of Hod.הוד And the repair work was accomplished by.הוד Hod Matityahu and his sons. Thus, Chanukah celebrates the Tikkun of On the basis of this, the Rebbe of Slonim asks an unusual question. Hod הוד is the eighth of the Sefirot, counting down from the first Keter. This represents the very lowest, distressed level of spirit that existed during the Greek occupation of Eretz בני insight we sing, Men of,(מעוז צור) Yisra el. However, at the end of Ma oz Tzur established eight days for song and jubilation. Matityahu and his sons are בינה described as men of insight and understanding - בינה.בני Binah,,בינה is the eighth.מלכות Malchut, Sefirah when you count from the bottom up, from So, what exactly are the spiritual currents and processes set into motion on Chanukah? asks the Slonim Rebbe. In defeating the Greeks and initiating the miracle of the lights in the Temple, the Chashmona im did indeed rise from the depths to the eighth level above, the level of Binah,.בינה The number eight symbolizes the ascent beyond the natural, physical world and with the miracles of Chanukah, the Jews indeed experienced supernatural, divine intervention in their lives. However, the ascent to the level of Binah,,בינה resulted in a concomitant descent of the Shechinah into the lowest darkest levels of the Jews experience. On Chanukah, we place the Menorah below ten handbreadths to indicate that the light of the Chanukah candles spreads the light of the Shechinah into every dark dank hidden, dark corner of our souls and of our lives. The light of the Chanukah candles brings God s glory, His Hod הוד into our darkest moments, dispelling our fears, despair and distress while lighting up our lives with His goodness. Every holiday and festival on the Jewish calendar has its own uniqueness. For instance, the difference between Shabbat and the Festivals is that on Shabbat, God welcomes us into His abode. We rise above our mundane existence to enter His palace. During the Festivals, the King comes to visit us where we live. God enters our homes and rejoices with us. However, there is a third situation: Chanukah. Instead of visiting in the King s palace or welcoming Him into our home, He searches for us, only to find that we have fallen into a grimy, filthy cesspool. The King does not wait for help to arrive. He, himself, in all of his finery descends into the cesspool, grabs hold of his sons and daughters and lifts them out. This is the light of Chanukah that shines brightly even below ten handbreadths. (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 46) We light the Chanukah candles after it gets dark. When a Jew finds himself in the darkest of moments and still serves God, then this is the equivalent of seeing God face to face, For so said the High and Exalted One, Who dwells to eternity, and His name is Holy, "With the lofty and the holy ones I dwell, and with the crushed and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the crushed (Yisha yahu 57:15). Keter Is Malchut (The following Dvar Torah is a translation from Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 54) In the holy books we read that the Mitzvah of the Chanukah lights is the last of the seven Rabbinic Mitzvot. The 613 Mitzvot of the Torah together with the seven Rabbinic Mitzvot are 620 Mitzvot ( "כ.(תר Rearrange the letters - תר "כ and you get Keter,,כתר crown. Thus, the Mitzvah of the Chanukah lights completes the King s crown. [What is the meaning of this Gematria?] The explanation is found in the Petach Eliyahu in the Tikkunay Zohar: Keter Elyon is Keter Malchut (literally, the highest crown is the crown of sovereignty), about which is said, Speak of the end from the beginning (Yesha yahu 46:10). --- 3 ---
The beginning of the crown Keter is the first Mitzvah that was given at Sinai during the giving of the Torah when the entire people of Israel were at the highest level, when all seven heavens were opened and all saw that there is none else other than Him (Devarim 4:35), when they ascended to the level of the angels as it says, I said, "You are angelic creatures, and all of you are children of the Most High (Tehilim 82:6). The end of Keter the completion of the crown is the last Mitzvah, the Mitzvah of the Chanukah lights, which was established when the Jews were in the worst of circumstances, to the point that they imagined that the future was lost. All of this is hinted at in the Kedushah of Musaf (in Nusach Sefard): כּ ת ר י תּ נוּ ל ה' א ק ינוּ מ ל אָכ ים ה מו נ י מ ע ל ה ע ם ע מּ י שׂ ר א ל ק בוּצ י מ טּ ה You will be given a crown, God our Lord, by the multitudes of angels above along with the groups of Your people Israel below Initially, there are multitudes of angels above, which