From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Becoming Children: Love Born of the Miracle
Al HaNissim speaks of “Your people Israel,” then, as the Jews return to the Beis HaMikdash, suddenly of “Your children.” Why the change? And if the first of Chanukah's eight days marks the victory in war, why is a victory remembered with lamps rather than a feast?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Al HaNissim
וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּאוּ בָנֶיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ, וּפִנּוּ אֶת הֵיכָלֶךָ, וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ, וְהִדְלִיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ.
And afterward Your children came to the inner chamber of Your House, cleansed Your Heichal and purified Your Mikdash, and kindled lights in Your holy courtyards.
1In Al HaNissim we say, “And afterward Your children came to the inner chamber of Your House.” Notice the wording. Why does the prayer speak here of “Your children,” when earlier it said “Your people Israel”?
וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּאוּ בָנֶיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ (נוסח תפלת על הניסים). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, לָמָּה הִזְכִּיר כָּאן הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳בָּנֶיךָ׳, וְשִׁינָּה מֵהַלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁנָּקַט בּוֹ לְעֵיל ׳עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל׳.
Sources here
In shortWhy does Al HaNissim switch from “Your people Israel” to “Your children” when it tells of the return to the Beis HaMikdash?
2Let us also first cite the question of the :1 why were eight days established, when the oil in the cruse was enough to burn for one day, [so the miracle lasted only seven days]? Some answer that the first day was established for the miracle of the victory in the war.2 Others challenge this:3 if so, why was the miracle of the victory to be remembered by kindling lamps? What does a victory have to do with kindling lamps? They should have marked that miracle with a feast and rejoicing, which suits a victory in war much better.
וְנַקְדִּים עוֹד קוּשְׁיַית הַבֵּית יוֹסֵף (סימן עת״ר) מַדּוּעַ קָבְעוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים, הֲרֵי הָיָה בַּשֶּׁמֶן דַּי בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַדְלִיק יוֹם אֶחָד, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁתֵּירְצוּ (פרי חדש, מחזיק ברכה) שֶׁיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן קָבְעוּ עַל נֵס הַנִּצָּחוֹן בַּמִּלְחָמָה. וְהִקְשׁוּ עֲלֵיהֶם (עיין פרי מגדים משבצות זהב שם) דְּאִם כֵּן לָמָּה קָבְעוּ לְהַזְכִּיר נֵס הַנִּצָּחוֹן עַל יְדֵי הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת, מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ לְנִצָּחוֹן עִם הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת, וְהָיָה לָהֶם לִקְבּוֹעַ זִכְרוֹן הַנֵּס עַל יְדֵי סְעוּדָה וְשִׂמְחָה שֶׁהוּא שַׁיָּיךְ יוֹתֵר לְזֵכֶר נֵס הַנִּצָּחוֹן בַּמִּלְחָמָה.
- Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 670. ↩
- Pri Chadash; Machazik Berachah. ↩
- See Pri Megadim, Mishbetzos Zahav there. ↩
In shortIf the first of the eight days marks the victory in war, why is a victory remembered with lamps and not with a feast?
3aWe can resolve this. The Gemara says, “When Bnei Yisrael do the will of the Omnipresent, they are called children; when they do not do the will of the Omnipresent, they are called not children but servants.”4 Elsewhere, on the verse “They upheld and accepted,” the Gemara says that they upheld what they had already accepted at Mount Sinai. explains: out of love for the miracle that was done for them.5 It seems from this that when Hashem performs a miracle for Israel, love of the miracle brings Bnei Yisrael back to their Creator in teshuvah out of love. So it was with the miracle of Purim, when they accepted the Torah out of love. And surely the same happened with the miracle of Chanukah. When they won the war and saw how great was the miracle of “You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few,” fondness and love for the miracle brought them all back in teshuvah. Even the Hellenists among them, the Jews who had taken on Greek ways, returned, and they took it upon themselves to keep the Torah wholeheartedly.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְיַישֵּׁב, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (עיין בבא בתרא י, א), בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם נִקְרָאִים בָּנִים, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֵין קְרוּיִים בָּנִים אֶלָּא עֲבָדִים. וְהִנֵּה בַּגְּמָרָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (פח, א) אִיתָא עַל פָּסוּק (אסתר ט, כז) ״קִיְּימוּ וְקִבְּלוּ״, קִיְּימוּ מַה שֶּׁקִּבְּלוּ כְּבָר בְּהַר סִינַי, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י, מֵאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם. נִרְאֶה מִזֶּה, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נֵס לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲזַי עַל יְדֵי אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שָׁבִים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל בּוֹרְאָם בִּתְשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר הָיָה בְּנֵס פּוּרִים שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה. וּבְוַדַּאי כְּמוֹ כֵּן הָיָה גַּם בְּנֵס חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר נִצְּחוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְרָאוּ גּוֹדֶל הַנֵּס שֶׁל ׳מָסַרְתָּ גִּבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים׳, אֲזַי מִתּוֹךְ חֲבִיבוּת וְאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס חָזְרוּ כּוּלָּם בִּתְשׁוּבָה אַף הַמִּתְיַוְּונִים שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם, וְקִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בִּתְמִימוּת.
