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Miracles & Lights

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Miracles & Lights ב " ה Miracles & Lights A Chanukah Class on the nature of miracles through the lens of Kabbalah Overview Part I Will the real miracle of Chanukah please stand up? A look at the parts of the story our Sages chose to commemo- rate turns up some glaring omissions. Part II Uncovering the motives. Strange choices on the part of the Chanukah heroes lead us to conclude that a more insidious plot was involved here. Part III A fiery war. Analyzing the facts sheds a new light on the true plot, but leaves us to wonder at the Divine intervention. Part IV Beyond miraculous. Life is a miracle, but sometimes it’s not enough. It takes a special kind of miracle to impart the message of Chanukah—both then and in our lives today. VeAl HaNisim Prayer recited on Chanukah וְעַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל הַגְּבוּרוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּמַן הַזֶּה: בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי וּבָנָיו. כְּשֶׁעָמְדָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְשָׁעָה עַל עַמְּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶ: וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶי הָרַבִּים עָמַדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם. רַבְתָּ אֶת רִיבָם. דַנְתָּ אֶת דִּינָם. נָקַמְתָּ אֶת נִקְמָתָם. מָסַרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים. וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים. וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים. וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים. וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְקֵי תוֹרָתֶ. וּלְ עָשִׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶ. וּלְעַמְּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: וְאַחַר כַּךְ בָּאוּ בָנֶי לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶ. וּפִנּוּ אֶת הֵיכָלֶ. וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשֶׁ. וְהִדְלִיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁ. וְקָבְעוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה אֵלּוּ. לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְ הַגָּדוֹל. nd [we thank you] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, Afor the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time: In the days of Matityahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons, when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will. But You, in Your abounding mercies, stood by them in the time of their distress. You waged their battles, defended their rights and avenged the wrong done to them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people to this very day. Then Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy court- yards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name. Text The Story of Chanukah, version 1 מאי חנוכה? ...שכשנכנסו יוונים להיכל טמאו כל השמנים שבהיכל וכשגברה מלכות #1 בית חשמונאי ונצחום בדקו ולא מצאו אלא פך אחד של שמן שהיה מונח בחותמו של כהן גדול ולא היה בו אלא להדליק יום אחד נעשה בו נס והדליקו ממנו שמונה ימים לשנה אחרת קבעום ועשאום ימים טובים בהלל והודאה hat is Chanukah? “Mai Chanukah?” W[The Talmud answers:] When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the holy oils used for the menorah in the temple. And when the Hasmonean house prevailed and vanquished them, they searched and found only one remaining jug of oil with the High Priest’s seal. Although it contained only enough oil to burn for one day, a miracle occurred, and the oil burned for eight days. A year later [the Rabbis] designated these days as Yamim Tovim (holidays) on which praise and thanksgiving are to be said. Talmud, tractate Shabbat 21b Text The Story of Chanukah, version בבית שני כשמלכו יון גזרו גזרות על ישראל ובטלו דתם ולא הניחו אותם לעסוק #2 בתורה ובמצות ופשטו ידם בממונם ובבנותיהם ונכנסו להיכל ופרצו בו פרצות וטמאו הטהרות וצר להם לישראל מאד מפניהם ולחצום לחץ גדול עד שריחם עליהם אלהי אבותינו והושיעם מידם והצילם וגברו בני חשמונאי הכהנים הגדולים והרגום והושיעו ישראל מידם והעמידו מלך מן הכהנים וחזרה מלכות לישראל יתר על מאתים שנה עד החורבן השני: וכשגברו ישראל על אויביהם ואבדום בחמשה ועשרים בחדש כסלו היה ונכנסו להיכל ולא מצאו שמן טהור במקדש אלא פך אחד ולא היה בו להדליק אלא יום אחד בלבד והדליקו ממנו נרות המערכה שמונה ימים עד שכתשו זיתים והוציאו שמן טהור: ומפני זה התקינו חכמים שבאותו הדור שיהיו שמונת הימים האלו שתחלתן מליל חמשה ועשרים בכסלו ימי שמחה והלל ומדליקין בהן הנרות בערב n the days of the Second Temple, when the Greek government was in Icharge, they issued decrees against Israel. They tried to end their religious practice and