3 Chanukah Inspirational Ideas from Rabbi Soloveitchik and Rav Kook by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

okay good morning everyone Booker nice uh nice to see everyone wish everyone a kanak and uh thank you for joining this morning for uh for some words of kuk for some T Torah we'll learn together and I will share a few ideas ideas this morning related to khaka that will be uh hopefully an inspiration for all of us we begin with a capital to hm and we have our soldiers in mind those that are injured in mind the hostages we have them in mind as well as we recite the [Music] okay so we uh we will give a special Focus this morning in our learning to ideas that relate to khaka and again hopefully to find inspiration and to find in uh in these ideas and these teachings and I think what I'm sharing this morning um speaks to khaka but also speaks to the mat speaks to the situation that uh that we are in the very challenging situation A Time Of War and um and so let me share the following with you the uh let me begin and I'll share three three ideas with you this morning let me begin with an idea that comes from RAB y z and he um has a very interesting comment in terms of uh the alhan prayer that we include in our daving that we include in bat maone and um if we look at that I'm going to highlight one line from the uh from the alanm we see something that is uh somewhat striking and that is all of the poetic terminology that is used in the uh in the AL and we're familiar with this line that God Gave Over the strong in the hands of the of the weak and the many in the hands of the few and the impure in the hands of the pure the wicked in the hands of the righteous those that are that were guilty in the hands of those that were in engaged in t those that were engaged in Torah study it's an interesting uh interesting terminology or set of terms that are used here and the question is what is all the uh what's all the Poetry why and why is this so different to some degree than the Alan in the paragraph of the Alan that we see in purum and R salvic answers in a in in a very interesting way he says what we have here is really something that's being camouflaged in the alhim that we need to read between the lines and part of the story of khaka an unfortunate part of the story of khaka is uh the infighting within the Jewish people the animosity that there was within am Israel in terms of those that were part of the religious community those that were dedicated to uh to the ways of the Torah and those that were leaving the uh the ranks those that were assimilating those that were taking on the the ways of the Greek culture around them Not only was there a battle between the Jews and the Greeks but there was a uh a kind of civil war that was going on at the same time there was a lot of infighting that there was a lot of um a lot of enmity between within the ranks of the Jewish people and RAB salic says that the Alim is alluding to that as well it's interesting one of the terms of final term in that poetic section [Music] is Zim is like the word which we know that's a word that's found in the gamarra it's a term that's used for a Jew generally a Jew that that that intentionally does an AA to do an AA bazid with intent it's not generally a term that would be used for non-jews those that were and those that were Zim and we have also t beim one who is T and tahor again those are terms that are usually used in a Jewish context not referring to non-jews so here salich points out that the Alim and it doesn't want to say it openly it doesn't want to say it outright but it says it in poetic terms it's camouflage here in the Alim that part of the story of khaka and what led up to the miracle of Kaneka and the challenging time that led towards the Wonders and miracles of khaka was a really a very difficult time for the Jewish people in general in terms of uh as I said in terms of an infighting in terms of animosity that was found within the Jewish people it's interesting that prior to the war there was a lot of discussion around that and a very very difficult challenging time in Israel in terms of in terms of the uh the the split between in uh different positions um and uh and we found a lot of again similar to the khaka story animosity and enmity that we found within the Jewish people the war has brought us together and that's part of what the battle the battles of Kaneka and the Wonder and the Miracle of Kaneka brought the Jewish people back together again so it's an interesting interesting aspect of of kanaka and interesting in terms of what's alluded to in the according to RAB Sal one of the themes of khaka one of the beautiful themes of khaka is the idea of peace is the idea of Brotherhood is the idea of unity and turning to AIC Source thiss he writes about the personality of khaka and in theic world in the mystical World they uh they try to attribute different Torah personalities to different holidays that every holiday that every Festival that there's one personality in the Torah who is representative of that holiday and who is the personality and who is that um that person in the Torah that represents or is representative of khaka and theic writings it's Aron it's and why is that and I'll just read a line to you from the he writes the power of khaka the unique nature of kanaka is connect to that there was a Holiness that Aon brought into the world that's connected to kanaka it becomes revealed inaka now one idea or maybe the most basic idea is that aren is the one who lights the manura he's the very first to light the manura the Coen godal he's very much connected to the to mishkan to bet mikdash and in particular to the lighting of the Bora but he writes also this we also have another interesting connection and that is the number eight and the eight garments of the that the clothing and here he talks really about some mystical idea that that every that every garment that he wears connects to the eight garments connects to the eight days of khaka not sure exactly how that works out and then he also writes that there's a connection and one of the aspects or one of the parts of the big dayun is what's known as theur and the or also the Light of the uh the light of kanaka and the light that emanated from the Kosen so this also this according to is a special connection that relates to Aaron but there's another aspect of aronin