In shortA miracle awakens love, and love brings teshuvah: as at Purim, so at Chanukah the victory brought all of them, even the Hellenists, back to the Torah.
3bWhen Israel serves its Creator out of love, it stands as a child before Him. It is like a son who does his father's will with great love, not like a servant who serves his master under compulsion, only to discharge his duty. That is what Chazal meant by “When Bnei Yisrael do the will of the Omnipresent, they are called children.” “Do His will” means that they serve Him out of love. One who serves out of love serves because all he desires is to do Hashem's will, and that is the level of children. One who serves out of fear, however, is as if he serves himself, since he is afraid that punishment will come upon him, and that is not called “doing His will.”
וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדִים אֶת בּוֹרְאָם מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבָה, הֵם בִּבְחִינַת בָּנִים, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַבֵּן שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה רְצוֹן אָבִיו בְּגוֹדֶל אַהֲבָה, וְלֹא כְּעֶבֶד שֶׁעוֹבֵד לַאֲדוֹנוֹ מִתּוֹךְ כְּפִיָּה כְּדֵי לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. וְזֶהוּ הַמְּכֻוָּון בְּאָמְרָם ז״ל בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם קְרוּיִים בָּנִים, ׳עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ׳ הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁעוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ מֵאַהֲבָה, שֶׁכֵּן הָעוֹבֵד מֵאַהֲבָה עוֹבֵד מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל חֶפְצוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת בָּנִים, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן הָעוֹבֵד מִיִּרְאָה שֶׁהוּא כְּאִילּוּ עוֹבֵד אֶת עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁיָּרֵא שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹא עָלָיו עוֹנֶשׁ, וְאֵין זֶה קָרוּי ׳עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ׳.
In shortServing out of love is the level of children: Chazal's “doing His will” means serving from love, while serving from fear is serving oneself.
4This explains the wording of the prayer: “And afterward Your children came to the inner chamber of Your House … and kindled lights in Your holy courtyards.” They had seen the greatness of the miracle in the victory, “You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak …,” and this brought them to teshuvah and to serving out of love. As a result they rose to the level of “children” that Chazal describe. That is why it was “Your children,” of all names, who came to the inner chamber of Your House. “And kindled lights in Your holy courtyards” refers to the miracle of the cruse of oil that was done for them. For once the miracle of the war had brought them to do Hashem's will with love, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them His affection in return and wanted them to keep the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in purity. As the writes, it is not fitting for the children of the Omnipresent to perform a mitzvah without purity.6
וּבָזֶה יִתְבָּאֵר הַלָּשׁוֹן בַּתְּפִילָּה ׳וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּאוּ בָנֶיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ וְכוּ׳ וְהִדְלִיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁלְּאַחַר שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת גּוֹדֶל הַנֵּס בְּנִצְחוֹן הַמִּלְחָמָה, כָּאָמוּר ׳מָסַרְתָּ גִּבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים׳ וְכוּ׳, עַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאוּ לִידֵי תְּשׁוּבָה וַעֲבוֹדָה מֵאַהֲבָה, וּמִמֵּילָא בָּאוּ לְמַעֲלַת ׳בָּנִים׳ כַּנִּזְכָּר, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה דַּוְקָא בָּאוּ ׳בָּנֶיךָ׳ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ, ׳וְהִדְלִיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ׳ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם הַנֵּס בְּפַךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ עַל יְדֵי הַנֵּס בַּמִּלְחָמָה לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּאַהֲבָה, אֲזַי זֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה אַף הקב״ה הֶרְאָה חִיבָּתוֹ לָהֶם וְרָצָה שֶׁיְּקַיְּימוּ אֶת מִצְוַות הַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּטָהֳרָה, וּכְמוֹ דְּאִיתָא בִּפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (שבת כא, ב), כִּי לֹא נָאֶה לְבָנָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ מִצְוָוה שֶׁלֹּא בְּטָהֳרָה.