did not allow them to study Torah or practice the mitzvot. They MIRACLES & LIGHTS | STUDENT BOOK < 3 stretched out their hand to take their wealth and their daughters. They entered the Sanctuary, destroyed its order and defiled what was pure. They so greatly harassed and oppressed Israel that the G‑d of their fathers had pity and saved them from their hands. The Hasmonean high priests overpowered them, slew them, and saved Israel from their hand. They established one of the priests as king. For more than 200 years, until the second destruction, Israel was once again a self‑governing kingdom. Maimonides, Laws of Chanukah 3:1–3 Text A Day of Praise or Celebration? וקראום חנוכה חנו בכ”ה והיה אומר הר”מ מרוטנבורק ז”ל שרבוי הסעודה שמרבים #3 בהם הן סעודת הרשות שלא קבעו אלא להלל ולהודות ולא משתה ושמחה iting Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg: CThe feasting that we increase in during Chanukah is optional, since the Sages established as the legal requirement in these days only praise and thanks- giving, not feasting and celebration. Tur, Orach Chaim 670 Text What’s the Question? מאי חנוכה - על איזה נס קבעוה: #4 What is Chanuka?” [The import of this question is:] For which miracle did “they establish it? Rashi, commentary on tractate Shabbat 21b 4 < JLI TORAH STUDIES | CHANUKAH Text To Deny G-d [וחושך זה] גלות יון שהחשיכה עיניהם של ישראל בגזירותיהן שהיתה אומרת להם #5 כתבו על קרן השור שאין לכם חלק באלהי ישראל uring the Greek exile, the eyes of the Jews were darkened from their Ddecrees. They would tell them, “Write on the horn of an ox that you have no portion in the G‑d of Israel.” Bereshit Rabah 2:4 Text Essence of a War שהיוונים לא הי’ איכפת להם (כ”כ) שישראל ילמדו תורה, אלא שרצו שלימוד התורה #6 יהי’ רק מצד השכל שבתורה, וכל עיקר מלחמתם הי’ שביקשו להשכיחם תורתך, להשכיח מישראל שהתורה היא תורת השם, וכן במצוות, שמלחמתם היתה נגד האלקות שבמצוות, מה שהמצוות הן רצונו ית’, היינו, שלא הי’ איכפת להם (כ”כ) שישראל יקיימו מצוות שכליות, ועיקר המלחמה הי’ להעבירם מקיום החוקים, שקיומם הוא רק להיותם רצונו ית’ (חוקי רצונך). he Greeks were not really bothered by the fact that the Jews learned Torah. TTheir desire was that the Jews’ Torah study should be only from the per- spective of its intellectual content. The essence of their war was that they sought to “make them forget Your Torah;” that is, that Jews should forget the idea that the Torah is G‑d’s teaching. The same is with the mitzvot: their war was against the divine nature of mitzvot, their representing the will of G‑d. They didn’t mind so much that the Jews should fulfill intelligiblemitzvot . The essence of their war was to get the Jews not to fulfill the chukim, for the only reason for their fulfill- ment is that they are G‑d’s will [Chukei Retzonecha]. Mai Chanukah BeMishnat HaRabi, page 6 Based on the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe MIRACLES & LIGHTS | STUDENT BOOK < 5 Text Text #7 Oil as Wisdom וישלח יואב תקועה ויקח משם אשה חכמה מאי שנא תקועה אמר רבי יוחנן מתוך #7 שרגילין בשמן זית חכמה מצויה בהן nd Job sent [a messenger] to Tekoah to take from there a wise woman. AWhy from Tekoah? Rabbi Yochanan said: “They had plenty of olive oil, and therefore many wise people amongst them.” Talmud, tractate Menachot 85b Text Text #8 Oil is the Light of Wisdom וז”ש כשמן הטוב על הרא שיורד על הזקן ופי’ שמן הוא אור החכמה וז”ש רז”ל כל #8 הרגיל בשמן זוכה לחכמה והמוחין כולם מכונים לחכמ’ ונקראים על שמה וזש”ה כשמן הטוב his is what the verse states (Psalms, 133:2): “It is like good oil upon the head Tthat comes down over the beard.” The “oil” [in the verse] refers to the light of chochmah (wisdom). Likutei Torah of the Arizal, parshat Toldot Text Text #9 The Message of the Menorah וכי לאורה הוא צריך? …אלא עדות היא לבאי עולם שהשכינה שורה בישראל #9 an we say that [the menorah in the Temple] was needed for light? C[Obviously not!] …Rather, it is testimony to the world that the Shechina (Divine Presence) rests amongst the Jewish people. Talmud, tractate Shabbat 22b 6 < JLI TORAH STUDIES | CHANUKAH Text Text #10 The Oil’s Message #10 he miracle of the oil is the victory of the Jews over the Greeks. Although Tthe Greeks did have the ability to defile the temple, with this miracle G‑d showed that the holiness of the Jewish service is what He truly desires. Maharal (cited in Likutei Sichot 25 P. 238) Text Text #11 The Miracle of Nature #11 his (creation ex nihilo) is even more wondrous than, for example, the split- Tting of the Red Sea. For then, G‑d drove back the sea by a strong east wind all the night, and the waters were split and not merely ceased their flow, but stood upright like a wall.
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