From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Teshuvah Out of Love: Why the Sealing Lasts Until Zos Chanukah
The holy sefarim say that the final sealing of the judgment, and the time best suited to teshuvah, last until Zos Chanukah. But why should a verdict that opened on Rosh Hashanah stay open all the way to Chanukah, and why precisely until its eighth day?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Yeshayahu 27:9
לָכֵן בְּזֹאת יְכֻפַּר עֲוֺן־יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה כׇּל־פְּרִי הָסִר חַטָּאתוֹ בְּשׂוּמוֹ כׇּל־אַבְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ כְּאַבְנֵי־גִר מְנֻפָּצוֹת לֹא־יָקֻמוּ אֲשֵׁרִים וְחַמָּנִים
Therefore, with this shall the iniquity of Yaakov be atoned, and this is all the fruit of removing his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altar like crushed chalkstones, the asherah trees and the sun-images shall rise no more.
1“With this shall the iniquity of Yaakov be atoned.” As is well known, the holy sefarim explain that the final sealing of the judgment, and the time especially suited to teshuvah, last until Zos Chanukah, the eighth day of Chanukah.1 This is hinted in the verse “With this shall the iniquity of Yaakov be atoned,” [for bezos, “with this,” points to Zos Chanukah]. But why should the final sealing of the judgment stretch from Rosh Hashanah all the way to Chanukah? And why does it last until the eighth day of Chanukah, and not end on one of the earlier days of Chanukah?
בְּזֹאת יְכוּפַּר עֲוֹן יַעֲקֹב (ישעיהו כז, ט). הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ הַמְּבוֹאָר בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, שֶׁגְּמַר הַחֲתִימָה, וְהַזְּמַן הַמְּסוּגָּל לִתְשׁוּבָה, נִמְשָׁךְ עַד זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה, וְזֶה מְרוּמָּז בַּפָּסוּק ״בְּזֹאת יְכוּפַּר עֲוֹן יַעֲקֹב״. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין טַעַם הַדָּבָר, מַדּוּעַ נִמְשָׁךְ גְּמַר חֲתִימַת הַדִּין מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה עַד לִימֵי חֲנוּכָּה, וְגַם מַדּוּעַ הוּא נִמְשָׁךְ עַד יוֹם שְׁמִינִי דַּחֲנוּכָּה דַּוְקָא, וְלֹא בְּתוֹךְ יְמֵי חֲנוּכָּה.
- The day takes its name from its Torah reading, “Zos, this, was the dedication of the altar” (Bamidbar 7:84). ↩
Sources here
In shortWhy does the sealing of the judgment, and the special time for teshuvah, last from Rosh Hashanah until Chanukah, and precisely until its eighth day?
2We can explain this through a well-known teaching of Chazal in the Gemara: “Reish Lakish said: Great is teshuvah, for through it a person's deliberate sins become like unintentional ones … But did not Reish Lakish say: Great is teshuvah, for through it a person's deliberate sins become like merits …? This is no difficulty: here it is out of love; there, out of fear.”2 We know that on Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe Bnei Yisrael do teshuvah out of fear, in dread of the judgment. So their teshuvah is still lacking, for their deliberate sins still count only as unintentional ones. But in the days of Chanukah, love and fondness for the miracle done for Israel bring the people to teshuvah out of love. It is like what Chazal said about the miracle of Purim: “They accepted [the Torah] anew, out of love, as it is written, ‘They upheld and accepted’: they upheld what they had already accepted.” explains: “out of love for the miracle that was done for them.”3 So it was on Chanukah too. Through the miracle they came to do teshuvah out of love, and their deliberate sins became like merits. And this is awakened in every generation, as we say in the blessing, “in those days, at this time.”4 That is why the days of Chanukah are a time when Bnei Yisrael reach teshuvah out of love through the miracle.
וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ מַאֲמַר חז״ל בַּגְּמָרָא (יומא פו, ב), אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּשְׁגָגוֹת וְכוּ׳, וְהָאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּזְכִיּוֹת וְכוּ׳, לָא קַשְׁיָא כָּאן מֵאַהֲבָה כָּאן מִיִּרְאָה. וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיָמִים נוֹרָאִים עוֹשִׂים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּשׁוּבָה מִתּוֹךְ יִרְאָה מֵחֲמַת אֵימַת הַדִּין, וְאִם כֵּן עֲדַיִין נֶחְסַר בִּשְׁלֵימוּת הַתְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁכֵּן הַזְּדוֹנוֹת עֲדַיִין נֶחְשָׁבוֹת לִשְׁגָגוֹת. אָמְנָם בִּימֵי חֲנוּכָּה, אֲזַי מֵאַהֲבַת וַחֲבִיבוּת הַנֵּס שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַגִּיעִים לִתְשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (פח, א) בְּעִנְיַן נֵס פּוּרִים, הֲדוּר קַבְּלוּהָ מֵאַהֲבָה דִּכְתִיב (אסתר ט, כז) ״קִיְּימוּ וְקִבְּלוּ״ קִיְּימוּ מַה שֶּׁקִּבְּלוּ כְּבָר, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י ז״ל מֵאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם. וְכֵן הָיָה גַּם בַּחֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַנֵּס בָּאוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה זְדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם כִּזְכִיּוֹת. וְעִנְיָן זֶה מִתְעוֹרֵר גַּם בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִים ׳בַּיָּמִים הַהֵם וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׳, וְלָכֵן בִּימֵי חֲנוּכָּה הוּא זְמַן שֶׁמַּגִּיעִים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִתְשׁוּבָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה עַל יְדֵי הַנֵּס.
- Yoma 86b. ↩
- Shabbos 88a and Rashi there; Esther 9:27. The Torah, first accepted at Sinai, was accepted again, out of love, in the days of Achashverosh. ↩
- From the blessing over the Chanukah lamps: “Who performed miracles for our fathers in those days, at this time.” ↩
In shortTeshuvah out of fear, on the Days of Awe, makes deliberate sins merely unintentional; Chanukah's miracle brings teshuvah out of love, turning them into merits.
3We find, too, that the whole miracle of Chanukah came from the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Israel, His people. The asks why they needed the miracle at all, since we hold that when the whole community is impure, ritual impurity is set aside,5 so they could have lit the Menorah with impure oil. He answers that the whole miracle came only because Hashem wished to show how beloved Bnei Yisrael were before Him, by letting them perform the mitzvah in purity. So He made the miracle for them with the pure cruse of oil. But his words need explaining. How did Bnei Yisrael of that generation earn so great a display of Hashem's favor, that He changed the bounds of nature for them to show how dear they were to Him?
וְכֵן מָצִינוּ שֶׁכָּל הַנֵּס בַּחֲנוּכָּה הָיָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבַת הקב״ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הַפְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְבָאֵר מַדּוּעַ הָיוּ צְרִיכִים כְּלָל לְהַנֵּס, וַהֲרֵי קַיְימָא לַן טוּמְאָה דְּחוּיָה בְּצִיבּוּר (יומא ו, ב). וְתֵירֵץ, שֶׁכָּל עִנְיַן הַנֵּס הָיָה רַק מִשּׁוּם שֶׁרָצָה הקב״ה לְהַרְאוֹת חִיבָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפָנָיו, שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָוה בְּטָהֳרָה, לָכֵן עָשָׂה לָהֶם הַנֵּס בְּפַךְ הַטָּהוֹר. וְהִנֵּה דְּבָרָיו צְרִיכִים בֵּיאוּר, בַּמֶּה זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר לְהֶאָרַת פָּנִים גְּדוֹלָה כָּזוֹ, שֶׁיְּשַׁנֶּה לָהֶם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ גִּדְרֵי הַטֶּבַע כְּדֵי לְהוֹדִיעַ חִיבָּתָן לְפָנָיו.
- Pnei Yehoshua on Shabbos 21b; Yoma 6b. ↩
In shortBy law impure oil would have served, so the miracle only showed Hashem's love; but how did that generation earn such favor?
4aThe answer lies in what the holy Zohar teaches: an awakening from below is needed to stir and draw down an awakening from above.6 We know, too, the teaching of , zt"l, on the verse “Hashem is your shadow.”7 Hashem deals with a person as his shadow does. Just as a shadow follows the way the person moves, so the way a Jew conducts himself below causes Heaven to deal with him in the same way from above.
אָמְנָם הָעִנְיָן הוּא כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ח״ג צב, א), שֶׁצָּרִיךְ אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא בִּכְדֵי לְעוֹרֵר וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְכַיָּדוּעַ מַאֲמַר הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב זצללה״ה עַל הַפָּסוּק (תהלים קכא, ה) ״ה׳ צִילְּךָ״, דהשי״ת מִתְנַהֵג עִם הָאָדָם בִּבְחִינַת צֵל, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַצֵּל הוֹלֵךְ כְּפִי הַנְהָגַת הָאָדָם, כָּךְ לְפִי הַנְהָגַת בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַטָּה גּוֹרֵם שֶׁיִּתְנַהֲגוּ עִמּוֹ מִלְמַעְלָה.
