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Part 6: Light Your Fire with Chanuka
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good morning happy kanah happy khah
happy that's quite all right good to see
everybody Boer to just a public service
announcement in addition to our class
this morning yimi video exclusively
shown at BRS I don't know if that's true
but it sounds good exclusively shown at
BRS at 10:30 this morning and 8:30
tonight is that accurate okay she's I've
never seen her but she's supposedly
phenomenal so everyone is invited and
encouraged to come here and listen and
learn from her okay today we're going to
study a piece
Ona right again every week we get
together on Wednesday mornings for an
injection of amuna Amun and are a topic
which are not just philosophical or
theological but following the
encouragement of the and his
introduction
to it's something that we just need to
be mindful of so every week we get
together we have our little Club our
little self-help group here a support
group to be mindful in amuna and
So today we're going to explore a little
bit how through the prism of of
um has a pamphlet it's not in his more
famous fum but he has a separate
pamphlet published on
M and there's so many phenomenal m in it
I was looking through it and choosing
one was difficult to do because they're
all very inspiring in different ways but
I like this one I thought this was a
very good pickme up the one that we're
going to study together and it's
called that is considered a very beloved
a very endeared
Mitzvah he begins by quoting the ramb in
the fourth chapter
of the r
writes right that the
is I'm not even sure exactly how to
translate means you feel affection
towards it's beloved it's it's um it's a
cherished mitzvah it's very unusual the
ram as we know is classically thought of
as the great rationalist the ramam does
not normally inject his emotion or his
feeling into describing a Mitzvah right
this sounds very touchy feely oh it's
such a beautiful it's so amazing it's so
special it's so Beloved the r just
usually says here's the Mitzvah and
here's how you do it and here's your
duty and responsibility towards it and
yet the r introduction
introduces that
it's it is not only
it's not only
beloved it's really super beloved it's
Uber beloved right so that's very
exaggerated for
the and a person has to be very careful
very Vigilant in observing it in order
to publicize the
miracle I think it should be I think
it's misprint and a person has to add to
the Praise of the almighty to gratitude
towards him for the Miracles that God
has done for us right that's the essence
of the way we observe khaka in the end
of the day at the root of khaka is
appreciation and gratitude where is Al
inserted in which the in unlike most
holidays where we say y y is inserted
after say into theod portion of
the is inserted into mod is all about an
extension of our sense of gratitude wow
God the Miracles you do for me all the
time this is a period of Miracles we're
looking for miracles we spoke last week
in our she in this year that these
are not it's not eight days these are
days brought to you by the number eight
we see eight in everything we do I was
talking to someone this morning maybe
the miracle happened with Shem Shan is
like Shona these are days of eight
everything about this eight days are
eight so normally I walk around and all
I see is the reality normally I'm a
realist whatever I see in front of me
that's the truth but for these eight
days of kanaka I use the light of the
manora not to be a realist but to see
with vision Beyond what's immediately in
front of me to recognize that um it it
there are miracles to be the few and
against the Mighty the weak the few
against the many the weak against the
mighty and yet to persevere to Triumph
you have to have a certain sense of of
vision and that's what these days are so
how do we Express that how do we express
that wow God even the ordinary is
extraordinary even the natural is
Supernatural we express it with
gratitude so for these eight days I'm
seeing the Miracles miracle that I woke
up this morning and all my faculties
work a miracle of a roof over my head a
miracle of if I'm blessed to have
children a miracle of a SP Miracle of
whatever the Miracles are in my life and
so what what is the responsibility what
is Hena we have a seat right here for
you what is the reaction that a person
should have when they see and appreciate
miracles
gratitude it's a sense of praising hem
wow God you're unbelievable you're
incredible look at these Miracles and
the sense of and the sense
of I saw a vort you know we insert Al in
the we insert Al
into but if you say Al even though
normally in Al you would add shab or you
don't add there is no reference
to why not
what you should everything should be
okay so maybe because the meal itself
you shouldn't be saying you're saying
you should be benching because you
should really have aah okay why else I
saw beautiful Insight
that is considered a abbreviated form of
benching so in order to insert Al and
you'd have to abbreviate it but you
can't abbreviate gratitude gratitude is
either the real thing or don't say it
you can't abbreviate gratitude you can't
give the Rashi Tavis the rash you can't
summarize gratitude you know yada yada y
thank you you got to really Express what
you're grateful for okay so continues
the an inent poor person who has nothing
to eat and relies on charity has to sell
the shirt on his back in order to buy
oil to light the candles that's what the
r writes had this is an unbelievably
