Dvar Torah for Chanukah

(DISCLAIMER: The halakhic synopses that appear in this or any dvar Torah of Breslov Research are meant only to provide necessary background for the dvar Torah in which they appear. These halakhic synopses are not meant as statements of halakha and are NOT to be relied upon in practice.)

The darkness of democracy shines strongly in our contemporary world. Everyone, savant or idiot, saint or miscreant, is entitled to an equal say in things, an equal opportunity to claim his way of thinking and behaving to be as legitimate as any other and even, perhaps, to foist it upon others.

This is part of the legacy of the villains of Chanukah, the Yavanim (Greeks).

Yet, there is something to this insanity. The idea that every individual is important and has something positive to contribute to the world, is the basis of Creation. When Hashem (God) created the universe He knew that the Jewish people as a whole would give Him much pride, continuously throughout history. He knew that every Jew that would ever have a bit of Jewish feeling–whether in ancient Egypt or in Jerusalem in its heyday. whether in an medieval European village or in a contemporary shopping mall–would give Him much pride. Hashem also knew that even the slightest motion that any Jew ever would ever make to improve or maintain his Judaism, would give Him immeasurable pride countless number of times!

Creation as a whole exists because of God's pride in the Jewish people. The specifics of Creation exist because of the pride that comes from every Jew. The details of Creation exist because of the pride that comes from a Jew's doing anything to be more Jewish.

The continual adding of light by any Jew, even the 'worstÓ one–as long as he still considers himself Jewish–makes the whole of existence worthwhile, for Hashem takes great pride in such a person.

(The basic mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah menorah is fulfilled even if one lights just one candle on each of the eight nights. Those who prefer to 'beautifyÓ the mitzvah would have each member of the house light one candle each night. Those who 'beautifyÓ the mitzvah very much, will have each person in the household light the menorah every night, with each of them lighting an additional candle each night, i.e., one the first night, two the second, etc.)

Where does the ability to 'light a candleÓ come from? Where does the ability to 'add each nightÓ come from? The ability to light comes from even a little jar of the kohen gadol's (high priests) oil–from even the briefest teaching of a genuine tzaddik. (In Yiddish, such a teaching is called a vort, literally a 'word.Ó)

Just how effective can a vort be? Normally a vort may inspire a person momentarily or carry him through the day. However, if one has been struggling to keep his Judaism true, a vort may miraculously burn for 'eight daysÓ–the seventy years of life in This world and on into the Next.

The following story is a sample of why Creation exists. By telling it we fulfill the following teaching of Rebbe Nachman: By telling stories of tzaddikim we draw the light of Mashiach onto the world and drive away a lot of darkness and pain (Alef-Bet Book, Clothing B:1).

Reb Yekusiel Halberstam, o.b.m., the Kloizenberger Rebbe, spent most of World War II in concentration camps. One Chanukah, he and a number of other Jews made preparations (secretly, under the threat of death) to kindle the Chanukah lights. (Their menorah was certainly not sterling silver. The oil was not cold-pressed virgin olive oil imported from Italy. The wick was not from combed cotton. Most likely a hollowed-out potato functioned as a menorah, some leftover grease was scraped out from the bottom of a pot from the camp's kitchen and smuggled into the barracks and a thread from a camp uniform was used for the wick.) Reb Yekusiel, all the Jews in his barrack, as well as others from neighboring barracks, gathered for the candle lighting.

(Every night of Chanukah two blessings are made before lighting the candles. The first is, 'Blessed are You God, our Lord, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.Ó The second is 'Blessed...Who performed miracles for our ancestors, in those days, at this time.Ó The first night a third blessing is said as well. 'Blessed...Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time.Ó)

Reb Yekusiel was well-known and well respected by all the prisoners and was chosen to light the 'menorah.Ó After he made the first two blessings he paused and turned around. He saw the Jews crowded around him, leaning forward, listening and looking with anticipation. He turned again, made the third blessing and lit the candle.

Afterwards, one of the prisoners, a non-observant Jew from Poland, asked Reb Yekusiel. 'Rebbe, I can understand and appreciate the need and desire to light the Chanukah candle. I can even understand that we ought to thank God for the mitzvah and the miracles He has performed in the past. But the THIRD blessing?! How can we ever possibly justify thanking God for keeping us alive at a time like this?!Ó

'I also had this question,Ó the Kloizenberger replied. 'That is why I hesitated and turned around before the final blessing. Could I say this blessing in the presence of such suffering? But when I saw all those precious Jews leaning forward, waiting and wanting to be part of the mitzvah, despite all they had been through, I realized that we were indeed fortunate that God has kept us alive in this time.Ó

May his merit and that of all the tzaddikim protect us and every Jew. Amen.

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!