- Pnei Yehoshua on Shabbos 21b. By law, impurity is permitted for a whole community, so the Menorah could have been lit with impure oil. ↩
In shortThe victory made them Hashem's children, so “Your children” entered His House, and He answered with the oil so His children could light in purity.
5So what brought them to this level was the victory in the war, but the main thing was the miracle of the oil. This answers our question: the miracle of the war, too, is remembered by kindling lamps, because the miracle of the war brought them to the level of children and earned them the miracle of the cruse of oil.
נִמְצָא שֶׁהַגּוֹרֵם לָזֶה לָבוֹא לַמַּדְרֵיגָה הַזֹּאת, הָיָה נִצְחוֹן הַמִּלְחָמָה, אֲבָל הָעִיקָּר הָיָה נֵס הַשֶּׁמֶן, וְלָכֵן עוֹשִׂים זֵכֶר לְנֵס הַמִּלְחָמָה גַּם הוּא בְּהַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת, הֱיוֹת וְנֵס הַמִּלְחָמָה גָּרַם לָהֶם לְהַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרִיגַת בָּנִים וְלִזְכּוֹת לְנֵס פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן.
In shortThe victory is remembered with lamps because it made them children and so earned them the miracle of the oil.
6This also lets us explain why the mitzvah of Chanukah has levels of mehadrin, those who beautify the mitzvah, and mehadrin min hamehadrin, the most beautiful way of all,7 which we do not find with any other mitzvah. By what we have explained, this fits well. That is the way of a son: he wants to keep his father's command in the finest and most fitting way, devotes himself to doing his will, and shows how much he loves his father. So in the mitzvah of Chanukah, through which Bnei Yisrael reach the level of children, we find hiddur mitzvah, the beautifying of a mitzvah, most of all.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר מַה שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּמִצְוֹות חֲנוּכָּה עִנְיָן שֶׁל ׳מְהַדְּרִין׳ ו׳מְהַדְּרִין מִן הַמְּהַדְּרִין׳, מַה שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ כֵּן בִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְוֹות. וּלְהַמְּבוֹאָר אָתֵי שַׁפִּיר, כִּי כֵן הוּא דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל בֵּן שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַות אָבִיו בְּאוֹפֶן הַיּוֹתֵר מְעוּלֶּה וְנֵאוֹת, וּמוֹסֵר עַצְמוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ וּמַרְאֶה גּוֹדֶל חִיבָּתוֹ לְאָבִיו, וּלְכָךְ דַּיְיקָא בְּמִצְוֹות חֲנוּכָּה שֶׁבּוֹ בָּאִים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִבְחִינַת בָּנִים, מָצִינוּ בְּיוֹתֵר עִנְיַן הִידּוּר הַמִּצְוָוה.
- Shabbos 21b. ↩
In shortOnly Chanukah has levels of mehadrin, for through it we become children, and a loving son does his father's will in the finest way.
7This also lets us explain the words the paytan, the liturgical poet, set in Maoz Tzur: “The men of understanding, bnei vinah, established eight days for song and joyous praise.” Why did he choose the words “men of understanding” for the establishing of the eight days? The phrase hints at teshuvah, for, as is well known, teshuvah depends on binah, understanding.8 Further, when a person does teshuvah, he is privileged to gain understanding and true knowledge. And as we said, by the power of the teshuvah they did out of love for the miracle, they earned the miracle of lighting the Menorah for eight days. That is “The men of understanding … eight days”: through binah they earned the “eight days” that were “established for song and joyous praise.” For through binah the miracle of the oil was done for them, and they established the eight days for all generations.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ מַה שֶׁיִּיסֵּד הַפַּיְּיטָן ׳בְּנֵי בִּינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים׳, וְלִכְאוֹרָה מָה רָאָה לִנְקוֹט ׳בְּנֵי בִּינָה׳ כָּאן בְּעִנְיַן קְבִיעַת יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה. אַךְ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳בְּנֵי בִּינָה׳ הוּא רֶמֶז עַל בְּחִינַת תְּשׁוּבָה, דִּתְשׁוּבָה תַּלְיָא בַּבִּינָה כַּיָּדוּעַ (עיין מגילה יז, ב, וזוהר ח״ג י, ב, ופרי עץ חיים שער ז פי״ב), וְעוֹד, דְּכַאֲשֶׁר עוֹשִׂים תְּשׁוּבָה זוֹכִים לְבִינָה וּלְדַעַת אֲמִיתִּי, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁעָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס, בְּכֹחַ זֶה זָכוּ לְהַנֵּס שֶׁהִדְלִיקוּ הַמְּנוֹרָה שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. וְזֶהוּ ׳בְּנֵי בִּינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה׳, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַבִּינָה זָכוּ לִ׳יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים׳, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה נַעֲשָׂה לָהֶם הַנֵּס בַּשֶּׁמֶן, וְקָבְעוּ שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים לְדוֹרוֹת.
