Today, Zos Chanukah, is the last day of our celebration of "Chanu-Kah"--our
resting from war on the 25th day of Kislev. While other nations may
celebrate victories in war, we celebrate our rest from the war--the
**result** of the victory--which is for us to return to our Avodas
Hashem.
The Sefer Taamei Dinim U'Minhagim brings that today is the last
Day of Judgment from the Din that began on Rosh Hashana more than three
months ago. Hashem is a very gracious Father and allows us
tremendous opportunities to return to Him. We should spend some time
today contemplating how we can complete this process of judgment on a
positive note--how we, too, can celebrate this period in which we rejoice in
the result of the victory--with a renewed Avodas Hashem. Some
introspection and renewed commitment is certainly within the order of the
day.
Special Note Two: Many of us may be familiar with the famous
question of the P'nei Yehoshua--if the Halacha is that "tuma
hutra b'tzibur"--impure objects are permitted to be used by the
tzibur--then what was the problem using all of the oil rendered impure by the
Greeks? The menorah had to be lit for all of Klal Yisroel and, accordingly,
the impure oil was perfectly permissible for use by the tzibur.
Succinctly stated, the miracle of the oil was simply not necessary according
to Halacha! There is a beautiful answer to this question; given by
HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, Z'tl (whose Yahrtzeit is today, 3 Teves).
HaRav Shmuelevitz asks why we place such a great emphasis on the miracle
of finding the oil--even over and above winning the wars against the
Greeks themselves. After all, it is much easier to find things one would
not expect to find--than for a handful of people to defeat the
mightiest warriors in the world! Furthermore, with the finding of the small
jug of oil, a miracle happened for only an additional seven days.
Yet, because of the successful wars, the Jewish people and their
fulfillment of the Torah were saved forever.
To answer this question,
HaRav Shmuelevitz notes that the Torah goes out of its way to teach us that
when Yosef was brought down to Egypt by the merchants, they were carrying all
kinds of fine-smelling spices, rather than the odorous items that they
usually carried (See Beraishis 37:25, and Rashi there ). At first glance, it
is difficult to understand why what they were carrying mattered at all.
Yosef is at the nadir of his life. A few days ago, he had been learning
Torah with his father, the Gadol HaDor, and now he was surrounded by idol
worshippers who are going to sell him into slavery in a morally bereft
country. In a time of darkness such as this, would it make any difference at
all what the odors were around him?
The answer is a most definitive
"Yes!" The sweet smell of the spices and fragrances were intended to be a
sign to Yosef that even in his darkest hour Hashem was with him, and that he
was not lost or forgotten. Yosef now understood that there was purpose,
meaning, and a plan to what was going on around him. Every miracle, large or
small, indicates a "Haoras Panim"--a light from Hashem which shines upon the
person and reminds him that he is at all times in Hashem's
embrace.
So, too, here, the miracle of finding a jug of pure oil does, in
fact, pale in significance to the miracles that took place during
the incredible wars, and the glorious result for the Torah and the
Jewish people. Nonetheless, we celebrate the small jug because it
demonstrates Hashem's "Haoras Panim"--His singular love, His unique care, His
special concern for us as His children at all times and in all
circumstances.
A parent who does not appreciate his child will only
provide him with the absolute essentials that he really needs. On the other
hand, a parent who truly loves his child will go beyond what the
child absolutely requires, and will, in fact, go overboard and indulge
the child. If the miracle of Chanukah had only been to give the
"mighty into the hands of the weak" or the "many into the hands of the
few", this would have exemplified Hashem providing for our absolute
needs only, for He had assured our forefathers that we would continue to
exist as a Torah people, and His word must be kept. But the miracle
of Chanukah went well beyond that--it reached to the jug of oil. It
is this Haoras Panim that we celebrate--that Hashem's affection for us
is so great that it extended to that little jug.
Yes, tuma may be
hutra b'tzibur--but His love for us goes so much beyond that, and we can and
should reciprocate this feeling.
Important Numbers