4bWith this my holy ancestor, the author of , zt"l, explained the verse “Please speak in the ears of the people, and let each man ask of his fellow … vessels of silver and vessels of gold …”8 He asked: we have a rule that “his fellow” excludes a gentile, so how can the verse call the Egyptians “his fellow”? also comments: “Na, ‘please,’ is always a word of request: I ask of you, urge them about this, so that that righteous man will not say …”9 But why did they need to be asked and urged about this? Is there anyone who would not want vessels of silver and gold and every good thing?
וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק זְקֵנִי הַתּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם זצללה״ה (פרשת בא ד״ה דבר) מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (שמות יא, ב) ״דַּבֶּר נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ וְגוֹ׳ כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב״ וְגוֹ׳, וְהִקְשָׁה הֲלֹא אָמְרִינַן רֵעֵהוּ וְלֹא שֶׁל גּוֹי, וְאִם כֵּן אֵיךְ קוֹרֵא הַכָּתוּב לַמִּצְרִיִּים בְּשֵׁם ׳רֵעֵהוּ׳. וְעוֹד, שרש״י ז״ל פֵּירֵשׁ, אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה, בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ הַזְהִירֵם עַל כָּךְ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק וְכוּ׳. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, לָמָּה הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבַקְּשָׁם וּלְהַזְהִירָם עַל זֶה, וְכִי מִי הָאִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא יַחְפּוֹץ כְּלֵי כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְכָל טוּב.
- Toldos Adam, Bo, s.v. Dabeir; Shemos 11:2. R' Yehoshua of Ostrova, author of Toldos Adam, father-in-law of the first Biala Rebbe. ↩
- Rashi on Shemos 11:2. Rashi continues: so that Avraham, the righteous man, will not say that Hashem fulfilled “they will enslave them and afflict them” but not “afterward they will go out with great wealth.” ↩
4cHe explained that the command was for them to be kind to one another, lending and renting things out to one another. That is “let each man ask of his fellow”: they themselves were to treat one another with kindness [so “his fellow” is a fellow Jew, not an Egyptian].10 This also explains why, as says, Moshe had to ask and urge them about it. For first kindness had to be awakened below as a middah, a character trait of their own, and through it they would be able to draw down upon themselves the flow of Hashem's kindness from Heaven. Once Bnei Yisrael had done this, it is written, “And Hashem gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt.”11 Those are his holy words. The principle that emerges is this: to draw down Hashem's way of kindness from above, those who dwell below must first awaken that same middah in themselves.
וּבֵיאֵר, שֶׁהַצִּיוּוּי הָיָה שֶׁיִּגְמְלוּ חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה לְהַשְׁאִיל וּלְהַשְׂכִּיר אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ, וְזֶהוּ ״וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ״, פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁהֵם בְּעַצְמָם יִגְמְלוּ חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה, וּמְיוּשָּׁב מַה שֶׁאָמַר רש״י שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ מֹשֶׁה לְבַקְּשָׁם וּלְהַזְהִירָם עַל זֶה. וְהַטַּעַם בָּזֶה הָיָה, כִּי תְּחִילָּה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת מִידַּת הַחֶסֶד בְּאִיתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, וְעַל יָדָהּ יִהְיוּ יְכוֹלִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם הַשְׁפָּעַת מִידַּת הַחֶסֶד. וּלְאַחַר שֶׁעָשׂוּ כֵּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּתִיב (שם, ג) ״וַיִּתֵּן ה׳ אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם״, עכד״ק. וְהַכְּלָל הָעוֹלֶה לָנוּ, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַנְהָגַת הַחֶסֶד מִלְּעֵילָא, צָרִיךְ לָזֶה הִתְעוֹרְרוּת מִצַּד דָּרֵי מַטָּה בַּמִּידָּה הַהִיא.
In shortHeaven answers us like a shadow: Bnei Yisrael's kindness to one another drew down Hashem's kindness and won them favor in Egypt's eyes.
