From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
In Another Year: A Miracle Set for All Generations
The Gemara says the days of Chanukah were made a festival only “in another year.” Why wait a year, and why “another” rather than “the next”? Why does Al HaNissim never mention the cruse of oil, and why was this lamp miracle, of all such miracles, set for every generation?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Shabbos 21b
מַאי חֲנוּכָּה? דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּכ״ה בְּכִסְלֵיו יוֹמֵי דַחֲנוּכָּה תְּמָנְיָא אִינּוּן דְּלָא לְמִסְפַּד בְּהוֹן וּדְלָא לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בְּהוֹן. שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ יְוָונִים לַהֵיכָל טִמְּאוּ כָּל 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.
What is Chanukah? The Rabbis taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev begin the days of Chanukah, which are eight, on which one may not eulogize and may not fast. For when the Greeks entered the Heichal of the Beis HaMikdash, they defiled all the oils in the Heichal. And when the kingdom of the house of the Chashmona'im grew strong and defeated them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that lay with the seal of the Kohen Gadol, and it held enough to light for only one day. A miracle was done with it, and they lit from it for eight days. In another year they established them and made them festive days, with Hallel and thanksgiving.
1“What is Chanukah? The Rabbis taught … In another year they established them and made them festive days, with Hallel and thanksgiving.”
מַאי חֲנוּכָּה, דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן וְכוּ׳, לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם יָמִים טוֹבִים בְּהַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה (שבת כא, ב).
Sources here
In shortThe Gemara's account of Chanukah ends: only “in another year” were the days established as festive days, with Hallel and thanksgiving.
2Why were the days of Chanukah established as a festival only in another year, and not at once, that same year? Notice, too, the wording “another year,” and not “the next year.” And the words “they established them and made them” seem to say the same thing twice.
וְקָשֶׁה, לָמָּה רַק לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת קָבְעוּ אֶת יְמֵי הַחֲנוּכָּה לְיוֹם טוֹב, וְלֹא מִיָּד בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק מַה שֶׁנָּקְטוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן לְשָׁנָה ׳אַחֶרֶת׳ וְלֹא ׳הַבָּאָה׳. גַּם יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם׳, דְּנִרְאֶה כִּכְפִילוּת הַלָּשׁוֹן.
In shortWhy wait a year, why “another” year rather than “the next,” and why both “established” and “made”?
3We must also ask about Al HaNissim, the prayer of thanks for the miracles that we add on Chanukah. Why does it not mention the miracle of the cruse of oil? That was, it would seem, the main miracle of Chanukah, the reason the festival was set for eight days. Why, then, do we not mention it explicitly in Al HaNissim?
עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק בִּתְפִילַּת ׳עַל הַנִּיסִּים׳, מַדּוּעַ לֹא נִזְכַּר שָׁם נֵס פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הֲלֹא זֶה הָיָה עִיקַּר הַנֵּס בַּחֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁעַל אוֹדוֹתָיו קָבְעוּ הַיּוֹם טוֹב שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה לֹא מַזְכִּירִים זֹאת בְּפֵירוּשׁ בְּ׳עַל הַנִּיסִּים׳.
In shortAl HaNissim never mentions the cruse of oil, though it seems to be the very reason for the eight days.
4The holy sefarim raise a further question:1 why did the Sages see fit to set a remembrance of the miracle of the cruse of oil for all generations? Miracles like it happened many times. R' Chanina ben Dosa said, “He Who told the oil to burn will tell the vinegar to burn.”2 Even in later generations we find this with the Maharshal, R' Shlomo Luria, for whom a miracle was done with a lamp lit for a mitzvah,3 and with a number of the great men of Israel to whom such miracles happened.
עוֹד הִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (שפתי צדיק בשם החידושי הרי״ם, ישמח ישראל), מָה רָאוּ חֲכָמִים לִקְבּוֹעַ זֵכֶר לְדוֹרוֹת לְהַנֵּס שֶׁל פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, הֲלֹא כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים אֵירְעוּ נִיסִּים מֵעֵין זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא (תענית כה, א) מִי שֶׁאָמַר לַשֶּׁמֶן וְיִדְלוֹק הוּא יֹאמַר לַחוֹמֶץ וְיִדְלוֹק. וַאֲפִילּוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מָצִינוּ כֵּן אֵצֶל המהרש״ל (כפי שרומז לזה בהקדמת ספרו ים של שלמה, קב הישר פרק צו), שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס בְּנֵר מִצְוָוה, וְכֵן אֵצֶל כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵירַע לָהֶם נִיסִּים כָּאֵלּוּ.