beloved Mitzvah super uber
beloved so much so that you got to sell
the shirt on your back in order to
fulfill It Whatever It Takes which is
funny it's a rabic Mitzvah you got to
sell the shirt on your back in order to
we have a hierarchy and we have
priorities and normally we don't require
you to do such a thing even if it's just
an
exaggeration so says what does that mean
why is the r categorizing this as a
beloved cherish mitzvah
the ra doesn't describe other he doesn't
say lighting shabas candles or
orer
koser so beautiful he says it about
only the ra is very careful with his
language and the ra is not writing this
in where he describes a little bit more
the reasons and the essence of Mitzvah
he's writing this in his Miss Torah this
is a work it's a legal work
so since when in a legal work do you say
oh this law is really important Jay
walking's not so important but stopping
at a red light that's really you don't
start to you know uh label since when in
a legal work do you say this one's
really
important and besides aren't we warned
dur I Rabbi say not to assign values or
labels to mitzvos it's a very slippery
slope and dangerous it's an important
that's not so this is negotiable this is
flexible this is not we don't do that we
say that all Mitzvah are equal and that
we should be equally Vigilant and
scrupulous and and uh and passionate and
mindful and trying to observe them so
why is the ra
labeling is what does he love
about gave us all mitz with love and and
and with affection as we say
that's what we say in our daving that
God gave us the Torah with love so all
us are
cherished so the quotes the who wrote
one of of of Chernobyl who
was if you know anybody named tski they
are likely a
[Music]
descendant who uh who was a number of
splintering broke off from it including
sare including others
so right the
following love know we have that the
candles can't be above 20 AMA 30 ft in
the air and we learned that from uh Suka
and we learned that from Amo a certain
law having to do with aen when something
is too high off the street level if
you're in an apartment you could light
it in the window of your apartment even
if your apartment is more than 30 ft
from the ground but from street level
something that high you're not going to
see it won't catch your eye and since
the whole purpose of kanak candles is
purum to publicize the miracle if
something's going to be out of sight out
of mind then you're not fulfilling the
essence of publicizing the miracle so on
the one hand it can't be too high but it
can be low so he's picking up on the
fact that the man theuk can be placed
relatively low to the
ground relatively low to the ground and
even though we have a g that says
that that the hashem's presence never
descends lower than 10 10 is 30 to 40 in
30 to 40 in is uh 2 and 1/2 to 3 ft
right it's prettyy low to the ground so
hashem's never hashem's Essence the
doesn't descend so low
normally normally whether it's the honor
of hem is present right what does that
mean
exactly what does that mean exactly but
the hashem's presence the intensity of
his presence doesn't descend so low but
the it does and says what does that mean
it means that the light of khaka is
unique that it illuminates even for
those who are low to the ground even for
those who feel so low and rejected and
dejected and
despondent and this is how you
understand what our Rabbi
said the
shabas the M that we say on Friday night
tells us there certain you're not
allowed to use on chabas but you are
allowed to use those Wicks on kanah why
can't you use those Wicks on chabas
because on chabas we're very fearful
that if the Wicks don't light well they
don't catch well or they don't burn well
then you're trying to read next to the
candle lights on shabas night and you're
going to you're going to come to
manipulate them you're going to interact
with them trying to improve the light
and that of course would be a on shabas
that would be prohibited on shabas so
don't use a wick on chabas that won't
burn well that you may come to
manipulate and violate one of the 39
malas of shabas but KH we don't have
that same
concern other than the Friday night of
kanah we don't have that same concern so
even Wicks which are ineligible for
shabas says the gar those Wicks are
eligible to light
for so says the a beautiful kind of htic
interpretation of that statement then
not only is that true Hally but what
does that mean it means that we are
Wicks who sometimes don't light well
right we struggle to be inspired or we
don't burn well we struggle to maintain
that inspiration so there might be a law
for us on chabas but when it comes to
Kaneka khaka is our holiday you're
allowed to use us in other words you
could use the wick that doesn't burn
well that doesn't that doesn't light
well is eligible forah
this is a hint and illusion to Broken
Souls that the light of shabas is not
successful in inspiring and lighting
them
up because the light of shabas is very
elevated it's very lofty feel to feel sh
to feel transformed by the Holiness of
shabas is a very lofty thing
so is different in other words and and
by the way look empirically at the
United States of America and the average
assimilated Jew to the Jew who shabas
doesn't speak to them khaka still speaks
to them the candle that can't be lit by
shabas that candle is on fire with
Kaneka so you're not allowed to use
these Wicks and oils on shabas but you
can so the comes and interprets that not
only as a statement but as a htic
statement that it means that the souls
that are broken or that are distanced or
