From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Mitzvos Done with Joy Are Not Forgotten
Chazal require a blessing even from one who only sees a Chanukah lamp, though no other mitzvah has such a rule. And why must this lamp stand outside to publicize the miracle, when the Megillah need not be read in the street? What sets Chanukah’s mitzvah apart?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Shabbos 23a
וְרַב יִרְמְיָה אָמַר: הָרוֹאֶה נֵר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ.
And Rav Yirmiyah said: One who sees a Chanukah lamp must say a blessing.
1“One who sees a Chanukah lamp must say a blessing.” Why is the Chanukah lamp the only mitzvah for which Chazal require a blessing even over seeing it?
הָרוֹאֶה נֵר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ (שבת כג, א). יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, מַדּוּעַ דַּוְקָא בְּמִצְוַות נֵר חֲנוּכָּה חִיְּיבוּ חז״ל לְבָרֵךְ גַּם עַל הָרְאִיָּה, מַה שֶׁאֵינוֹ כֵּן בִּשְׁאָר הַמִּצְוֹות.
Sources here
In shortWhy is the Chanukah lamp the only mitzvah that calls for a blessing even from one who merely sees it?
2Let us first explain another point. In Al HaNissim we say that the Greeks sought “to make them forget Your Torah and to make them stray from the chukim of Your will,” the chukim being the decrees without a reason. What does “to make them forget” mean? If it means making the whole Torah forgotten and abolished from Israel, then “to make them stray” adds nothing, since it is the same thing.
וְנַקְדִּים לְבָאֵר עוֹד, מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִים בִּתְפִילָּה ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחוּקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ׳, מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם׳, דְּאִם פֵּירוּשׁוֹ לְהַשְׁכִּיחַ וּלְבַטֵּל כָּל הַתּוֹרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, אִם כֵּן הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳לְהַעֲבִירָם׳ הוּא לְמוֹתָר, דְּהַיְינוּ הַךְ.
Sources here
In shortIf “to make them forget Your Torah” meant abolishing it, what would “to make them stray from the chukim of Your will” add?
3Let us also first cite what Chazal said: “It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp at the entrance of one's house, on the outside.”1 As explains, this is for pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle.2 But why do we find this halachah only with the Chanukah lamp, while on Purim we find no mitzvah to read the Megillah in the street to publicize the miracle?
וְנַקְדִּים עוֹד מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (שבת כא, ב) נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָוה לְהַנִּיחָהּ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ מִבַּחוּץ, וְהוּא מִשּׁוּם פִּירְסוּמֵי נִיסָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רש״י, וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין לָמָּה רַק בְּנֵר חֲנוּכָּה מָצִינוּ הֲלָכָה זֹאת, וְאִילּוּ בְּפוּרִים לֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁמִּצְוָוה לִקְרוֹא אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים בִּכְדֵי לְפַרְסֵם הַנֵּס.
In shortWhy must the Chanukah lamp stand outside to publicize the miracle, when the Megillah need not be read in the street?
4We may explain all this on the basis of a well-known point. What the Greeks mainly wanted was to do away with the vitality and joy Bnei Yisrael feel when they do the mitzvos: that they keep them willingly and with the heart's desire, and not as “a commandment of men, learned by rote,”3 which the prophet cried out against. We also know that when a person does a mitzvah with vitality and joy, it stays fixed in his heart for a long time. Take the mitzvah of Torah study: if a person learns with vitality, joy and willingness, he will certainly not soon forget what he learned. So too with every mitzvah done with vitality: it will not soon leave his heart. Vitality has a special power, for through it the act of the mitzvah leaves an impression on the soul that stays fixed in the heart for a long time. But when, Heaven forbid, a person does a mitzvah without desire and without vitality, he certainly forgets it quickly. And the holy Torah commands us several times to remember the mitzvos, as the verses say, “So that you will remember,” and “Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it,” and more besides.4
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בָּזֶה, עַל פִּי מַה דְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁהַיְּוָונִים רָצוּ בְּעִיקַּר לְבַטֵּל אֶת הַחַיּוּת וְהַשִּׂמְחָה אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְמַן עֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוֹות, שֶׁמְּקַיְּימִים אֶת הַמִּצְוֹות בְּרָצוֹן וּבְחֶשְׁקַת הַלֵּב, וְלֹא כְּמִצְוַות אֲנָשִׁים מְלוּמָּדָה, אֲשֶׁר הַנָּבִיא צוֹוֵחַ כְּנֶגֶד זֶה (ישעיהו כט, יג). וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָוה בְּחַיּוּת וּבְשִׂמְחָה, נִקְבַּעַת הַמִּצְוָוה בְּלֵב הָאָדָם לִזְמַן רַב, כְּגוֹן בְּמִצְוַות לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁבְּאִם לוֹמֵד הָאָדָם בְּחַיּוּת בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְרָצוֹן, וַדַּאי לֹא בִּמְהֵרָה הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ מַה שֶׁלָּמַד, וְכֵן בְּכָל מִצְוָוה שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בְּחַיּוּת לֹא בִּמְהֵרָה יָמוּשׁ מִלִּבּוֹ הַמִּצְוָוה שֶׁעָשָׂה, כִּי בְּכֹחַ סְגוּלַּת הַחַיּוּת נַעֲשֶׂה רוֹשֶׁם בְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָוה, וְנִשְׁאַר קָבוּעַ בְּלִבּוֹ לִזְמַן הַרְבֵּה. אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר ח״ו עוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָוה בְּלִי חֵשֶׁק וּבְלִי חַיּוּת, וַדַּאי בִּמְהֵרָה הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ, וְהַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה צִוְּותָה אוֹתָנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים עַל זְכִירַת הַמִּצְוֹות, כְּדִכְתִיב (במדבר טו, מ) ״לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ״, ״זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ״ (שמות כ, ח), וְעוֹד.