is the beginning of the Keter, when the Jews on the level of angels. Then there are groups of Your people Israel below, as Reb Shmu el of Slonim once cried out, Down, down, down! Even those who are on the very lowest level, lower than 10 handbreadths, they, too, rise to the level of the King s Keter. This is the meaning of Chanukah, when the Keter Elyon is finally complete. Our Fate Is Finally Sealed on Chanukah Our Rabbis teach us that the final sealing of the judgment that begins on Rosh HaShanah actually occurs on Chanukah. The Maggid of Koznitz explained the verse, כּ י ח ק ל י שׂ ר א ל הוּא Ya akov For it is a statute for Israel, the judgment of the Lord of (Tehilim 81:5), as referring to the attempts by the evil inclination to מ שׁ פּ ט ל א קי י ע ק ב drive a wedge between the people of Israel and God. Thus, God proclaims that it is a statute carved in stone that, by law, God is the God of the sons of Ya akov. On Chanukah, when God s crown is finally complete (see previous Dvar Torah), גמר and he wishes us a א קי י ע ק ב - Ya akov God is once again revealed as the God of.חתימה טובה HaRav Avraham of Slonim, the author of Beit Avraham, comments: From the מ ן ה מּ צ ר ק ר את י יּ-הּ ע נ נ י expanse straits I called God; God answered me with a vast (Tehilim 118:5). The straits are the High Holy Days of judgment, but the ב מּ ר ח ב י -הּ vast expanse,,במרחב is Chanukah. The Gematria of במרחב is,בנר literally, with a candle, hinting at Chanukah. Thus, even when we are lower than 10 handbreadths in dire straits, we are still thought of by God as who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land!?! Publicizing the Miracle àñéð éîåñøô The Slonim Rebbe asks how in times of trouble when the Jew lights the Chanukah candles inside his home where they cannot be seen from the outside that he still fulfills his obligation to publicize the miracle. The answer is that the miracle of Chanukah (and that of Purim, as well) is meant to reach into the heart of every Jew, in his home and fill it with the light of God. The light of the Chanukah candles instills in everyone clarity of faith and the.(בהירות האמונה) understanding that there can actually be clarity of faith --- 4 ---
The Rebbe quotes the first Slonim Rebbe, HaRav Avraham, who quotes Reb Leib of Dukar, who delineates three levels of faith,.אמונה First, there is faith that resides in the brain, so to speak. This is intellectual faith, the faith based on reason, on careful thought. The second level is a much deeper level of faith. This is the faith that resides in the heart. On this level, faith is deep-seated. Here, points out the Rebbe of Lechovitz, speech helps us gain clarity in our faith. By speaking the right words we root our faith deep into our hearts. And then there is the faith that is expressed in the very movement of the body. This is the highest level of faith. On this level, our complete faith in God permeates into our organs, our muscles and our bones. And as our body moves to perform a mitzvah to light the Chanukah candles it gives expression to our clarity of faith in God. A Beloved Mitzvah Rambam writes (Laws of Chanukah, chapter 4) that the Mitzvah of the Chanukah candles is most beloved. This does not point to the value of the Mitzvah and its significance versus other Mitzvot, implying that this one is greater than that one. Rather, he (Rambam) comes to teach us about the essence of the Mitzvah, that it is a Mitzvah of being beloved, when God reveals His love for Israel whose lives are soulful, who live by His light and for whom the physical is less important. (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 65) The Mitzvah Is a Candle for Each person and His Home Chanukah is the time for renewal. This refers to the renewal of home and family as well as that of the individual. This hinted at by the Chanukah candle. A candle is a combination of the oil, the wick and the flame. So, too, the home is built on the strength of the husband and the wife, the oil and the wick, and the light above them, namely the Shechinah who dwells among them. (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 69) The renewal and repair required in one house is not necessarily required in a different house. This is hinted at by the Gemara s statement that the enhanced performance (מהדרין) of the Mitzvah is a candle for each family member. Each person must renew himself and his family in the way that they require. In this way, the light of the Chanukah candles brings the Shechinah into every nook and cranny of one s home. The Purpose The purpose of Chanukah is God, may they walk in the light of Your countenance (Tehilim 89:16). (Netivot Shalom, Ma amaray Chanukah, p. 73) --- 5 ---