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Save "Being a Light in Chanukah
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Being a Light in Chanukah
מַאי חֲנוּכָּה? דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּכ״ה בְּכִסְלֵיו יוֹמֵי דַחֲנוּכָּה תְּמָנְיָא אִינּוּן דְּלָא לְמִסְפַּד בְּהוֹן וּדְלָא לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בְּהוֹן. שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ יְווֹנִים לַהֵיכָל טִמְּאוּ כׇּל הַשְּׁמָנִים שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל. וּכְשֶׁגָּבְרָה מַלְכוּת בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי וְנִצְּחוּם, בָּדְקוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ אֶלָּא פַּךְ אֶחָד שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן שֶׁהָיָה מוּנָּח בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ אֶלָּא לְהַדְלִיק יוֹם אֶחָד. נַעֲשָׂה בּוֹ נֵס וְהִדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם יָמִים טוֹבִים בְּהַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה.
The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Taanit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

~ What is the central aspect of chanukah, according to this piece?

~ Look at the name of the tractate. Why do you think Chanukah is inserted here?

~ Note that there is no tractate of Chanukah in the Talmud. But there is a tractate called Megillah - all about Purim.

~ What do you make of that? How similar are Chanukah and Purim? How different?

~ There are 24 different ways of transliterating the name of the holiday.

נר חנוכה מניחו על פתח הסמוך לר"ה מבחוץ אם הבית פתוח לר"ה מניחו על פתחו ואם יש חצר לפני הבית מניחו על פתח החצר ואם היה דר בעליה שאין לו פתח פתוח לר"ה מניחו בחלון הסמוך לר"ה ובשעת הסכנה שאינו רשאי לקיים המצוה מניחו על שלחנו ודיו וצריך נר אחר להשתמש לאורו ואם יש מדורה אין צריך נר אחר ואם הוא אדם חשוב שאין דרכו להשתמש לאור המדורה צריך נר אחר:
One should place the Hanukkah light at the entrance which adjoins the public domain, on the outside. If the house opens to the public domain, he should place it at its entrance. If there is a courtyard in front of the house, he should place it at the entrance of the courtyard. If he lives in the upper floor, having no entrance leading to the public domain, he should place it at a window that adjoins the public domain. In a time of danger, when one is not allowed to perform mitzvot, it is enough that he place it on his table. He needs another light to use for its illumination. And if there is a bonfire, he needs no other light. But if he is a dignified person, whose way is not to use the illumination of a bonfire, he needs another light.

~ What are the best place to set your chanukiah, and why?

~ What are the conditions that make that change?

A light onto the nations
(ו) אֲנִ֧י ה' קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃

(6) I, Ad-nai, in My justice, have called to you, and I have grasped you by the hand; I created you, and appointed you a covenant people, a light into nations.

(ו) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָקֵ֨ל מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥ לִי֙ עֶ֔בֶד לְהָקִים֙ אֶת־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב (ונצירי) [וּנְצוּרֵ֥י] יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהָשִׁ֑יב וּנְתַתִּ֙יךָ֙ לְא֣וֹר גּוֹיִ֔ם לִהְי֥וֹת יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}
(6) For He has said:
“It is too little that you should be My servant
In that I raise up the tribes of Jacob
And restore the survivors of Israel:
I will also make you a light of nations,
That My salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”
(ד) הַקְשִׁ֤יבוּ אֵלַי֙ עַמִּ֔י וּלְאוּמִּ֖י אֵלַ֣י הַאֲזִ֑ינוּ כִּ֤י תוֹרָה֙ מֵאִתִּ֣י תֵצֵ֔א וּמִ֨שְׁפָּטִ֔י לְא֥וֹר עַמִּ֖ים אַרְגִּֽיעַ׃

(4) Hearken to Me, My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation, for Torah shall go forth from Me, my way for the light of peoples, in a moment.

(ג) וְהָלְכ֥וּ גוֹיִ֖ם לְאוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּמְלָכִ֖ים לְנֹ֥גַהּ זַרְחֵֽךְ׃

(3) And nations shall walk by your light, And kings by your shining radiance.

~ The famous idea of being a light to the nations is found four different times in Isaiah. How do they differ from each other?

~ What does to be "a light into the nations" mean, in your opinion?

~ How does bringing light out into the public sphere in Chanukah connect with this idea?

~ Why are some oils and fats not acceptable to light Shabbat candles? Why would the be accepted to light Chanukah candles?

~ What are the differences between Shabbat and Chanukah?