5In light of this, let us return to the miracle of Chanukah. We have seen that they earned the miracle only because of Hashem's love for them. By the principle of the shadow, we must say that before the miracle they had surely been stirred to return to Hashem in teshuvah with great love. That is why the people of that generation were privileged to have the Holy One, blessed be He, deal with them with great love as well, changing the bounds of nature to show how dear they were to Him. So they served their Creator with love not only after the miracle. Even before it they had begun to live by this middah, and had done teshuvah out of love for their Creator. This, too, is the special power of Chanukah in every generation: to bring us to teshuvah out of love.
וּלְפִי זֶה נַחֲזוֹר לְבָאֵר הָעִנְיָן בְּנֵס חֲנוּכָּה. דְּהִנֵּה נִתְבָּאֵר, שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁזָּכוּ לְהַנֵּס הוּא רַק מִצַּד אַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לָהֶם. וּלְפִי הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, אֲזַי צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁוַּדַּאי קוֹדֶם לָכֵן הִתְעוֹרְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה אֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּגוֹדֶל אַהֲבָה, וְלָכֵן זָכוּ בְּנֵי אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג גַּם הקב״ה עִמָּם בְּאַהֲבָה גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁשִּׁינָּה לָהֶם גִּדְרֵי הַטֶּבַע לְהוֹדִיעַ חִיבָּתָן. וּמֵעַתָּה נִמְצָא, שֶׁלֹּא רַק אַחַר הַנֵּס עָבְדוּ אֶת בּוֹרְאָם בְּמַדְרִיגַת אַהֲבָה, אֶלָּא כְּבָר קוֹדֶם הַנֵּס הִתְחִילוּ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמִידָּה זוֹ וְעָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה לְבוֹרְאָם. וְזֶהוּ גַּם כֹּחַ סְגוּלַּת חֲנוּכָּה בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת, לָבוֹא לִבְחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה.
In shortHashem's love answers ours, so the generation of the miracle must have done teshuvah out of love before it; Chanukah gives every generation that power.
6[This makes the 's answer clear.12 For as they stand, his words still need explaining: we have a rule that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform a miracle for nothing. Since they could have kept the mitzvah even without the miracle, it seems the miracle was done for nothing. In light of what we have said, we may explain it. Bnei Yisrael rose to return to Hashem in teshuvah out of love, and toward Hashem this was a kind of hiddur, going beyond what is required. They did not repent merely to fulfill the mitzvah of teshuvah, which can be done even out of fear; they went beyond it and returned out of love. So Hashem, as it were, had to deal with them measure for measure and let them perform the mitzvah in purity, as a hiddur mitzvah, a beautified mitzvah. That is how they earned the miracle by right. It was not a miracle [done in a wondrous way, like the miracles of Egypt and the like, which He did for them without regard to their deeds]. It was one that the law itself required: [measure for measure,] to deal with them in a way of love and affection.]
*[וּבָזֶה יוּבָן הֵיטֵב תֵּירוּץ הַפְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַנִּזְכָּר, דְּהִנֵּה עֲדַיִין דְּבָרָיו צְרִיכִים בֵּיאוּר, דַּהֲרֵי יֵשׁ לָנוּ כְּלָל שֶׁלֹּא עֲבִיד הקב״ה נִיסָּא בִּכְדִי, וְאִם כֵּן כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּלֹא הַנֵּס גַּם הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶם לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָוה, הֲרֵי לִכְאוֹרָה נַעֲשָׂה הַנֵּס עַל חִינָּם. אֶלָּא לִדְבָרֵינוּ יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דִּלְפִי שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִתְעַלּוּ לָשׁוּב אֶל ה׳ בִּתְשׁוּבָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה, וְזֶה הָיָה בִּבְחִינַת הִידּוּר כְּלַפֵּי הקב״ה, הַיְינוּ שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה רַק לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבַת מִצְוַות תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁדַּי לָהּ לְהֵעָשׂוֹת אֲפִילּוּ מִיִּרְאָה, אֶלָּא הִידְּרוּ לָשׁוּב מֵאַהֲבָה. לָכֵן גַּם הקב״ה הָיָה כִּבְיָכוֹל צָרִיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג עִמָּם מִדָּה בְּמִדָּה, שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ הַמִּצְוָוה בְּטָהֳרָה בִּבְחִינַת הִידּוּר מִצְוָה, וְלָכֵן זָכוּ לְנֵס מִצַּד הַדִּין, וְזֶה לֹא הָיָה בִּבְחִינַת נֵס [הַנַּעֲשֶׂה בְּדֶרֶךְ פֶּלֶא כִּבְנִיסֵּי מִצְרַיִם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמָּהֶם זֹאת שֶׁלֹּא מִצַּד מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם], אֶלָּא מִצַּד עִיקַּר הַדִּין, לְהִתְנַהֵג עִמָּם בְּדֶרֶךְ הַנְהָגָה שֶׁל אַהֲבָה וְחִיבָּה].
