Emuna: Chanukah Candles, Holy Temple Candles

by Rabbi Re'em HaCohen, Rosh Yeshivat Otniel, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The central mitzvah of the Chanukah holiday - the eighth and last night of which we celebrate tonight - is the nightly lighting of the candles. As is well-known, this practice was instituted to commemorate the miracle of the Menorah lamps in the Holy Temple, which were lit for eight full days even though the oil was sufficient for only one day. We must therefore explain the essential relationship between these two commandments, namely, the lighting of the Menorah lamps and the lighting of the Chanukah candles. 

In the Al HaNissim prayer, we note that after the military victories of the Hasmoneans over the Greeks, and after the purification of the Holy Temple, "Your sons came and… lit candles in Your holy courtyards." We generally understand this as a reference to the lighting of the Menorah – but the Menorah is in the Sanctuary of the Temple, not in the Temple courtyards! The prayer must therefore be referring to the general lighting of Chanukah candles in the Ezrat Nashim and the Ezrat Yisrael, the courtyards of the Temple. But why is it important for the prayer to specify that the Chanukah lightings took place in the courtyards? 

The answer is that there is a difference between the Sanctuary and the courtyards. The Chanukah candles, burning in G-d's courtyards, correspond to the Temple service that is performed there – i.e., that which features human participation. Kabbalah sources identify the Azarah [courtyard] with the worlds of Asiyah, B'riah, and Yetzirah (Doing, Creation, and Creation) – worlds in which activities of differentiation between good and evil take place. This work requires of man to utilize all his strengths in the service of G-d. And in fact, a very large altar stands in one of the courtyards, the Ezrat Cohanim, just outside the Sanctuary; the Talmud (Yoma 21b) teaches that even though the altar fire descends miraculously from the Heavens, it is still a mitzvah for Israel to bring fire from a non-sanctified source. However, this must be done in holiness; that is, every Priest who takes part in the Azarah service on the altar must wash – purify – his hands and feet beforehand.  

On the other hand, the lighting of the Menorah takes place in the Sanctuary – where man totally and completely nullifies himself before the Holy One, Blessed be He. Therefore, man's non-sanctified fire has no place in the Menorah, whose fire must be kindled totally from the large fire burning on the Altar. A Priest who merely enters the Sanctuary, even without performing any service, is obligated in purification of hands and feet. The Sanctuary is therefore identified by the Kabbalah with the World of Emanation, the most supreme of the worlds; its essence is totally Divine, and the work of the other worlds - differentiating between good and evil - has no place here.  

As such, the basic difference between the service of the Sanctuary and that of the Azarah is rooted in the Divine task assigned to mortals. In the Sanctuary, man is required to minimize himself and his presence, while in the courtyards, he must actively participate.  

The Medrash notes that the Menorah passage in the Torah is adjacent to the passage recounting the sacrifices offered by the Tribal leaders for the dedication of the Tabernacle – the passage that we read aloud in the synagogue throughout Chanukah. These two passages represent the above two aspects - the Sanctuary and our self-minimization, and the Azarah and our participation. 

As such, the Medrash tells us that the sacrifices in general are offered only when the Holy Temple is extant, whereas the Menorah lamps are forever. The Ramban (to Bamidbar 8,2) explains that these lamps are those of Chanukah, "which we light even when the Temple stands in ruins." 

To fill out the picture of the relationship between the lighting of Chanukah candles and the Menorah lamps, let us delve into the following point: The foundation of the Menorah lighting is linked with "constancy." It must be a ner tamid, a perpetual light (Sh'mot 27,20). The Rambam explains that this means the Menorah must be kindled morning and evening, so that it remain lit at all times. Rashi, however, says that the Menorah must be kindled only every evening, such that it gave off light only at night – but every night! The Medrash Tanchuma says that once it was kindled on Rosh HaShanah, it never went out throughout the entire year. In this context of perpetual Divine illumination, we are commanded to nullify ourselves totally before G-d.  

Furthermore, although the Priest is the one who is commanded to light the Menorah, a non-Priest who lights is not punishable by death as if he had performed a Temple service activity – because lighting the Menorah does not have the status of a mortal Temple activity. 

In contrast with these non-mortal aspects of the Menorah lighting, we see that Chanukah lighting has a more down-to-earth status. For one thing, the Talmud rules that the actual lighting is what effects the mitzvah (as opposed to where it is placed after it is lit), meaning that it is specifically dependent upon man's actions.  

Similarly, the Chanukah candles must be lit at the entrance to one's house – his physical domain.  

What happens when the Temple is in ruins and there is no Temple service? The Menorah service sheds its aspects of "Sanctuary" and of man's minimization, and takes upon those of the Altar and of man's participation in the service of G-d.  

The illuminating power of Aharon HaCohen's teachings is expressed by the lighting of the Menorah. But after the destruction, this power continues to illuminate the light of the Torah through the Chanukah candles, lit by Klal Yisrael and directed outward. They express hope for the very soon return of the illumination of the Menorah, which expresses the inner illumination. That is, ideally Aharon HaCohen – the High Priest –spreads his Torah illumination via the Menorah; but after the destruction, this force continues to shine via the candles of Chanukah, which are lit by Klal Yisrael and are directed outwards. They express the hope for the restoration of the Menorah illumination, the inner light, very soon. 