Background on Hasidic thought regarding Hanukkah
שמעתי בשם רבינו הריב"ש זצוק"ל בענין מה שדרשו רבותינו ז"ל שהקב"ה גנז האור הזה (בראשית רבתי פ"ג ופי"א), והאיך גנזו, אחר שהוא אור גדול שהיה מלא כל העולם ואדם צופה בו מסוף העולם ועד סופו, ואמר הוא ז"ל שגנזו בתורה, שהתורה הוא גדול יותר מאוד כמה אלפים פעמים מן העולם (עירובין דכ"א ע"א), ומי שלומד תורה לשמה זוכה לאור הגנוז הלז ודפח"ח:
(חינוך בית יהודא פרק ה'.)

I heard in the name of our Rabbi, the Rebbe Yisrael Baal Shem Tov (may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing) regarding the teaching of our Sages of blessed memory, that the Holy Blessed One concealed the light (Bereshit Rabbah ch.3 and ch.11) - how could God hide it, if it is such a great light that it filled the entire universe, and a person could see with it from one end of the world to the other?! And he taught (may his memory be a blessing) that God hid it in the Torah. For the Torah is so much greater - thousands of times more vast - than the universe (Eruvin 21a), and one who studies Torah for its own sake is granted access to this hidden light.

כסל"ו. עיין להלן במאמרים הבאים הגם של או"ר המנור"ה אשר בחדש הזה הי' מבחי' אור הגנו"ז שנגנז בתורה ועיין שם מ"ש בשם הרוקח שע"כ ניתקנו ל"ו נרות כנגד ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורו"ת שנזכרו בתורה הוא רמיזת אור הגנוז ששימש ל"ו שעות לאדה"ר ואח"כ נגנז ונתכסה בתורה ולדעתי ע"כ שם החדש (שהאיר בו הארה מן האור הגנוז ומכסה בתורה נקרא כסל"ו כ"ס ל"ו כיסו"ו ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורות נתגלה הארה בחדש הזה ומצורף לאור הזה טב"ת. או"ר כי טו"ב:
The miracle of the light of the Menorah during this month is derived from the hidden light that was concealed within the Torah. And see what is written [further on] in the name of the Rokeach (Rokeach HaGadol 225) that for this reason they instituted [a total of] thirty-six candles, to parallel the thirty-six times that “light” “candle” and “luminaries” are mentioned in the Torah, which hints to the hidden light that shined for Adam HaRishon for thirty-six hours but was then hidden away and concealed within the Torah. And in my opinion, this is the reason that the name of this month (in which there is an illumination from the light hidden and concealed within the Torah) is “Kislev” - ki”s le”v - a covering [kisui] for the thirty-six [l”v] appearances of “light”, “candle” and “luminaries” of which an illumination is revealed during this month. And attached to this light is Tevet, “the light was good.”

~ Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz (1801 – 1866 CE) aka the Tiferet Shlomo studied with Rabbi Meir of Apta and several other chassidic figures. He eventually established his own hassidic court in Radamsk, in the context of which he was able to use his great talents, both as a communal leader and as a hassidic rebbe.

לעושה אורים גדולים כי לעולם חסדו. הנ"ל עפ"י דברי הזוהר הקדוש פ' תרומה דף קל"ו ע"ב ר' המנונא סבא כד הוה סליק מנהרא במעלי שבתא הוה יתיב רגעא חדא וזקיף עינוהי והוה חדי והוה אמר דהוה יתיב למחמי חדוה דמלאכי עלאה אילין סלקין ואילין נחתין ובכל מעלי שבתא יתיב בר נש בעולם הנשמות. לפי הידוע כי בכל עש"ק הנשמות יש להם עלי' למעלה ועי"ז יורדים נשמות יתירות בשבת לעולם הזה. ובזה בארנו בגמ' מ"ש ר' זירא אמר ר' מתנא אמר רב שמנים ופתילות שאמרו חכמים אין מדליקין בהם בשבת מדליקין בהם בחנוכה בין בחול בין בשבת לרמז בזה על הנשמות הנדחים כמבואר במ"א שמנים רמז לנשמה ופתילות רומז לגוף. השמנים ופתילות שאין מדליקין בהם בשבת שלא הי' להם עלי' בשבת כידוע שיש כמה פגמים שהאדם ח"ו פוגם אשר עי"ז נדחה כמה וכמה זמנים מלעלות למקום שרשו. על כל זאת גדול כח שבת וחנוכה להיות עלי' גם לנשמות הנדחים לחוץ. וזה הפי' לעושה אורים גדולים הם האורות הנ"ל שבת וחנוכה. השבת נקרא אור כמ"ש מנוחה ושמחה אור ליהודים. ובחנוכה נתעורר אור הגנוז מזי"ב לכן שניהם יחד נקראים אורים גדולים. כי לעולם חסדו. זה חסד עליון לכל העולם לבל ידח ממנו נדח ולהעלותם למקור מחצבם. ...