and this isas speaks about as well and that Aon is the great peace maker that he brings people together famously we have the midrashim that talk about Aron that he would go to parties individuals that were not talking to one another he would say to one of them you know the other the other fellow really wants to make up with you but he just uh you know he just doesn't have the confidence or he a little bit embarrassed to say it and then he would go to the other and he would say to the other person you know so and so wants to make up with you and he would bring he would bring people together he was a Great Peacemaker and is Right said that's one of the special aspects of Kaneka the peacemaking that we as a as a nation that we that we came together RAB salvic says of all the Miracles of kanaka the miracle of the battles the miracle of uh of the oil lasting eight days there's another miracle as well and that is the miracle The Wonder of the Jewish people of that Aus that was solidifi during Kaneka and that's something that is to be celebrated elov and his sa sa which is translated the book of our heritage which is a beautiful collection of teachings on uh on on the calendar in the Jewish calendar all the holidays he writes that there was a minog inim that amilies that were not getting along with one another that on khaka that on khaka that meals would be uh would be made where these families would come together and to make peace between uh between families that were not speaking to one another that were not getting along with one another and that was a minog an ancient minog in Yus during the eight days of khaka where that Minh come from it seems that part of the the theme one of the beautiful themes of Kana not always highlighted but which I'm highlighting right now and R Sal highlights is the idea of Shalom is the idea of aus just as in the time of kanaka how the Jewish people found that that sense of Brotherhood and love for one another which was somewhat lost in the days leading up to Kaneka that is part of the celebration and I think it it really speaks to our situation today and one of the beautiful things with all the suffering all the pain really very very difficult days as we're waking up every morning and we're reading about the loss of uh the loss of lives and the loss of soldiers every single day but with that one of the beautiful things that we're seeing at this time is the is the beautiful unity and Oneness of of cloud Israel and here especially here in ER Israel all right so that is that's one theme that I wanted to share with you and uh the second idea that I want to share with you is something which is found in the rambam the rambam codifies as he does all of Jewish law and he codifies the laws of kanaka and this is found this is in uh in his hilos khaka and he writes something which is very very interesting a lot of a lot of commentary on this and he talks about how special it is to light the manura he uses the following terminology and the comment the com the commentators on the are all puzzled why the rambam uses this phrase but he writes and I'll read it to you mitvah the Mitzvah of lighting the manur it's a very precious Mitzvah very very much he doesn't write this about other mitv in general doesn't write it about doesn't write it about chabas he writes about lighting the Mana using this very unique term and we know the rambam is very particular terms of every word that he uses in the mission Torah his choice of words he speaks about the lightting a person should be very careful when it comes to this in order to publicize the miracle that one should add to the praise of God for all the miracle that has done for us and then he writes the foll which is also puzzling and that is that he writes that one has to find every way possible to like the man even if it means asking for Sedaka even if it means taking from charity which we do not find the rambam does not write this when it comes to other mitzvot he doesn't say that one has to go knocking on people's doors or to take from charity in order to do the Mitzvah but he writes the following a even if a person does not have what to eat unless he collects money takes donations Mo he says a person must do that and he even has to sell Mo he even has to sell the shirt off his back and a person should with that money should then buy oil and uh should light the candles of manura this is really out of the ordinary we do not find this this language and this law which that pertains to other mitzvot and here the rambam says that one must go about even asking for Saka collecting Saka in order to fulfill the Mitzvah of n the question is why is this and RAB salich gives the following explanation and he says what is it that we are doing when we are lighting the manura we know Puma that we are publicizing the miracle we're not just publicizing the miracle but we're actually praying to Hashem and this really speaks to us today we're really praying to Hashem that Hashem performs Miracles again for us when we light the manura not only are we speaking about the past that there were wonders and miracles Nim of kanaka of the days past but B that we also want those miracles to occur again Hashem should be with us we should see Miracles we should see miracles in the battles in the war that we are engaged in right now Amel so RAB salv says if we want Hashem to perform miracles for us then we need to go out of our way we need to sacrifice as well we need to show Hashem that we're willing to do anything in order to fulfill this Mitzvah and in that way we're asking Hashem that Hashem you so to speak Hashem should should go out of your way that you should sacrifice that you should do something that you don't normally do on our behalf kind of like aidid and says that's what we're doing when we are lighting the man that's what this what it refers to that we have to go beyond right our our our comfort our comfort zone we have to even if it requires for somebody to sell their shirt off off their back to uh to collect from sadaka that we are sacrificing we are doing our utmost and when we are doing our utmost then we can turn to Hashem and say to Hashem Hashem you do your utmost as well and to provide for us Miracles and wonders and I think that's very much what we uh what we have in mind these days and what we are praying for maybe what we can be praying for as we light the manura cavana