- The sefer's note: An addition from another place. ↩
In shortBnei Yisrael went beyond duty and repented out of love, so Hashem repaid them in kind with pure oil: a miracle they earned by right.
7This explains the wording of the prayer Al HaNissim: “You delivered the mighty … and the wicked into the hands of the righteous.” At the time of the miracle, when the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, they came to the level of teshuvah out of love. Their deliberate sins were turned into merits as a result, and so they reached the level of a completely righteous person, all of whose deeds from his earliest days are entirely good. That is why Bnei Yisrael are called “the righteous” here.
וּלְפִי זֶה יוּבָן נוֹסַח הַתְּפִילָּה ׳מָסַרְתָּ גִּבּוֹרִים וְכוּ׳ וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים׳, כִּי אָז בִּשְׁעַת הַנֵּס שֶׁמָּסַר הקב״ה גִּבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים, בָּאוּ לְמַדְרִיגַת תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה, וּמִמֵּילָא זְדוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם נֶהְפְּכוּ לִזְכוּיוֹת, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאוּ לְמַעֲלַת צַדִּיק גָּמוּר שֶׁכָּל מַעֲשָׂיו מֵעוֹדוֹ שָׁוִין לְטוֹבָה, וְלָכֵן נִקְרְאוּ כָּאן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳צַדִּיקִים׳.
Sources here
In shortAl HaNissim calls them “the righteous” because their teshuvah out of love turned every sin into a merit, making them completely righteous.
8This also explains why Chanukah is the time of the sealing and the final verdict of the judgment that began on Rosh Hashanah. It comes from the kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who wants Israel to come out meritorious in judgment. If the verdict were concluded on Rosh Hashanah, when teshuvah is only out of fear, we could still be left with many unintentional sins. So, out of His great love for Israel, He gave us more time, until Chanukah. Then we reach teshuvah out of love, all [our sins] become like merits, and through this we come out entirely meritorious in judgment.
וּבָזֶה יוּבָן גַּם מַדּוּעַ חֲנוּכָּה הוּא זְמַן הַחֲתִימָה וּגְמַר הַדִּין שֶׁמֵּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, כִּי זֶהוּ מֵחֲסָדָיו שֶׁל הקב״ה שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּדִּין, דִּבְאִם הָיָה גְּמַר הַדִּין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁאָז הַתְּשׁוּבָה הִיא רַק מִיִּרְאָה, עֲדַיִין הָיָה יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת בְּיָדֵינוּ שְׁגָגוֹת הַרְבֵּה, עַל כֵּן בְּרוֹב חִיבָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפָנָיו, נָתַן לָנוּ זְמַן עוֹד עַד חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁאָז מַגִּיעִים לִבְחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה וְהַכֹּל נַעֲשֶׂה כִּזְכוּיוֹת, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִים לְגַמְרֵי בַּדִּין.
In shortOut of love Hashem keeps the judgment open until Chanukah, so that teshuvah out of love can turn every sin into merit.
9In the same way we may explain why the time lasts until the eighth day in particular. As for why they needed a miracle of eight days, , R' Nissim of Gerona, writes that the nearest pure oil was four days' journey away, so they needed eight days to go and return.13 In the first days, then, they did not yet know whether the miracle would last until the eighth day, and all that time they were unsure whether they would have to light the Menorah with impure oil. Only on the eighth day did they learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, delighted in them and wanted them to light only with pure oil. That was the day that revealed most fully how beloved they were before Him, and so it was then, above all, that the light of teshuvah out of love was born in them. That is why, for all generations too, the final sealing of the Days of Awe lasts until Zos Chanukah. For this is awakened in every generation, in the spirit of “in those days, at this time.”