(7) "To the One who makes great lights, God's love endures forever" (Ps. 136:4) [We can understand] the verse according to what is written in the Zohar (Zohar 2:136b) "R. Hamnuna the Elder, when the morning star would come out throughout Shabbat, he would sit for a moment and raise his eyes, and was happy, and would say that he was sitting under the sight of the joy of the superior angels. They go out and they rest, and throughout Shabbat a person sits in the world of souls". According to what is known, every Erev Shabbat Kodesh the souls have an ascent, and through this the extra souls come down, on Shabbat, to this world. And through this we explained what is written in the Gemarah in the name of Rabbi Zeira, that Rabbi Matana said, that Rav said: the fats and the wicks that our sages talked about, which we to not light the candles of Shabbat, we do light with them the candles of Chanukah, whether on Shabbat [of Chanukah] whether the rest of the week." And this is a hint regarding the souls that are distant, as it is explained in other places the fats are symbolic of the soul, the wicks are symbolic of the body. The fats and wicks which are not kindled for Shabbat are due to the fact that there are some defects on humans, God forbid, defects that make them distant, every so often, [preventing them] from ascending the place of their soul-root. And this is the strength of the Shabbat of Chanukah that are an ascent even for souls that are distant, and [feel] outside. And this is the explanation of "Maker of great lights [for God's love endures forever] (Ps. 136:7)" - those are the lights of Shabbat and Chanukah. Shabbat is called light as we say "a rest and a gladness, light for the Jews" (zemirah of Shabbat). And on Chanukah the Hidden Light of the seven days of Creation is aroused and this is why, together, they are called "great lights." "Because God's love endures forever" (Ps. 136) - this is the Higher Love to all the world, without any dismissal of any sort, and to rise them to the source of their quarrying [creation]. ...

~ What is the consequence, according to the Tiferet Shlomo, of being able to light Chanukah lights even for Shabbat Chanukah, with things you cannot light Shabbat candles with? Does it surprise you?

~ How does the Tif'eret Shlomo show to you that Shabbat Chanukah is, indeed a special Shabbat?

~ The Or HaGanuz, the Hidden Light, is an interesting concept in kabbalah and hasidut. How does the Tiferet Shlomo see the connection between Chanukah and the Or HaGanuz?

יון החשיכה עיניהם של ישראל. ע"י שלא הניחו לעשות המצות שהם נרות. מצות ה' כו' מאירת עינים. וע"י ביטול המצות החשיכו עיניהם. וגם הביאו חושך לכל העולם כי המצות מאירין לעולם כמ"ש ונר מצוה. ואחר שנצחום הוסיפו עוד נר חנוכה מצוה דרבנן שהוא נר המאיר תוך החושך הגדול ביותר כדאיתא במד' דברי חכמים כדרבונות כו' מכוונים הפרה לתלמי'. אפילו למי שנמשל לבהמות נדמו. עכ"ז ע"י מצות דרבנן יוכל לבוא לקיים גם מצות דאורייתא. וזה נר חנוכה שמתחנך האדם להתקרב גם למצות התורה ממש. לכן הוא בפתח בחוץ. התקן עצמך בפרוזדור שתכנס לטרקלין:

Greece, the one that darkened the eyes of Israel (Bereshit Rabbah 2:4) - through the fact that they did not allow the doing of mitzvot, which are "lights". "The mitzvot of Ad-nai etc lightening up the eyes" (Ps. 19:19). And through the cancelling of mitzvot they darkened their eyes, and also brought darkness to all the world, since mitzvot bring light to all the world, as it is written "the mitzvah is a light" (Prov. 6:23). And after they vanquished them, they added another mitzvah, of Rabbinical force (derabanan) that is the light that illuminates through the greatest darkness, as the midrash brings "The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened are the words of the men of the assemblies which are given by one shepherd (Eccl. 12:2). Just as the goad directs the cow [which ploughs] straight in the furrows, so as to produce sustenance for the world, so also do the words of the Torah guide those who study them [away] from the ways of death to the ways of life" (Ein Yaakov, Khagigah 1:4). Even to those who are comparable to animals, this applies, since through mitzvot derabanan people come to observe mitzvot of the Torah. And this is the lights of Chanukah, that enables a person to self-educate and to come closer to the mitzvot of the Torah. And that is why they are set at the opening, on the outside: "fix yourself in the hall, so you can enter the banqueting-room" (Pirkei Avot 4:16).

~ What is the expectation regarding the mitzvot made by the rabbis? What are other mitzvot that you know were established by the rabbis?

~ Are those "gateway mitzvahs", in your opinion? How so?

~ How were the Greeks darkening the eyes of the Jews? How do you engage with that idea?

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