Weekly Dvar Torah: Chanukah Basics

Chanukah is about oil, and Chanukah is about Chassidus. That’s why Chanukah follows Yud Tes Kislev within the same week.

We know the adage of the Rebbe Rashab; that just like the olive produces its oil when you press it hard, so too the Alter Rebbe after he was pressed in prison he increased in the teachings of Chassidus.

The holiday of Chanukah and its miracles can be understood well according to the explanation of Chassidus on the matter.

We say in V’Al Hanissim; “כְּשֶׁעָמְדָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְשָׁעָה, עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ = when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will”. The war of the Hellenistic régime against the Jews was to make them forget the Torah and the observance of Mitzvos.

When you pay close attention to the exact wording, it does not say that the Greeks wanted to take us away from Torah, rather it says; “to make them forget ‘Your’ Torah”. There is an extra word ‘Your’ inserted, implying that it was not a war against the study of Torah per se, rather it was a war against studying ‘Your’ Torah. The Greeks didn’t mind that Jews should study Torah like any other subject, but they objected to studying Torah as G-d’s Torah.

The same applies when we say; “to make them … violate the decrees of ‘Your’ will” the emphasis is on the ‘Your’ will, they didn’t mind the keeping of Mitzvos as a culture, but they minded that it was G-d’s will.

Then we describe the miracle; “מָסַרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים, וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים, וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים, וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים, וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְקֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ = You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah.”

To deliver the mighty into the hands of the weak, is an open miracle. But what is the miracle of delivering the impure to the pure, the wicked to the righteous, or the wanton sinners to those who keep Torah, what does this got to do with the victory of war?

When we realize that the Greeks waged a spiritual war against G-d and His people, then it all makes sense. The heart of the war was the fight over secularism vs G-dliness. And when G-dliness won, the Jews gained the victory.

Lastly, we describe what happened after the victory; “וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ, וְהִדְלִיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ = [they] purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards”. The same question can be asked; what does purifying the sanctuary and kindling the lights in the Temple have to do with the miracle of winning the war?

If the intent of the Greeks was to stop the Jews kindling the Menorah, they would empty and break all the jugs of oil. Instead they broke the seals and defiled the oil. What was their goal?

The Greeks knew that for the Menorah we need pure G-dly oil, and they hoped to prevent the light of purity the G-dly way. According to Halacha when there is no pure oil, one may use defiled oil because of extenuating circumstances. But the victorious Jews insisted on finding pure oil. Because if they would use impure oil, then there would be no victory. This is exactly what the Greeks wanted, throw away the holy, the pure, the G-dly, just use what we have. If we would succumb to this way of thinking, then the war would not have been won. Winning the war means eradicating the Hellenist thought process. A Jew does not settle for anything less than pure G-dliness.

This is where the oil of Chassidus blends with the oil of Chanukah. The miracle of the oil is about the light of Torah, the inner soul of Torah which is Chassidus. The miracles are illuminated with the inner light of Torah, to be able understand the true meaning of Chanukah.

We must celebrate Chanukah in every aspect of our lives. Whatever we do, we must make sure that it is pure and G-dly. To give in to secularism means that the Greeks have won, because this is what their war was all about.

The miracle of Chanukah is; G-d delivers the mighty to the weak, the many to the few, the impure to the pure, the wicked the the righteous, and the sinners to those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. And the Jews don’t compromise, but they work and seek to find the pure oil in the most miraculous way.

Just like in those days, so too at this time, the Jewish soul is wide awake saying the Shema and lighting the Chanukah candles, and it will not compromise to earn all the G-dly miracles. Amen.

Have an oily miraculous Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos and Happy Chanukah

Rabbi Yosef Katzman