that aren't on fire they they're not
turned on by shabas but they can be
illuminated they can be turned on
normally things have to be the doesn't
go below 10 but kanaka God goes even to
those who are low to the ground even to
those who feel distant and Abandoned and
disconnected khaka still speaks to them
question sure I thought that the reason
why hanak is so important in this
country is because there's another
Holiday close to it and the Jewish
people feel like left out so that's why
a lot of assimilated Jews go to Hanah
but then I also believe I once learned
that at the time of msia when we will
not be celebrate some of the other y
toen we're still going to celebrate
Kaneka at true Hanah and purum I think
Miguel's ESS butla right even though the
the other holidays the my other minor
holidays will be cancelled these will
these will sustain you know that could
be the reason but I like to think theb
is describing too is that there's
something about the Miracles of khaka
there's something about the national
Victory Against All Odds of perseverance
of tenacity of the it's the story it
captures the story of the Jews of the
light of Kaneka that it speaks that it
speaks to people which actually
remarkable what's really extraordinary
about khaka is that not only is KH
almost universally observed do even the
most secular assimilated Jews know what
Kaneka is and have some even if the
manur is next to their tree they still
have a even if they have a Kaneka
designed to top the tree as we saw Bed
Bath and Beyond is selling this year a
Kana topper for your tree but there's
khaka but here's the amazing thing right
the gamar tells us that there's three
levels to observe khaka the primary
level to observe the Mitzvah is is If
You Light One Candle for eight nights in
a row in your house one candle each
night for eight nights you have
fulfilled the Mitzvah that's the
Mitzvah why doesn't it
say why stay has a whole other piece
where he talks about this is the holiday
of the of the home and of the family and
so on but you you fulfill the Mitzvah
with one candle then thear said just for
one no one candle each night eight
nights in a row light one lousy candle
boom done you fulfilled the Mitzvah
you're good you get a check then thear
says if you want to go above and beyond
a hi Mitzvah you don't have to you
fulfill the Mitzvah you want to do a hi
Mitzvah so light a candle for each
member of your house and then the says
you want to go really above and beyond
so light a candle for every night and
there's a big debate by the way between
the ramam and toos is the third level
built on the second level or is the
third level different than the second
level because for the rambam if you
light for every member of your house and
every night so you know can Hara we have
seven children so you know last night
the seven children and I each each you
24 K somebody walking by at night has no
clue what night it you know you you have
you have you've not fulfilled the third
level of letting people know what night
it is so the ra him any SP him here
correct me if I'm wrong but I believe
that's far light one manora right one
manora for the home this is what he put
in this week's weekly oh he did I should
read that I should really read that so
the
R so
yeah so that's the Rah the raham says if
you want to observe the third level it's
it takes the place of the second level
because otherwise they would be
conflicting so you light one manura
where you add one for every night that's
the r TOA says no they're not in
contradiction you could fulfill both and
that's why we
add what you're saying what what do you
mean one candle a night just like one
candle the basic Mitzvah is like one
candle mean not like on the second night
like no just one candle cand one candle
and you fulfill the Mitzvah tot totally
fulfilled the Mitzvah 100% fulfilled the
Mitzvah just like let me give you the
comparison just like sukus comes and I
can buy the $20 s Rogue and it's an srog
it's kosher yeah but you only have to
buy one srog no no I understand but I
could buy the srog and it's kosher it's
not the most beautiful srog it's not the
most symetrical srog it's got a little
bit but it's an srog and it's kosher and
Y done check did the Mitzvah or one
second or I can buy the $150 srog and O
boy is that anr it's beautiful so so too
with Kan I Light One Candle each night
one candle every night one candle done I
fulfilled the Mitzvah or I could do the
nice thing and light another candle
adding each night supp to do meaning
it's so ingrained in the in the psyche
of the most ignorant uneducated secular
Jew you have to light they have to light
a every night if they have the candle
and so all I'm pointing out is it's it's
remarkable that the most secular Jew is
fulfilling Kaneka on the highest level
right none of you you don't even
understand what I'm saying
because none of us have ever met a Jew
who doesn't fulfill the Mitzvah at the
highest level but isn't that is that
amazing but isn't that even wasn't that
a the Big M between H and shamai B shami
do you start with eight and go to one or
do you start one and go to eight that's
the third Lev but that conversation took
place a thousand years before that
conversation no but that conversation
was only if you're doing the third level
right so in the
B named home so they like one manur so
the one H and shamai were arguing if you
want to do the high level do you start
with eight and go to one or do you start
with one and go to eight I understand
but the Talon hadn't even been written