- See Megillah 17b; Zohar III 10b; Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar 7, ch. 12. In Shemoneh Esrei, the blessing for teshuvah follows the blessing for understanding. ↩
Sources here
In shortMaoz Tzur's “men of understanding” points to teshuvah, which depends on binah; their teshuvah out of love earned the eight days of the oil.
8This lets us explain a dispute among the halachic authorities9 about a traveler who cannot light and does not see a Chanukah lamp either: must he say Shehecheyanu, the blessing “Who has kept us alive”? Some say he does not, since the blessing is said because of the lamps. But the Meiri holds that he does say it, as on every Yom Tov, when one says Shehecheyanu even without wine;10 the blessing was only set, ideally, together with the Kiddush of the day, but it is really for the day itself. The same is true of Chanukah. By what we have said, the Meiri's view is well understood. The blessing should not depend on the lamps, for they earned the miracle of the oil only out of love for the miracle of the victory, and even before the Menorah was lit they felt love and fondness for the miracle. So even without lighting a Chanukah lamp, one should say Shehecheyanu over the great miracle of the victory.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַחֲלוֹקֶת הַפּוֹסְקִים (מאירי שבת כג, א. ועיין פרי חדש תרעו סק״א), בְּמִי שֶׁבָּא בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְאֵין יְכוֹלֶת בְּיָדוֹ לְהַדְלִיק, וְגַם אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה, אִם צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ, דְּיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ, כִּי הַבְּרָכָה בָּאָה מֵחֲמַת הַנֵּרוֹת, אַךְ דַּעַת הַמְּאִירִי שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ, וּכְמוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ יַיִן מְבָרֵךְ (עירובין מ, ב), רַק שֶׁלְּכַתְּחִילָּה קָבְעוּ הַבְּרָכָה עַל בִּרְכַּת קִידּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם, אַךְ הַבְּרָכָה הִיא מֵחֲמַת עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם, וּכְמוֹ כֵּן בַּחֲנוּכָּה. וּלְפִי מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ מוּבָן הֵיטֵב שִׁיטַת הַמְּאִירִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לְבָרֵךְ, כִּי אֵין לִתְלוֹת הַבְּרָכָה בְּנֵרוֹת, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶׁזָּכוּ לְנֵס הַשֶּׁמֶן, הוּא מִתּוֹךְ אַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שֶׁל הַנִּצָּחוֹן בַּמִּלְחָמָה, וּכְבָר קוֹדֶם הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת הַמְּנוֹרָה הִרְגִּישׁוּ אַהֲבַת וַחֲבִיבוּת הַנֵּס, וְלָכֵן גַּם בְּלֹא הַדְלָקַת נֵר חֲנוּכָּה יֵשׁ לְבָרֵךְ שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ, עַל גּוֹדֶל הַנֵּס בְּנִצְחוֹן הַמִּלְחָמָה.
In shortThe Meiri's view, that a traveler without lamps still says Shehecheyanu, fits: love of the victory came even before the lamps.