- Sifsei Tzaddik, in the name of the Chiddushei HaRim; Yismach Yisrael. ↩
- Taanis 25a. His daughter had mistakenly filled the Shabbos lamp with vinegar, and the vinegar burned. ↩
- As he hints in the introduction to his Yam Shel Shlomo; Kav HaYashar, ch. 96. ↩
In shortLamp miracles happened to R' Chanina ben Dosa, the Maharshal and others; why was this one set for all generations?
5We may explain this through a well-known teaching of the Gemara: “They accepted it anew, out of love, in the days of Achashverosh, as it is written, ‘They upheld and accepted’: they upheld what they had already accepted.”4 explains: out of love for the miracle that was done for them.5 We see from this that when the Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miracle for Bnei Yisrael, it brings them to love of Hashem. But the holy sefarim teach that this love does not always last.6 Sometimes, when Hashem performs a miracle for Bnei Yisrael, they do reach a great level at the time of the miracle, out of love for the miracle. Yet that level is only for its moment, and not for the generations to come, who did not see how precious the miracle was. So not every miracle is fit to be set for all generations, only one whose influence reaches the generations as well. The Gemara says: “Esther sent to the Sages: Establish me for all generations.”7 She was telling them that this miracle was fit to be set for all generations, since in the miracle of Purim the love it aroused would flow on to the generations, as we saw with “They upheld and accepted.”
אָכֵן אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ, עַל פִּי מַה דְּיָדוּעַ מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא בְּשַׁבָּת (פח, א) הֲדוּר קַבְּלוּהָ מֵאַהֲבָה בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, דִּכְתִיב (אסתר ט, כז) ״קִיְּימוּ וְקִבְּלוּ״ קִיְּימוּ מַה שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ כְּבָר. וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י ז״ל, מֵאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם. רוֹאִים מִזֶּה, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹשֶׂה הקב״ה נֵס לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאִים עַל יְדֵי זֶה לִידֵי אַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְאוּלָם יָדוּעַ מִסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (קדושת לוי קדושה ראשונה, בני יששכר טבת ד, פה, שפת אמת לקוטים), שֶׁפְּעָמִים כַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹשֶׂה הקב״ה נֵס לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַף שֶׁאָמְנָם בִּשְׁעַת הַנֵּס זוֹכִים לְמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס כַּנִּזְכָּר, אָכֵן זֶה הַמַּדְרֵגָה הִיא רַק לִשְׁעָתָהּ, אֲבָל לֹא לַדּוֹרוֹת הָעֲתִידִין אֲשֶׁר לֹא רָאוּ אֶת חֲבִיבוּת הַנֵּס. וְעַל כֵּן לֹא כָּל נֵס רָאוּי לְהִקָּבַע לְדוֹרוֹת, אֶלָּא רַק נִיסִּים כָּאֵלּוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם הַשְׁפָּעָה גַּם לְדוֹרוֹת. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא מְגִילָּה (דף ז, א) שָׁלְחָה לָהֶם אֶסְתֵּר לַחֲכָמִים קִבְעוּנִי לְדוֹרוֹת, הַיְינוּ שֶׁשָּׁלְחָה לוֹמַר לָהֶם, שֶׁנֵּס זֶה רָאוּי הוּא לְהִקָּבַע לְדוֹרוֹת, כִּי בְּנֵס פּוּרִים הָיְתָה הַשְׁפָּעַת אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת כַּנִּזְכָּר.
- Shabbos 88a; Esther 9:27. That is, they accepted the Torah anew, having first accepted it at Sinai. ↩
- Rashi there. ↩
- Kedushas Levi, Kedushah Rishonah; Bnei Yissaschar, Teves 4:85; Sfas Emes, Likkutim. ↩
- Megillah 7a. That is, establish my festival and my Megillah. ↩
In shortA miracle kindles love of Hashem, sometimes only for its moment; only one whose love reaches later generations, like Purim, is established for all time.