Emuna for Chanukah: The Third Player in the Contest Between Good and Evil

by Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi of the Shomron Regional Council, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The Talmud tells us the story of the most famous Chanukah miracle: "When the Syrian Greeks entered the Holy Temple, they defiled all the oils in the Sanctuary. When the Hasmonean Kingdom later ascended and defeated them, the Jews wished to light the Menorah – but could find only one flask of pure oil that still retained the seal of the High Priest [attesting to its purity], and even this was sufficient for only one day. A miracle occurred, and they were able to light the Menorah for eight days." (Tr. Shabbat 21b) 

Two Forces 

A battle of titans has been raging for many centuries among various worldwide forces. During the ten generations between Adam and Noach, we note two powers that actually started in the Garden of Eden, represented by the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The first struggle began when the world split up into these two parts. Adam and Chava were commanded to both choose good and stay away from evil: "From all the trees in the garden, you may certainly eat, but from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, do not eat" (B'reshit 2,16-17). In this first battle, evil won out, thanks to the wily serpent which tempted Adam and Chava to eat from the forbidden tree, leading to their expulsion from Eden. 

Next came Kayin and Hevel (Cain and Abel), where again the evil emerged victorious over the good. For the ensuing eight generations, G-d gave humanity further chances to choose good, but the final conclusion was: "G-d saw that man's wickedness on earth was great, and that every impulse of his inner thoughts was only evil all the time" (6,5). There was no choice but to flood the world to destruction and rebuild it anew. 

The Triplicate Strand 

What change was to be expected in this new world? Why should the forces of evil not overcome those of good once more?  

The answer is that a triple strand was created. No longer would there be only two forces; to good and evil was added a third one, a mediating force. Just as a court cannot have only two justices, but must include a third one so that a clear decision can be reached, so too the world must not be left alone with only good and bad.  

From then on, the struggle became not simply a head-on clash between good and evil, but rather one in which each side tries to sway the third force to its side. If the forces of good are able to succeed in bringing those in the middle over to their side, the two of them together will overcome evil. But of course the opposite can also be true, Heaven forbid. 

During the next ten generations, from Noach until the Patriarch Avraham, each of the three powers found its place among Noach's three sons: Shem took the banner of the straight and good; Ḥam adopted that which is bad and impure; and Yefet was the intermediary force, blessed by his father accordingly: "May G-d enhance Yefet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem" (9,27).  

The Hashmonaim and the Greeks 

The Torah tells us (10,2) that Yavan (Greece) is descended from Yefet, the intermediary force between purity and impurity. The pious try to eat only when they and the food are pure, but even food that has become defiled is permitted for consumption. Yavan stands for the power of "regular food" - human thought, philosophy, all that shows the greatness of mortal wisdom. Sometimes, human thought joins up with sanctity and dwells in the tents of Shem, and sometimes it descends to the pits of impurity, leading to the ruination of that which is holy. 

When the Greeks rose to power, they chose to descend upon the latter path and join with the forces of evil, of Ḥam. They therefore warred with those who continued the path of Shem – Israel – and defiled all that was sacred. The coalition of intermediary and evil nearly defeated the holy. Many throughout the Jewish Nation were drawn to the immorality of Greek culture.  

But the evil did not reach the highest point of holiness in Israel, and the family of priests, led by the High Priest, remained untouched by the impurity: A flask of oil with the seal of the High Priest was saved – and from it Israel drew its strength to spread its light of purity. The light was increased, and gradually all of Israel was restored and returned to the Beit HaMikdash. Miraculously, the Menorah was lit for eight full days, one day after the other, until purity returned to the Nation of Israel.  

Good and Bad Coalitions 

We are witness today to a great empowering of a force that threatens to swallow everything. Nothing seems to stand in its way as it seeks to trample, expel, and destroy "every good portion" in its path. The non-holy powers that exist in Israel – science, academia, technology, integrity, basic ethics – all these should join up with the holiness in Israel, and together build a country on healthy and worthy foundations.  

Unfortunately, however, the median forces joined up with those of evil in many cases and allowed themselves to totally deteriorate. [Regarding the case of Israel's withdrawal from Gush Katif, which ultimately led to the recent Simchat Torah massacre and subsequent war in Gaza,] the courts that were responsible for basic morality abandoned their post and "legalized" the expulsion of thousands of families from their homes. The academic and media worlds were similarly silent in the face of this injustice, which was allowed to take place with barely a protest from these bastions of democracy. 

Here must come the forces of holiness and rise up with confidence and sense of mission to take up the mantle of leadership. They must attract and draw to them the positive forces that are certainly to be found among the "secular" public.  

The joining up together of holy and secular forces, with the holy leading the way, can and will ultimately shed its light on the negative forces found within our nation. Together, the two will succeed in neutralizing the poison of the evil elements and return them as well to the chain of positive action, to build and not destroy, to plant and not uproot.  

The nation walking in darkness will see great light!