In shortThe Greeks aimed at the joy in our mitzvos, for a mitzvah done with vitality stays in the heart; one done listlessly is soon forgotten.
5This explains “to make them forget Your Torah.” The Greeks wanted the Torah and the mitzvos to be forgotten from our hearts, and they meant to bring this about by making sure that even if we kept them, we would keep them without vitality, as “a commandment of men, learned by rote.” They went about it by planting doubts in the hearts of Israel. Through these doubts they wanted Israel to keep the mitzvos without vitality and desire, and so to cause the Torah to be forgotten.
וּבָזֶה יִתְפָּרֵשׁ ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ׳, שֶׁהַיְּוָונִים רָצוּ לְסַבֵּב שֶׁיִּשָּׁכַח מִלִּבֵּנוּ הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹות, וְזֹאת עַל יְדֵי שֶׁאַף שֶׁנְּקַיֵּים הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹות, נַעֲשֶׂה זֹאת בְּלִי חַיּוּת וּכְמִצְוַות אֲנָשִׁים מְלוּמָּדָה. וְעָשׂוּ זֹאת עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהִכְנִיסוּ סְפֵיקוֹת בְּלֵב יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבָזֶה רָצוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹות שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִי חַיּוּת וְחֵשֶׁק, וּבָזֶה רָצוּ לִגְרוֹם לְשִׁכְחַת הַתּוֹרָה.
In shortBy planting doubts, the Greeks sought to turn our mitzvos into lifeless habit, and so to make the Torah forgotten.
6When Israel was privileged to defeat the Greeks, the sages of that generation wanted to uproot this bad trait from Bnei Yisrael completely. So they established that the mitzvah of Chanukah be publicized as widely as possible, so that it would be done with greater vitality. [Pirsumei nisa means that people tell one another how the miracle happened and give thanks for it.5 This stirs a person to recognize Hashem's great miracles and to do the mitzvah with more love and vitality.] Against the Greeks' plot “to make them forget Your Torah,” the sages set out to make Israel remember the Torah and the mitzvos. They established that Hashem's mitzvos be done with vitality, so that each mitzvah would leave a lasting impression in the heart and the act of the mitzvah would be remembered for a long time.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְנַצֵּחַ אֶת הַיְּוָונִים, רָצוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר לַעֲקוֹר לְגַמְרֵי הַמִּידָּה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָכֵן קָבְעוּ בְּמִצְוַות חֲנוּכָּה לְפַרְסֵם בְּיוֹתֵר אֶת הַמִּצְוָוה בָּרַבִּים, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה תֵּעָשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָוה בְּיוֹתֵר חַיּוּת, [כִּי ׳פִּרְסוּמֵי נִיסָּא׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁמּוֹדִיעִים זֶה לָזֶה אֵיךְ הָיָה הַנֵּס וּמוֹדִים עָלָיו (עיין רש״י מגילה יח, א ד״ה ופרסומי), וּמִמֵּילָא מִתְעוֹרֵר הָאָדָם לְהַכִּיר בְּנִיסָּיו הַגְּדוֹלִים וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוָוה בְּיֶתֶר אַהֲבָה וְחַיּוּת]. דִּלְעוּמַּת מַה שֶׁזָּמְמוּ הַיְּוָונִים ׳לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ׳, בָּאוּ הֵם לְהַזְכִּירָם הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹות, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁקָּבְעוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוַות הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּחַיּוּת, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִיקָּבַע רוֹשֶׁם מֵהַמִּצְוָוה בַּלֵּב, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכְּרוּ מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָוה לִזְמַן הַרְבֵּה.
- See Rashi on Megillah 18a, s.v. Ufirsumei (the sefer has 18b). ↩
In shortAgainst the Greek plot of forgetting, the sages of that generation made Chanukah's mitzvah public, since telling the miracle kindles vitality that makes mitzvos last.
