From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Chanukah, Mezuzah and Tzitzis: Hashem's Watchful Eye
The Chanukah lamp stands on the left of the doorway and the mezuzah on the right; the She’iltos adds the master of the house, in tzitzis, between them. What do tzitzis and mezuzah have to do with Chanukah? And why does a Midrash pair Reuven with the Chanukah lamp?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Shabbos 22a
אָמַר רַבָּה: נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ בְּטֶפַח הַסָּמוּךְ לַפֶּתַח. וְהֵיכָא מַנַּח לֵיהּ? רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבָא אָמַר: מִיָּמִין רַב שְׁמוּאֵל מִדִּפְתִּי אָמַר: מִשְּׂמֹאל. וְהִילְכְתָא מִשְּׂמֹאל, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִשְּׂמֹאל וּמְזוּזָה מִיָּמִין.
Rabbah said: It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp within the handbreadth next to the doorway. And where does one place it? Rav Acha the son of Rava said: on the right. Rav Shmuel of Difti said: on the left. And the halachah is: on the left, so that the Chanukah lamp will be on the left and the mezuzah on the right.
1“It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp within the handbreadth next to the doorway … And the halachah is: on the left, so that the Chanukah lamp will be on the left and the mezuzah on the right.” The She'iltos adds: “The mezuzah on the right, the Chanukah lamp on the left, and the master of the house, wrapped in a tallis with tzitzis, between them.”1 But what do tzitzis and the mezuzah have to do with the Chanukah lamp?
נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ בְּטֶפַח הַסְּמוּכָה לַפֶּתַח, וְכוּ׳, וְהִילְכְתָא מִשְּׂמֹאל, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִשְּׂמֹאל וּמְזוּזָה מִיָּמִין (שבת כב, א). אִיתָא בַּשְּׁאִילְתּוֹת (שאילתא כו), מְזוּזָה מִיָּמִין וְנֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִשְּׂמֹאל וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת בְּטַלִּית מְצוּיֶּצֶת בֵּינֵיהֶן. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ לְצִיצִית וּמְזוּזָה, עִם נֵר חֲנוּכָּה.
- She'iltos of Rav Achai Gaon, She'ilta 26. ↩
Sources here
In shortThe Chanukah lamp stands on the left of the doorway, the mezuzah on the right, the man in tzitzis between; what links the three?
2The Midrash says: “‘The mandrakes give off fragrance’: this is Reuven, who saved Yosef. ‘And at our doorways are all choice fruits’: this is the Chanukah lamp.”2 The holy sefarim ask: what does Reuven have to do with the Chanukah lamp?3
וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (מדרש פליאה לא) מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ, ״הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ״ (שיר השירים ז, יד) זֶה רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהִצִּיל אֶת יוֹסֵף, ״וְעַל פְּתָחֵנוּ כָּל מְגָדִים״ זֶה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (תורת משה, בת עין, עטרת ישועה), מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת עִנְיַן רְאוּבֵן לְנֵר חֲנוּכָּה.
- Midrash Pli'ah §31, a collection of cryptic Midrashic sayings; Shir HaShirim 7:14. Reuven was the one who found the mandrakes, duda'im, in the field (Bereishis 30:14), and the Chanukah lamp is placed at the doorway. ↩
- Toras Moshe; Bas Ayin; Ateres Yeshuah. ↩
In shortA cryptic Midrash pairs Reuven, who saved Yosef, with the Chanukah lamp at the doorway, and the sefarim ask what joins them.
3To explain: the heart of the Chanukah miracle was hashgachah pratis, Hashem's watchful care over each individual. The famously asks why a miracle was needed at all.4 After all, “impurity is permitted for the community”:5 a service of the whole community, such as lighting the Menorah, may be done in a state of ritual impurity. The substance of his answer is this. The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted the Jewish people to light the Menorah in purity, to show His affection for Bnei Yisrael: He wanted them to fulfill the mitzvah in its finest form. That is why Hashem, through hashgachah pratis, provided them with a cruse of pure oil, and also did a miracle for them so that they could light from it for eight days. All of it was hashgachah pratis, so that they could fulfill Hashem's mitzvah in purity.