6This is what happened with the miracle of Chanukah. Bnei Yisrael held the miracle of Chanukah so dear that through it they did reach the level of love of Hashem.8 But the sages of that generation did not know whether it was right and worthwhile to set the miracle for all generations, for they did not yet know whether its influence and light would reach the generations. So Chazal did not want to set a festival in remembrance of the miracle at once, that same year, and they waited until the next year. When they saw in the next year that Bnei Yisrael still felt the light of Chanukah, they recognized that the miracle's influence was for all generations, and they set those days as a festival. This resolves our question: why was the festival set only in another year? It also explains the wording “another year.” The Sages saw that even though it was another year, a different one, Bnei Yisrael still felt in their hearts how precious the miracle was, and the light of Chanukah. From this they understood that it was right and worthwhile to set the miracle for all generations.
וְזֶה הָעִנְיָן הָיָה בְּנֵס חֲנוּכָּה, דְּאַף שֶׁאָמְנָם עַל יְדֵי חֲבִיבוּת נֵס חֲנוּכָּה בָּאוּ לְמַדְרֵגַת אַהֲבַת ה׳ (עיין תוספות סוכה מו, א ד״ה הרואה), אֲבָל לֹא יָדְעוּ הַחֲכָמִים שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר אִם רָאוּי וּכְדַאי לִקְבּוֹעַ הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת, שֶׁכֵּן לֹא יָדְעוּ עֲדַיִין אִם תִּהְיֶה הַשְׁפָּעָה וְהֶאָרָה מִן הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת. וְלָכֵן לֹא רָצוּ חז״ל לִקְבּוֹעַ יוֹם טוֹב לְזֵכֶר הַנֵּס מִיָּד בְּאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁנָה, וְחִיכּוֹ עַד לַשָּׁנָה הַבָּאָה. וְכַאֲשֶׁר רָאוּ בַּשָּׁנָה הַבָּאָה שֶׁעוֹדָם מַרְגִּישִׁים אֶת אוֹר הַחֲנוּכָּה, עַל יְדֵי זֶה הִכִּירוּ שֶׁהַשְׁפָּעַת הַנֵּס הִיא לְדוֹרוֹת, וְקָבְעוּ אוֹתָם הַיָּמִים לְיוֹם טוֹב. וּבָזֶה מְיוּשָּׁב מַה שֶׁהִקְשֵׁינוּ מַדּוּעַ קָבְעוּ הַיּוֹם טוֹב דַּוְקָא לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת. וְגַם מְיוּשָּׁב דִּיּוּק הַלָּשׁוֹן לְשָׁנָה ׳אַחֶרֶת׳, כִּי עַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁאַף שֶׁהַשָּׁנָה הִיא אַחֶרֶת, עִם כָּל זֹאת הֵם מַרְגִּישִׁים בְּנַפְשָׁם אֶת חֲבִיבוּת הַנֵּס וְאוֹר הַחֲנוּכָּה, וּמִזֶּה הֵבִינוּ שֶׁרָאוּי וּכְדַאי לִקְבּוֹעַ הַנֵּס.
- See Tosafos, Sukkah 46a, s.v. HaRo'eh. ↩
In shortThe Sages waited to see whether the miracle's light would still be felt in “another,” different year; when it was, they established the festival.
7That is why, as we noted, Al HaNissim does not in fact mention the oil. The festival was set above all for what the miracle brought about: through it Bnei Yisrael reached a level where, out of love for the miracle, they recognized the power of Hashem's kingship. It is this that was set for all generations. This is the point of the double wording “they established them and made them”: the days were made into something established for all generations. It was not as the Sages had feared, that perhaps the miracle's influence was only for its moment.
וְעַל כֵּן לֹא נִזְכַּר בֶּאֱמֶת בְּ׳עַל הַנִּיסִּים׳ עִנְיָן זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדִּיַּיקְנוּ, אֶלָּא עִיקַּר הַיּוֹם טוֹב נִקְבַּע אוֹדוֹת מַה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַנֵּס הִגִּיעוּ לְמַדְרֵגָה שֶׁהִכִּירוּ אֶת כֹּחַ מַלְכוּתוֹ יִתְ׳ מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס, וְאֶת זֶה קָבְעוּ לְדוֹרוֹת. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת כֶּפֶל הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כֵּן קְבִיעוּת לְדוֹרוֹת, לֹא כְּמוֹ שֶׁחָשְׁשׁוּ שֶׁמָּא הַשְׁפָּעַת הַנֵּס אֵינֶנָּה כִּי אִם רַק לִשְׁעָתָהּ.
In shortWhat was established was not the oil but the recognition of Hashem's kingship the miracle brought, so Al HaNissim omits the oil.