7This is also why one who sees a Chanukah lamp says a blessing. As soon as he sees the mitzvah and is reminded of the miracle, he must bless. For this is the heart of the mitzvah of Chanukah: to work at uprooting the slackness and forgetfulness in Hashem's mitzvos that the Greeks tried to impose on Bnei Yisrael, and to see to it that the mitzvos are done with desire. In this way the mitzvos will be firmly planted in the heart.
וְזֶה גַּם הָעִנְיָן שֶׁהָרוֹאֶה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מְבָרֵךְ, הַיְינוּ שֶׁמִּיָּד שֶׁרוֹאֶה הַמִּצְוָוה וְנִזְכַּר מֵהַנֵּס צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, כִּי זֶה עִיקַּר הַמִּצְוָוה שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה, לַעֲבוֹד לַעֲקוֹר הָרִפְיוֹן וְהַשִּׁכְחָה מִמִּצְוֹות הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, אֲשֶׁר זֶה הַיְּוָונִים רָצוּ לְהַטִּיל עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלִרְאוֹת לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוֹות מִתּוֹךְ חֵשֶׁק, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיוּ הַמִּצְוֹות קְבוּעִים וּתְקוּעִים בַּלֵּב.
In shortSeeing the light calls for a blessing, because Chanukah's heart is to replace slackness and forgetting with eager mitzvos planted in the heart.
8This also answers a question asked in the holy sefarim:6 why did they need a miracle with the cruse of oil? After all, “One who is forced, the Merciful One exempts him”:7 [without pure oil they would have been exempt.] The answer is that this principle means that since the person is forced and cannot do the mitzvah, “the verse credits him as if he had done it.”8 Still, since in practice he does not actually perform the mitzvah, its vitality is necessarily missing. And we have seen that the heart of the Chanukah miracle, Israel's victory over the Greeks, was that the way of doing mitzvos with vitality and desire took root in Israel. This is impossible without actually performing the mitzvah. That is why the Holy One, blessed be He, did the miracle for them: so that they could fulfill the heart of the Chanukah miracle and light the Menorah with vitality and joy. Here the argument “One who is forced, the Merciful One exempts him” does not apply.
וּבָזֶה גַּם יְתוֹרַץ מַה שֶּׁהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (קדושת לוי קדושה חמישית ד״ה יש) לָמָּה הָיוּ צְרִיכִים שֶׁיֵּיעָשֶׂה לָהֶם נֵס בְּפַךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, הֲרֵי אוֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְרֵיהּ (בבא קמא כח, ב). אֶלָּא דְּהִנֵּה עִנְיַן ׳אוֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְרֵיהּ׳ הוּא, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁהוּא אָנוּס וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוָוה, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ (קידושין מ, א). אָמְנָם מִכָּל מָקוֹם כֵּיוָן שֶׁלְּמַעֲשֶׂה אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָוה בְּפוֹעַל, מִמֵּילָא חָסֵר הַחַיּוּת בְּהַמִּצְוָוה. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר, דְּעִיקַּר הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה שֶׁגָּבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַיְּוָונִים, הוּא מַה שֶׁהִשְׁרִישׁוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוֹות בְּחַיּוּת וּבְחֵשֶׁק, וְזֶה הֲרֵי אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּאִם אֵין אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָוה בְּפוֹעַל, לָכֵן עָשָׂה לָהֶם הקב״ה הַנֵּס, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְקַיֵּים עִיקַּר עִנְיַן הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה, וְלַעֲסוֹק בְּמִצְוַות הַהַדְלָקָה מִתּוֹךְ חַיּוּת וְשִׂמְחָה, וְלֹא שַׁיָּיךְ לוֹמַר כָּאן טַעֲנַת אוֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְרֵיהּ.
In shortA mitzvah credited under duress lacks vitality, and Chanukah is about vitality in mitzvos, so Hashem made a miracle that let them really light.
9May Hashem grant that we be privileged to serve Him with joy. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְעָבְדוֹ בְּשִׂמְחָה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we be privileged to serve Hashem with joy.
The Lehavas David asks why one who only sees a Chanukah lamp must bless, what Al HaNissim means by the Greeks’ plan “to make them forget Your Torah,” and why only the Chanukah lamp must stand outside. The Greeks aimed above all at the vitality and joy in Israel’s mitzvos: by planting doubts they would turn them into rote habit, and a mitzvah done without heart is soon forgotten. So the sages of that generation made Chanukah’s mitzvah public, since telling the miracle kindles love and vitality, and a mitzvah done with vitality stays fixed in the heart; even seeing the lamp therefore calls for a blessing. This also answers the Kedushas Levi’s question why a miracle was needed when one who is forced is exempt: a mitzvah credited under duress lacks vitality, so Hashem let them truly light, with joy.
Takeaway
The Greeks did not need to stop us from doing mitzvos; it was enough to make us do them by rote, for a mitzvah done without heart soon fades. Chanukah teaches the opposite: to bring vitality and eagerness into each mitzvah, so that it leaves a lasting mark on the soul. Even the sight of the lamps should stir a blessing, and when a mitzvah grows routine, we can recall the miracles behind it and do it again with love.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.