אָכֵן הִנֵּה כָּל עִיקָּר הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה הָיָה עִנְיַן הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, כַּנּוֹדָע מַה שֶׁהִקְשָׁה הַפְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (שבת כא, ב) לָמָּה הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְנֵס, הֲרֵי טוּמְאָה הוּתְּרָה בְּצִבּוּר (יומא ז, ב). וְתוֹכֶן תֵּירוּצוֹ הוּא, שהקב״ה רָצָה שֶׁעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל יְקַיֵּים אֶת מִצְוַות הַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּטָהֳרָה, לְהוֹדִיעַ חִיבָּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁרוֹצֶה שֶׁיְּקַיְּימוּ הַמִּצְוָוה בְּהִידּוּר, לָכֵן הָיְתָה הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית מֵאֵת הקב״ה לְהַמְצִיא לָהֶם פַּךְ שֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר, וְכֵן עָשָׂה לָהֶם הקב״ה נֵס שֶׁיַּדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, הַכֹּל בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַות ה׳ בְּטָהֳרָה.
In shortImpure oil would have been permitted, yet Hashem's watchful care provided pure oil and a miracle, showing His love for a mitzvah done in purity.
4We find hashgachah pratis in the mezuzah as well. The Divine Name Shakkai is written on the mezuzah,6 and its letters stand for Shomer Delasos Yisrael, “Guardian of the doors of Israel.”7 In the merit of the mitzvah of mezuzah, the Holy One, blessed be He, watches over Bnei Yisrael and guards them from every kind of harm. Tzitzis, too, hint at hashgachah pratis. Chazal said of techeiles, the sky-blue wool of the tzitzis: “R' Meir used to say: Why is techeiles different from all other colors? Because techeiles resembles the sea, the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory.”8 Wearing tzitzis is meant to remind a person of Hashem's glory [and of the One enthroned above him], and in this lies a hint of hashgachah pratis: Hashem sees a person's deeds and all his affairs. This shows how the three mitzvos, the Chanukah lamp, tzitzis and mezuzah, belong together.
וְהִנֵּה עִנְיַן הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית מָצִינוּ גַּם בִּמְזוּזָה, דְּהִנֵּה כּוֹתְבִין עַל הַמְּזוּזָה שֵׁם שַׁדַּי (זוהר ח״ג רסו, א. רמב״ם פ״ה מהלכות מזוזה ה״ד, הובא בטור יו״ד סוף סימן רפח), שֶׁהוּא רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת ׳שׁוֹמֵר דַּלְתוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ (עץ חיים שער הכללים ד, מצת שמורים שער המזוזה, ועיין כל בו סימן צ), וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁבִּזְכוּת מִצְוַות מְזוּזָה הקב״ה מַשְׁגִּיחַ וְשׁוֹמֵר עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל מִינֵי פְּגָעִים רָעִים. וְגַם עִנְיַן צִיצִית מְרַמֵּז עַל הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, כִּי אָמְרוּ חז״ל (מנחות מג, ב) הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר מָה נִשְׁתַּנָּה תְּכֵלֶת מִכָּל מִינֵי צִבְעוֹנִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁתְּכֵלֶת דּוֹמֶה לַיָּם וְיָם דּוֹמֶה לָרָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ לְכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁלְּבִישַׁת הַצִּיצִית הוּא בִּכְדֵי לְהַזְכִּיר לָאָדָם אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ, וּמְרוּמָּז בָּזֶה עִנְיַן הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ רוֹאֶה מַעֲשָׂיו וְכָל עִנְיָנָיו. וּבָזֶה מוּבָן הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת שֶׁל שְׁלוֹשֶׁת מִצְוֹות אֵלּוּ חֲנוּכָּה צִיצִית וּמְזוּזָה לַהֲדָדִי.