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר הַטַּעַם שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ הַזְּמַן עַד יוֹם שְׁמִינִי דַּוְקָא. דְּהִנֵּה מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְנֵס שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, כָּתַב הר״ן ז״ל (שבת כא, ב) שֶׁהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם שֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר רָחוֹק אַרְבָּעָה יָמִים וְהוּצְרְכוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים בֵּין הֲלִיכָה וַחֲזָרָה, אִם כֵּן בַּיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים עֲדַיִין לֹא יָדְעוּ אִם יֵעָשֶׂה הַנֵּס עַד הַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, וְכָל הָעֵת הָיוּ בְּסָפֵק שֶׁמָּא יוּצְרְכוּ לְהַדְלִיק הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּשֶׁמֶן טָמֵא, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁרַק בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי נוֹדַע לָהֶם שהקב״ה חָפֵץ בָּהֶם, שֶׁיַּדְלִיקוּ רַק בְּשֶׁמֶן טָהוֹר, וְאָז הָיָה יוֹם הִתְגַּלּוּת חִיבָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיוֹתֵר לִפְנֵי הקב״ה, לָכֵן אָז בְּיוֹתֵר נוֹלַד לָהֶם הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה. וְעַל כֵּן גַּם לְדוֹרוֹת נִמְשַׁךְ גְּמַר הַחֲתִימָה שֶׁמִּיָּמִים נוֹרָאִים עַד זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה, כִּי עִנְיָן זֶה מִתְעוֹרֵר בְּכָל דּוֹר וְדוֹר, בִּבְחִינַת ׳בַּיָּמִים הַהֵם וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׳.
- Ran on Shabbos 21b. ↩
In shortOnly on the eighth day was Hashem's love fully revealed, kindling teshuvah out of love; so each year the sealing lasts until Zos Chanukah.
10May Hashem grant us, by the special power of the day of Zos Chanukah, that after the many troubles that have passed over us in this generation, we be privileged at last to see revealed mercy and kindness. The tzaddikim explained the words barcheim taharem, “bless them, purify them,” in Ana B'choach, the prayer of R' Nechunya ben HaKanah. We ask that “bless them” come first, that Hashem bless us with revealed kindness. Through this “purify them” will follow of itself, and You, Holy One, blessed be He, will see how we purify ourselves. May Hashem, blessed be He, in His abundant mercy and kindness, help us be privileged to greet Moshiach. Amen.
יְזַכֵּנוּ ה׳, בְּכֹחַ סְגוּלַּת הַיּוֹם זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁאַחֲרֵי שֶׁעָבַר עָלֵינוּ צָרוֹת רַבּוֹת בְּדוֹר זֶה, נִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת כְּבָר רַחֲמִים וַחֲסָדִים מְגוּלִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים עַל תְּפִלַּת רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה (באנא בכח), ׳בָּרְכֵם טַהֲרֵם׳, שֶׁמְּבַקְּשִׁים אָנוּ שֶׁתְּחִילָּה יִהְיֶה בְּחִינַת ׳בָּרְכֵם׳ שֶׁיְּבָרְכֵנוּ הַשֵּׁם בַּחֲסָדִים מְגוּלִּים, וּבָזֶה מִמֵּילָא יִהְיֶה בְּחִינַת ׳טַהֲרֵם׳, שֶׁתִּרְאֶה אַתָּה הקב״ה אֵיךְ שֶׁנְּטַהֵר עַצְמֵנוּ. הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יַעֲזוֹר, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בְּרוֹב רַחֲמָיו וַחֲסָדָיו לְבִיאַת מָשִׁיחַ, אָמֵן:
Sources here
In shortThe Rebbe prays that after this generation's troubles Hashem first bless us with revealed kindness, so that we purify ourselves and greet Moshiach.
He asks why the sealing that began on Rosh Hashanah stays open until Zos Chanukah. Reish Lakish teaches that teshuvah out of fear makes deliberate sins unintentional, while teshuvah out of love makes them merits. The Days of Awe bring teshuvah out of fear; the Chanukah miracle, a sign of Hashem’s love, brings teshuvah out of love. Since Heaven deals with a person as his shadow does, as the Baal Shem Tov taught and his ancestor, the author of Toldos Adam, showed from the Jews’ kindness to one another in Egypt, that generation must have repented out of love before the miracle, and going beyond duty they earned the pure oil by right. So Hashem keeps the judgment open until Chanukah, that we may come out wholly meritorious; and since only on the eighth day was His love fully revealed, the sealing lasts until Zos Chanukah.
Takeaway
Teshuvah out of fear is real, but only teshuvah out of love turns our sins into merits, and Hashem keeps the judgment open until Zos Chanukah so that we can rise from one to the other. Heaven moves like our shadow: the love and kindness we show below draw down His love and kindness upon us. The Chanukah lamps show how dear we are to Him, and answering that love with our own, beyond what is required, is teshuvah out of love.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.