that we have when we light the manora each evening that we are praying to Hashem that we're ading to Hashem just as there was great Nim andot in the days of khaka please God that we should see them again and that we do everything possible to fulfill the Mitzvah in um in the most beautiful in the most beautiful way and in that way it's a so that is a a second teaching that I share with you and one third a a last idea a third idea and um here we come to one of the uh one of the most well-known arguments that we find in the gamarra between B and we're familiar with this in terms of the order the way that we light the manura and famously we have who sayses that we go up in Holiness that we Ascend in Holiness we do not go down we're always looking to ascend and therefore we start with one candle and then we go to a second candle a third candle until we reach eight candles and that's the way that we do it we p in like BAS actually one of the the r they say for is that spells out khaka so we know that the Ala is according to b h however there is another opinion the other opinion of B Shai B Shi says that we should do it in the opposite direction that we should start with eight and we should go down to one and it sounds a little bit strange right to start with all eight Flames all eight candles the first night and then we go to a single candle and uh again because we don't do it that way and that's not the appropriate way to do it it it does seem like a a strange sha like a strange way to to light the minur but I want to uh I want to share an idea in order to understand the uh the the position of ACL and uh maybe even see in in I'm sorry in the the position of Bei and maybe even to see in Bei his uh the beauty the beauty of his position as well so G the gamar asks what is Bei based on what is uh that idea of starting with eight and going to one so the answer that the gamar gives is it's based on the par H it's based on the the Bulls Ked par AAG the Bulls the sacrifices that were brought on the holiday of sukus now that sounds very very strange and what connection is there between the sacrifices that were brought during the week of sukus and the holiday of khaka and how does be shami make that parallel so the question is what were the Bulls what were those sacrifices what was that based on and the gamar says that it's based on the Nations the 70 Nations that 70 sacrifices were brought and they were brought on behalf of the nations of the world and what that means is that the Jewish people are concerned not only with ourselves not only with our nation but we're concerned with all the nations with all mankind and during sukus during the holiday of sukus these sacrifices were brought as a way of praying for as a way of turning to Hashem and ask for protection For All Mankind that everybody not only the Jewish people but every person should know the Oneness of God should know the the um the have the knowledge of the Oneness of God so be Shi seems to be correlating the holiday of kanaka with the holiday of sukus now what is the holiday of sukus all about again there's a lot to talk about in that area but one way of interpreting the holiday of and this is based in the rambam in theim is that it represents the holiday of coming to Israel so think about it for a moment we have PES that is The Exodus we have shivu that is the giving of the Torah and what is suus sukus is that Journey towards the land of Israel the rambam the way that the rambam says it the way that he expresses it in hisim is that pesak represents peoplehood it repres represents the nation of Israel and then we have Shabu we have Shabu which represents the Torah and what holiday represents ER Israel what represents ER Israel is sukus and that's the lulab and the esrog that which grows the agriculture of er Israel so sukus represents for us as a people our arrival our journey to erit Israel and when we come to erit Israel we have the building of of the BET mikdash and we speak about the bet mikdash we talk about the bet mikdash not only as a place of prayer for the Jewish people but the famous in where he says that it's a place of prayer for for all of the Nations it means that every person can come to the BET mdash and ideally what the betam mikdash represents is a light for all of the Nations that we are spreading goodness ethics morality the wisdom of the Torah the knowledge of God to all of mankind so according to B Shi what are we doing when we're lighting the candles we're lighting the candles which represent a a correlation to sukus is well and just as sukus represents the holiday of coming to Israel of the BET mikdash of spreading the light spreading the goodness of the Torah and of the Jewish people and of God's wisdom to all mankind kind that Bei says should be represented in the manur as well it's interesting that the manur is maybe the only Mitzvah we have the idea of presenting it to others of the Puma where we're bringing it outside literally to the to the front of our house according to the gamarra and as many people are doing today and spreading that light to everyone and according to salvic and to others that light that we put outside is not only is not only a light for other Jews to see but it's for everybody to see for the nations of the world to see as well so we see that we have a Mitzvah a Mitzvah in which we are bringing that light that we're bringing that Mitzvah and we're spreading it to to everyone not only to Jews but to all mankind as well and this is a way of understanding the the position of Bei Bei is saying when we are lighting the lights of the manur let those lights correspond to the idea of sukus let it let it let it relate to this idea just like the par just like theote were brought and they were brought on behalf of all the nations of the world let this light also be a light For All Mankind let it be a light in orim let it be a light for all nations for all Humanity to see and I think this is very much the uh very much relates to to the war that were in right now it's not only a war of uh of of Jews against against Kamas it's really an opportunity and we see that for for the Jewish people for the state of Israel to spread the light of God what is what is right what is good and what is evil and For All Mankind to see that and I think this is what Bei had in mind as well that the war with the Greeks was not only a war of the Jewish