- Zohar III 266a; Rambam, Hilchos Mezuzah 5:4; Tur, Yoreh De'ah, end of §288. ↩
- Etz Chaim, Shaar HaKelalim, ch. 4; Matzas Shimurim, Shaar HaMezuzah; see Kol Bo §90. ↩
- Menachos 43b. ↩
In shortThe mezuzah's Name Shakkai, “Guardian of the doors of Israel,” and tzitzis, which recall Hashem's glory, both speak of His watchful care, as Chanukah does.
5This lets us understand the Midrash we cited: “‘The mandrakes give off fragrance’: this is Reuven, who saved Yosef.” When Reuven saved Yosef, the verse says: “Reuven said to them, ‘Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit …,’ in order to save him from their hand, to return him to his father.”9 The holy asks: Chazal said that the pit held snakes and scorpions.10 Why, then, was Reuven not afraid that they would harm Yosef? Why did he save him from his brothers only to abandon him to snakes and scorpions? He explains that Reuven feared the brothers would kill Yosef, because they had free choice. But he did not fear that the snakes would kill him, for he trusted that the Holy One, blessed be He, would save Yosef from them in the merit of his righteousness.11 So we see that Reuven trusted in hashgachah pratis. And we have seen that this is the heart of the Chanukah miracle: Hashem showed His hashgachah pratis for Israel, out of His affection for His people. This explains the connection between Reuven and Chanukah.
וּבָזֶה יוּבְנוּ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר, ״הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ״ זֶה רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהִצִּיל אֶת יוֹסֵף, דְּהִנֵּה בְּעִנְיַן הַצָּלַת רְאוּבֵן אֶת יוֹסֵף כְּתִיב (לז, כב) ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רְאוּבֵן אַל תִּשְׁפְּכוּ דָם הַשְׁלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל הַבּוֹר הַזֶּה וְכוּ׳ לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ אֶל אָבִיו״. וְהִקְשָׁה בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ, הֲרֵי אָמְרוּ רז״ל (שבת כב, א) שֶׁהָיוּ בְּבוֹר נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים, וְאִם כֵּן אֵיךְ לֹא הָיָה רְאוּבֵן יָרֵא שֶׁיַּזִּיקוּ לְיוֹסֵף, וּמַדּוּעַ הִצִּילוֹ מֵהָאַחִים וְהִפְקִירוֹ לִידֵי הַנְּחָשִׁים וְהָעַקְרַבִּים. וּפֵירֵשׁ, כִּי מֵהָאַחִים פַּחַד רְאוּבֵן שֶׁיַּהַרְגוּ אֶת יוֹסֵף, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲלֵי בְּחִירָה, אֲבָל מִפְּנֵי הַנְּחָשִׁים לֹא הָיָה יָרֵא שֶׁיַּהַרְגוּהוּ, לְפִי שֶׁבָּטַח עַל הקב״ה בִּזְכוּת צִדְקָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף שֶׁיַּצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִן הַנְּחָשִׁים. הֲרֵי שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹטֵחַ וּמַשְׁגִּיחַ בְּעִנְיַן הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, וּכְבָר נִתְבָּאֵר שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִנְיַן נֵס חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁהֶרְאָה הקב״ה הַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵחֲמַת חִיבָּתוֹ אֲלֵיהֶם, וּבָזֶה מְבוֹאָר שַׁיָּיכוּת עִנְיַן רְאוּבֵן לַחֲנוּכָּה.
- Bereishis 37:22. ↩
- Ohr HaChaim on Bereishis 37:21; Shabbos 22a. ↩
- Creatures without free choice act only as Hashem directs them. ↩
In shortReuven left Yosef among snakes because he trusted Hashem's watchful care, the very care that stands at the heart of Chanukah.