then and they were already discussing
agree yeah okay yeah know preceded they
preceded the Tom Rec when did it start
that all the kids started learning
candles because I mean like in Europe
and you know children they never started
didn't follow the r that you light one
man one per home whereas the follow toos
that but all I'm trying to we could have
a discussion but all I I want to get
back to this all I'm trying to point out
is what I was just curious when it
started because it didn't like in Old
Europe like I can't imagine all the
children
[Music]
everybody they probably did the best
they could but all I'm trying to point
out is look at this incredible yff this
holiday of Kaneka that none of us have
ever met anyone the most ignorant
secular Jew who fulfills this Mitzvah on
anything but the highest level right
even with the electric minority even
electric minoras they're fulfilling it
on the even on the bottom of the news on
TV they're fulfilling it on the highest
level right they don't just have one
candle because Dunkin Donuts with even
on the cups of Dunkin Donuts right so
what about going the opposite way so if
I run out of oil you know they sell them
pre you know whatever and and can I just
Light One Candle or you can't go from
eight to you can't do it now you it you
will have fulfilled the mix you already
know better you will have fulfilled the
mix I'm running out of oil and there's
none to be found
we'll you but you will certainly fulfill
the Mitzvah if you light one but we have
universally accepted and that's all I'm
saying is that it's an unbelievable
Mitzvah you talk about the Insight is
exactly right the Jew for whom shabas
does not speak to them doesn't light
them up khaka is lighting them up Kaneka
comes down and finds the Jew who's even
low to the ground the Jew who's distant
thew time but I do have to share I have
a brother who lives in Switzerland and
one
and they both married to non-jews Sunday
morning at 10: a.m. I get a Facebook
call from Switzerland can you like the
Hana candles with your nephews I get a
Facebook a FaceTime call again at 7 p.m.
Sunday night can you from Cincinnati can
you like the Hana candles with your
niece
wow and that's exactly what he's saying
so keep reading
such a beautiful Insight what's the that
we
say God you commanded us which is a
whole separate discussion because God
didn't command us it's not in the Torah
how can you on aabid sayab asked that
question how can you on a rabay
say but leave that aside so um but
what's the we
say to light the candle
of so what should you think about when
you say that every night that wow the
manura the lights of kanaka have the
capacity to light my soul on fire to
light the to to ignite a spark inside
the Jew and when you ignite the kanaka
spark inside the Jew that can bring the
Jew to the candles of shabas as
well and where do we light the
manora we light it we don't do it today
we say today it's dangerous to light
it's amazing the gamar observed already
in the time of the T they observed that
um it was dangerous to light outside it
would identify a home as a Jewish Home
and therefore we bring the manur inside
and think about how in Paris the
government asked everyone to not light
of course defied them and lit next to
the Eiffel
Tower with 6,000 people and it was a
beautiful Puma but think about
unfortunately tragically how the sh Sak
exists yet again today we in Brussels
and Paris
elsewhere don't light the manura outside
right our speaker last week Jeffrey
Goldberg who spoke about anti-Semitism
talked about he thinks it's time to you
know Fold It Up in Europe because when
he met a group of Jews who was there I
forgot where which city in Europe who in
an apartment building Jews were
pressuring the other Jews in the
apartment building to please take down
their misas they're risking it for
everybody that's when he said that's
when we're in trouble so Shak is when
we're when we are fearful to identify
our home as a Jewish home so we bring
the manura inside that's when we are in
trouble but in the time one second but
in the time of the Tom we lit the manura
outside what does it mean
that it means that even somebody who is
so distanced and so divorced even
somebody who is so a part of the the
outside world is their world they're not
a part of the intern world of the Jew
the tradition the M the flavor of the
Jewish world but they're so connected to
they live even the Jew who identifies
more
with who identifies more with the street
than they do with the Jewish home so
that's where we place the
[Music]
man hinda here's where he says we follow
b b said you start with eight and you go
reduced down to what
you start with one and you go up you
climb to
eight how does that happen a Jew doesn't
come and fire overnight it starts with a
small spark you light a little spark
inside that Jew and you remind them they
have a pent and you remind them about
peoplehood and community and family and
purpose and miracles you T you light
little little spark light the shabas
candles right the Reb's idea put on and
it'll change you for the rest of the day
do one Mitzvah and it'll become
addictive what the eating will come the
appetite that's what B were saying Light
One
Candle start with a little
bit so the manura can be lit even below
10 even though the doesn't normally um
descend there but KH is different KH can
find the Jew wherever they are kanak can
lift and illuminate and light the spark
in the Jew no matter how distance they
are no matter how low they've become
kanaka is their holiday that's the
holiday of the assimilated Jew to go