8This is why the prayer was composed with the words “You delivered … the impure into the hands of the pure.”9 The heart of the miracle was the lofty level Bnei Yisrael attained through it: they were then “pure,” without any blemish. The same is true of “into the hands of those who engage in Your Torah.” It does not say “those who learn Your Torah,” because “engage” hints at a great level in Torah study. In a similar way the Bach explains the wording of the blessing over the Torah, “to engage in the words of Torah”: the main thing is engaging in the Torah, meaning the effort and toil, and not study alone.10 The Chashmona'im, the Hasmoneans, and Bnei Yisrael of that time reached these levels and these middos, traits of character. That is why they earned the privilege of drawing down, through themselves, an inspiration for all generations, who would feel the love the miracle brought. This also answers our question: why was the miracle of the cruse of oil set for all generations, when such miracles happened many times? The festival was not set for the miracle in itself. It was set because they earned, for all generations, the recognition of that love for the miracle, as the Gemara said: “they established them, with Hallel and thanksgiving.”
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁיָּסְדוּ בִּתְפִילָּה ׳מָסַרְתָּ וְכוּ׳ וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים׳, הַיְינוּ כִּי עִיקַּר הַנֵּס הָיָה הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַנַּעֲלֵית שֶׁזָּכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּחַ הַנֵּס, שֶׁהָיוּ אָז יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּבְחִינַת טְהוֹרִים, בְּלִי שׁוּם פְּגָם. וְזֶהוּ גַּם ׳בְּיַד עוֹסְקֵי תּוֹרָתֶיךָ׳, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳לוֹמְדֵי׳ תּוֹרָתֶיךָ, שֶׁרוֹמֵז לְמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּלִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, וּכְעֵין שֶׁאִיתָא בב״ח (או״ח סימן מז סק״ג ע״ש) לְפָרֵשׁ נוֹסַח בִּרְכַּת הַתּוֹרָה ׳לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה׳, שֶׁהָעִיקָּר הוּא הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה, הַיְינוּ הַטּוֹרַח וְהֶעָמָל, וְלֹא רַק לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה גְּרֵידָא. וּלְמַדְרֵגוֹת וּלְמִידּוֹת אֵלּוּ זָכוּ אָז הַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָכֵן זָכוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל יָדָם הַשְׁרָאָה לְדוֹרוֹת אֲשֶׁר יַרְגִּישׁוּ אֶת אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס. וּבָזֶה מְתוֹרָץ גַּם מַה שֶׁהִקְשֵׁינוּ, מִפְּנֵי מָה קָבְעוּ לְדוֹרוֹת נֵס פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, הֲרֵי הַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים אֵירְעוּ נִיסִּים כָּאֵלּוּ. אֶלָּא דְּעִיקַּר קְבִיעַת הַיּוֹם טוֹב לֹא הָיְתָה עַל הַנֵּס מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא עַל זֶה שֶׁזָּכוּ לְדוֹרוֹת לְהַכִּיר אֶת אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ קְבָעוּם בְּהַלֵּל וּבְהוֹדָאָה.
In shortThe pure, toiling level the miracle produced is what inspires every generation, and that, not the oil alone, is what was established.
9This explains the words of the poet in Maoz Tzur: “Men of understanding established eight days for song and joyous praise.”11 To set the miracle for all generations took great understanding and wisdom, to see whether its influence would last for the generations. The sages of that generation discerned this with their understanding. That is the meaning of “eight days”: they saw the special quality of the eight days of the miracle themselves, that in these days the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to bestow on Israel the influences and lights of the miracle. So “they established” them, and these days became something permanent, “for song and joyous praise,” to be for us days of song and thanksgiving. For, as we saw with “they established them, with Hallel and thanksgiving,” the heart of the miracle is the Hallel and the thanksgiving, and the spiritual grasp that Bnei Yisrael attained at the time of the miracle.12
וּבָזֶה יִתְפָּרֵשׁ מַאֲמַר הַפַּיְּיטָן (בפיוט מעוז צור) ׳בְּנֵי בִּינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים׳, כֵּיוָן דְּבִכְדֵי לִקְבּוֹעַ אֶת הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבִינָה וְחָכְמָה רַבָּה, לִרְאוֹת אִם תִּהְיֶה הַשְׁפָּעַת הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת. וְזֹאת הִשְׂכִּילוּ חַכְמֵי אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר בְּבִינָתָם, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי ׳יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה׳ שֶׁרָאוּ מַעֲלַת שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי הַנֵּס עַצְמָם, שהקב״ה רוֹצֶה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָמִים אֵלּוּ הַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְאוֹרוֹת הַנֵּס, ׳קָבְעוּ׳ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה קְבִיעוּת בְּהַיָּמִים הַלָּלוּ, ׳שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים׳ לִהְיוֹת לָנוּ אֵלּוּ הַיָּמִים יְמֵי שִׁיר וְתוֹדָה, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל שֶׁעִיקַּר עִנְיַן הַנֵּס הוּא הַהַלֵּל וְהַהוֹדָאָה, וְהַשְׁגָּחָה הָרוּחָנִית אֲשֶׁר הִשִּׂיגוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁעַת הַנֵּס.