6[This is the meaning of “The mandrakes give off fragrance.” Reuven's rescue of Yosef came from the strength of his trust in Hashem, and in it Hashem's hashgachah pratis was first revealed. The rescue is called “fragrance” because the light of His hashgachah pratis began to glimmer in it, when Yosef was saved from death at his brothers' hands. “And at our doorways are all choice fruits”: this is the Chanukah lamp, for there the light of His hashgachah pratis was revealed most fully. Out of His affection for Israel, Hashem, blessed be He, did a great miracle for the nation, and Israel earned this through its great trust in Hashem, as explained elsewhere. So when we light the Chanukah lamps, we must draw the light of “those days” into “this time” as well,12 by reflecting on the power of faith in hashgachah pratis. Through this we will be privileged to see the light of Hashem's hashgachah pratis from on high revealed to “those who hope for His kindness.”13]
[וְזֶהוּ הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ, שֶׁהַצָּלַת רְאוּבֵן הָיָה מִכֹּחַ מִדַּת הַבִּטָּחוֹן וְהָיָה בָּהּ תְּחִילַּת גִּילּוּי הַהַשְׁגָּחָה, וְהַצָּלָה זוֹ נִקְרֵאת בִּבְחִינַת רֵיחַ שֶׁמַּתְחִיל לְהִתְנוֹצֵץ אוֹר הַהַשְׁגָּחָה שֶׁנִּיצַּל מִיָּדָם מִמִּיתָה, וְעַל פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל מְגָדִים זֶה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁשָּׁם נִתְגַּלָּה בְּיוֹתֵר אוֹר הַהַשְׁגָּחָה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל חִיבַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשָׂה הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ נֵס גָּדוֹל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָזֶה מִכֹּחַ גּוֹדֶל בִּטְחוֹנָם בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, וְעַל כֵּן בִּזְמַן הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת חֲנוּכָּה עָלֵינוּ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אֶת אוֹר הַיָּמִים הָהֵם גַּם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּכֹחַ הָאֱמוּנָה בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית, וּמִכֹּחַ זֶה נִזְכֶּה לְגִילּוּי אוֹר הַהַשְׁגָּחָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה לַמְיַחֲלִים לְחַסְדּוֹ].
- From the blessing over the Chanukah lamps: “Who performed miracles for our fathers in those days, at this time.” ↩
- Tehillim 33:18: “Behold, the eye of Hashem is upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope for His kindness.” ↩
In shortReuven's rescue was the first “fragrance” of hashgachah pratis, Chanukah its full fruit; as we light, our faith draws that light down.
7May Hashem grant that in the merit of the Chanukah lamps we, all Bnei Yisrael, be privileged to be blessed with hashgachah pratis for good. We need it in these times at every step, until the coming of the righteous Redeemer. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳, שֶׁבִּזְכוּת נֵרוֹת חֲנוּכָּה נִזְכֶּה לְהִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית לְטוֹבָה לְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר צְרִיכִים אָנוּ לָזֶה בְּעִיתִּים הַלָּלוּ עַל כָּל צַעַד וָשַׁעַל, עַד בִּיאַת גּוֹאֵל צֶדֶק, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that the Chanukah lamps bring all Israel Hashem's watchful care for good at every step, until the Redeemer comes.
He asks why the She’iltos places the man in tzitzis between the mezuzah and the Chanukah lamp, and why a Midrash on “The mandrakes give off fragrance” links Reuven to the lamp. The thread is hashgachah pratis. As the Pnei Yehoshua asks, the miracle was not needed, since impurity is permitted for the community; Hashem made it to show His love, providing pure oil so the mitzvah could be done in purity. The mezuzah’s Name Shakkai, “Guardian of the doors of Israel,” and the techeiles that recalls the Throne of Glory speak of the same watchful care. Reuven, as the Ohr HaChaim explains, left Yosef among snakes trusting Hashem to guard the righteous: the first “fragrance” of that care, which Chanukah revealed in full. As we light, reflecting on it draws its light into our own time.
Takeaway
The Chanukah lamp, the mezuzah and the tzitzis all stand at the doorway with one message: Hashem watches over each of us with personal care. Reuven trusted that care when he left Yosef among the snakes, and Israel's trust earned the miracle of the pure oil. When we light the lamps and reflect on that care, we draw its light into our own time.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.