9This explains what the holy sefarim say in the name of R' Dovid of Dinov:11 the day of Zos Chanukah, the eighth day of Chanukah, is especially suited to teshuvah and the forgiveness of sins. This is in the spirit of the verses “With this shall Aharon come into the holy place” and “With this shall the iniquity of Yaakov be atoned,”12 verses that point to teshuvah and atonement for Israel. For we have seen that all the days of Chanukah are days of teshuvah, just as in those days they returned to Hashem out of love for the miracle done for them. But we must worry that we may not have been privileged to do teshuvah properly during the days of Chanukah. So we were given a last day, in the spirit of “the last is the most beloved.”13 This last day, after we have received the lights of the days of Chanukah, is a time especially suited to teshuvah. So any of us who has not yet been privileged to do teshuvah properly can still set it right on this last day, in the spirit of “One may acquire his world in a single hour.”14
וּבָזֶה מְבוֹאָר מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (בני בנימין בשם מהר״ד מדינוב), שֶׁבְּיוֹם זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה הוּא זְמַן מְסוּגָּל בְּיוֹתֵר לִתְשׁוּבָה וּמְחִילַת עֲוֹונוֹת, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא טז, ג) ״בְּזֹאת יָבוֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקּוֹדֶשׁ״, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו כז, ט) ״בְּזֹאת יְכוּפַּר עֲוֹן יַעֲקֹב״, שֶׁפְּסוּקִים אֵלּוּ מוֹרִים עַל בְּחִינוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה וְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹונוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁהֲרֵי נִתְבָּאֵר שֶׁכָּל יְמֵי הַחֲנוּכָּה הֵם יְמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבַּיָּמִים הָהֵם שָׁבוּ אֶל ה׳ מֵאַהֲבַת הַנֵּס שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם. אָכֵן יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ שֶׁמָּא לֹא זָכִינוּ בְּמֶשֶׁךְ יְמֵי הַחֲנוּכָּה לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה כָּרָאוּי, וְעַל כֵּן נִיתַּן לָנוּ יוֹם אַחֲרוֹן, בִּבְחִינַת אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב (בראשית רבה עח ח), שֶׁאָז הוּא זְמַן מְסוּגָּל בְּיוֹתֵר לִתְשׁוּבָה, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכְּבָר קִבַּלְנוּ אֶת הָאוֹרוֹת שֶׁל יְמֵי חֲנוּכָּה. לָכֵן כָּל אֶחָד מֵאִתָּנוּ שֶׁלֹּא זָכָה עֲדַיִין לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה כָּרָאוּי, יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן עוֹד בָּזֶה הַיּוֹם הָאַחֲרוֹן, בִּבְחִינַת יֵשׁ קוֹנֶה עוֹלָמוֹ בְּשָׁעָה אַחַת (עבודה זרה י, ב).
- Bnei Binyamin, in the name of R' Dovid of Dinov. ↩
- Vayikra 16:3, said of the Kohen Gadol's entry on Yom Kippur; Yeshayahu 27:9. ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 78:8 (the sefer has 78:11). ↩
- Avodah Zarah 10b. ↩
In shortWhoever has not yet repented properly during Chanukah is given its beloved last day, when one hour can still acquire a world.
10May Hashem grant that we be privileged to serve Him as His children. Then He will have compassion on us “as a father has compassion on his children,” and bring us “from darkness to light,” to the great light of King Moshiach.15 We know that King Moshiach will come only through our doing teshuvah.16 Through this time, so especially suited to teshuvah, may we be privileged to see the hidden light revealed, the light we can gain in the days of Chanukah. May we be privileged to see the great light “before the coming of the great day of Hashem,”17 and may we “give thanks to Your great Name.” Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְעָבְדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּבְחִינַת בָּנִים, וְאָז יְרַחֵם ה׳ עָלֵינוּ כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים, וְיוֹצִיאֶנּוּ מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה, לְאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, וְיָדוּעַ (עיין סנהדרין צז, ב. וירושלמי תענית א, א) שֶׁאֵין מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בָּא רַק מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין תְּשׁוּבָה, וַיְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁמְּסוּגָּל מְאוֹד לִתְשׁוּבָה, נִזְכֶּה לְהִתְגַּלּוֹת אוֹר הַגָּנוּז אֲשֶׁר זוֹכִים בִּימֵי חֲנוּכָּה, וְנִזְכֶּה לְאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל, לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה׳ הַגָּדוֹל, וְנוֹדֶה לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
- Tehillim 103:13; Pesachim 116b. ↩
- See Sanhedrin 97b; Yerushalmi Taanis 1:1. ↩
- Malachi 3:23. The closing words are from Al HaNissim. ↩
In shortMay we serve Hashem as His children, and through teshuvah see the hidden light and the coming of Moshiach.
He opens with his own question, why Al HaNissim turns to “Your children,” and with a challenge the later authorities raise: if the first day marks the victory, as some answer the Beis Yosef’s question, why is a victory remembered with lamps? Chazal call Israel children when they do Hashem's will, and Rashi says that at Purim the Jews accepted the Torah out of love for the miracle. So too the victory of Chanukah brought all of them, even the Hellenists, back in teshuvah out of love, and serving out of love is what makes one a child. As children they entered His House, and He answered with the miracle of the oil so that they could light in purity; that is why the victory, too, is remembered with lamps. The same idea explains the mehadrin, Maoz Tzur's “men of understanding,” the Meiri's Shehecheyanu, and why Zos Chanukah, the beloved last day, still opens the door to teshuvah.
Takeaway
Hashem's miracles are meant to awaken our love, and love turns a servant into a child. When we let His kindness draw us back to Him, we no longer serve only to discharge a duty but long to do His will in the finest way, as the mehadrin of Chanukah show. And if the days of Chanukah slipped by without real teshuvah, Zos Chanukah, the beloved last day, is still here, and one sincere hour can acquire a world.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.