- From the Chanukah hymn Maoz Tzur. ↩
- The sefer has hashgachah, “providence”; the sense seems to be hasagah, “grasp.” ↩
In shortMaoz Tzur's “men of understanding” discerned that the eight days carry lasting light, and established them as days of song and thanks.
10The main thing we must learn for ourselves in the days of Chanukah is that the influences and lights of the miracle are “in those days, at this time.”13 We must see to it that, by the power of the lamps, an impression of holiness stays with us for the days ahead, such as the days of Shovavim Tat, the weeks from Parshas Shemos to Tetzaveh set aside for teshuvah. Holiness should flow upon us from this light, and the permanence Chazal set for all generations because of the miracle should remain within us. May the verse be fulfilled in us, “And it shall be that whoever remains in Tziyon and whoever is left in Yerushalayim shall be called holy,”14 and through this may we bring near the end of days.15 Amen, may it be His will.
וְהִנֵּה עִיקַּר מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ לִלְמוֹד לְנַפְשֵׁנוּ בִּימֵי חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁהַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְאוֹרוֹת הַנֵּס הֵם בְּחִינַת ׳בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׳, וְלִרְאוֹת שֶׁמִּכֹּחַ הַנֵּרוֹת יִשָּׁאֵר לָנוּ רְשִׁימוּ דִּקְדוּשָּׁה עַל הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים עָלֵינוּ, כִּימֵי שובבי״ם ת״ת, וְשֶׁיְּהֵא נִשְׁפָּע עָלֵינוּ קְדוּשָּׁה מֵהָאוֹר הַזֶּה, וְיִשָּׁאֵר בְּתוֹכֵנוּ הַקְּבִיעוּת הַזֶּה שֶׁקָּבְעוּ חז״ל אוֹדוֹת הַנֵּס לְדוֹרוֹת. וִיקוּיַּם בָּנוּ מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב ״וְהָיָה הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּצִיּוֹן וְהַנּוֹתָר בִּירוּשָׁלִַים קָדוֹשׁ יֵאָמֶר לוֹ״ (ישעיהו ד, ג), וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נְקָרֵב אֶת קֵץ הַיָּמִין, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
- From the blessing over the Chanukah lamps. ↩
- Yeshayahu 4:3. ↩
- Ketz hayamin, a phrase from Daniel 12:13. ↩
In shortMay we keep the holiness of the Chanukah lamps into the days of Shovavim, be called holy, and bring the end of days near.
The Gemara says Chanukah was made a festival only “in another year,” and the Rebbe asks why, why “another,” why the double “established and made,” and why Al HaNissim omits the oil; the holy sefarim add: why was this lamp miracle set for all time when others like it were not? From the Gemara and Rashi on Purim, a miracle kindles love of Hashem; but the holy sefarim teach that sometimes that level holds only for its moment, so only a miracle whose love reaches later generations, like Purim, is set for them. So the Sages waited, and when Israel still felt Chanukah’s light in a different year, they knew it would last. What they fixed was not the oil but the recognition of Hashem’s kingship that the miracle brought, earned by the pure, toiling Chashmona’im; the “men of understanding” of Maoz Tzur discerned it. He closes asking that the lamps’ imprint of holiness stay with us into Shovavim.
Takeaway
The Sages did not establish Chanukah while the excitement was fresh; they waited to see whether its light would still be felt in another, ordinary year. What they set for all generations was the love of Hashem and the recognition of His kingship that outlast the moment. When we light, we can make sure some of that holiness stays with us in the days that follow, so that the light is truly “in those days, at this time.”
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.