people you know defending themselves or returning to the bet mikdash but was a war in which the Jewish people were making a statement to the world in terms of goodness in terms of Ethics in terms of Morality In terms of of a God in this world uh as we come to uh you know the the Min hug right after the lighting of the manur of the Maur so as we come to the end of the Maur so we see that the theme is a theme in which we touch on Messianic times in which we are praying for for not only the Jewish people but for everyone to see the goodness of God and let me just read to you those lines that we've been we've been singing uh the last few days and please God the the coming days as well we say yes it's been very long it's been very long this wait for the Yeshua for the Salvation of the Jewish people there seems to be no end to to the evil days to these to these terrible days difficult days that we're in and again when we say these lines at this time they have uh they have a particular cavana that these are times that there's there's a lot of suffering that we are experiencing hard times that we are going through we pray that God drives away the uh the red one admon ad which refers to asav the descendants of asov who are oppressing us Bon they should be pushed away into the shadowy darkness and that's the last the final line of the uh of the of this of this song or of this prayer is that you should establish for us the roim Shiva or the Roa which is the Seven Shepherds established for us the Seven Shepherds the question is who are the Seven Shepherds what is the reference of the Seven Shepherds so interesting that's we know that there are seven what other time of the year that do we have the Seven Shepherds well we have the we have the usen we have the Seven Shepherds that join us in the Suka here we are again relating to the holiday of sukot but it's interesting that does not seem to be the reference here to the RO Shiva it seems to be that this is and it's a gamar that's found in gamar Suka and da 52b where it says the following it asked the question who are the Seven Shepherds it's based on aik where it says and the Seven Shepherds should be reestablished for us again referring to a Messianic time and the gamar says who is who does this refer to it refers to David Adam Adam Shas Seth mitak Abraham Yakov and Moshe that's the that's what the gamar that's what the gamarra says what's interesting is within this list you have abam Yakov Moshe David but you also have Adam and which means that you have three well it's interesting if you have sort of D in the center you have three on one side a Yakov and mosha and then you have Adam which you have Jews and non-jews right Jews and Gentiles that represent the Seven Shepherds that are going to be with us again that are going to lead us again in a in a Messianic in a Messianic time so it could be and again it's it's not clear but it could be that the reference in the ma is a reference to a time where both Jew and non-jew will have a revelation and understanding of Oneness of God that God will be with us once again in in a in a revelatory way where all people where all mankind will recognize the oness of so this according to be shami is and according to the gamar is why we light eight and we go down to one that it represents just as suus is the time of the Jewish people coming to the land of Israel the journey to the land of Israel ultimately building the BET mikdash and at that time bringing the light and the goodness of Judaism and the Torah to all humanity and just as that was a countdown the corbano were brought in in in that way where it started with a higher number and it and it came down to one Bei says we should do the same thing that we are emulating we are recreating so to speak those uh those Corban note and that celebration of sukus that we're bringing to khaka as well so I think that's part of uh part of the um our our prayers and our efforts during this time during this war is not only that it's a a time to wipe out Kamas which it certainly is and to wipe out evil but it's a time for all Humanity For All Mankind to see the ethical nature of the Jewish people of the state of Israel of the people of Israel and ultimately to see the goodness of of yahadus of Judaism and um and the greatness of the Torah and the Oneness of Hashem in the world and that is that is the great celebration of of KH and it's something that we uh that we are working towards that we are striving towards today as well in terms of the battle in terms of the war that we are in so we pray that just as uh just as there were great miracles in those days in the days of kanaka so too we pray bis it should be in our day as well that we should see the great Miracles that uh that all mankind not only the Jewish people every Jew should see it it's a time to share with others and as you said before a time of unity a time that we uh that we rededicate ourselves to mitzvot and that we sacrifice that we do all that we can for uh for every Mitzvah and with that please God to see uh to see the light of Hashem the light that emanates from the manura the light of Hashem that uh that will fill fill the world that we share with others we bring our manura outside we bring it to our windows we bring it to the front of our home for all to see for all the nations to see for all people to be inspired by the beauty of the Torah the morality of the Tor and uh and the Oneness of Hashem so we pray for uh we pray for better days ahead and that there should be peace we should be Victorious and um and that there should be shalom andus in Amel and with that let us uh let us conclude with the prayer ofu and we're thinking about all of our brothers and sisters our soldiers that are uh that are battling right now our uh our brothers and sisters who are in captivity and those that have been injured as well those that there should be AA to them and to everyone who uh who is going through difficult times uh we have we have one another in mind amen wish everyone a good day wish everyone thank you again for joining me this morning and uh we have throughout the week of kanaka every morning at this time at 10 30 uh teachers rabbis that will be uh sharing words of Torah and inspiration words of kuk and uh wish everyone a joyous week to celebrate kanaka and again we should only hear only good news good things from one another everyone have a good day