find them and to light the fire in them
the the the the the oil and the Wicks
that are ineligible for chabas in other
words that shabas doesn't do it for them
can and that's what theb is saying
that what a beloved Mitzvah and in fact
that's exactly empirically what we see
for the secular Jewish world kanaka is
is a cherished and beloved and observed
Mitzvah it lights a spark now our job if
we care about Outreach and we care about
our fellow Jew is to fan that flame is
to is to transfer the fire from khaka to
chabas and from chabas to the next thing
and to keep that going the momentum and
not to lose it but I what I want to
focus on is
that why I find this meaningful is not
just true for the secular assimilated
Jew it's true for us we as observant
Jews sometimes feel low we feel rejected
we feel despondent we feel disconnected
we struggle spiritually we struggle to
be on fire right we have periods of Our
Lives sometimes we're on fire ding I
love ding I love y I love being a Jew I
love everything Torah and I love mitas
and I'm listening to classes in the car
and I'm listening to Jewish music only
and I'm being careful how I this and how
I that and what I say sometimes we're on
fire and other times we are in our rut
whether because God has disappointed Us
in terrible ways whether we're
struggling or people around us we care
about our struggling or even we're
succeeding so we forgotten about God
everything is so good so it's so good
we're on autopilot and the momentum is
carrying us and life is so good that who
remembers God you know so we're going
through the motions yeah I still look
for the kosher symbol when I shop and I
still keep shs don't turn on the lights
and I still but we're going through the
motions I'm not really on fire I'm just
mailing it in so that's what Kaneka
speaks to the Jew who's mailing it in
too it's not just the assimilated Jew
it's the observant Jew who's mailing it
in it's the observant Jew who has lost
their spark who's lost that flame and
who yearns to get it back who yearns to
get it back and I'm not just talking I'm
talking about I won't speak for your
rabbitson but I'll speak for your Rabbi
and your rabbis we all struggle we all
have times that we feel we've lost the
fire we want to get back to where we
once were cuz we knew we we remember
when we were there we remember how
incredible it was and how desperate we
want we are to get back there so khaka
is the window khaka is the doorway to
walk through it to get back there to
light that manura and to look at that
flame and to feel the the fire the
warmth to see the light and to be ignite
for our soul to to to catch that that
spark and to be ignited to be ignited
from it yes so I'm understanding what
you're saying here that we're supposed
to look for the Miracles during Hanukkah
but what about every day there Miracles
we do that all during the year are we
supposed to be looking for different
Miracles like things that are out of the
ordinary is that going to make it a more
meaningful Hanukkah I I think that all
the Jewish holidays have themes that
apply the whole year long it's just
impossible to be focused on everything
all the time so the holidays we we
allocate a period of time to focus on
that remembering it applies the whole
year so pesak we celebrate the concept
of freedom and emancipation and Liberty
and it's not that I'm Enslaved the rest
of the year it's just that PES is my
annual reminder to work on my sense of
being free and to free myself from my
itions and my habits and my and so on
right so P so is the same thing yes we
remember the Miracles that are around us
all year long but khaka is a dedicated
eight days to remind ourself and
hopefully for it to carry over for the
rest of the year so on the one hand yes
we look for the real Miracles but we
also look for the ordinary things to
remind ourselves that they are Miracles
as well I'm saying I don't want to be at
the get to the end of Hanukkah and be
like I didn't get any special Miracles
you know no I don't think we should wait
for that right God's not going to talk
to you you're not going to fly you're
not going to uh money's not going to
grow on your tree it's not it's not
you're waiting for those kind of
Miracles it's the Miracles of the
ordinary it's eight days where by
turning on the light you see what's
right under your nose to begin with
right the difference between light and
dark is only what you see but the
reality is the same if you're in a room
which is pitch black or if you turn the
light on furniture is the same the
people are the same everything's the
same the only difference is how you
perceive it so kanaka is are turning the
light on in the world so now we see
things that are under our nose all along
so what was under our nose all along wow
I can see and I can hear and I can walk
and I have my health I'm not going to
talk about Ash I have my health it's
unbelievable wow wow it's unbelievable
what's under my nose all along I'm
blessed if I'm blessed to have children
I'm wow if I'm blessed to whatever
blessings I have a roof over my head I
have this thing called a car I have a
washing machine this washing machine is
a miracle if I lived 150 years ago I'd
be down by the river breaking my back
you know uh no your wife would be right
I'm
yeah fair enough fair enough that right
the washing machine is a m the washing
machine is a
miracle if I I I'm FaceTiming family in
Israel I have a Mir this a miracle so
khaka is not that I'm looking for what
we call Miracles it's just that I'm
turning the light on in the room I live
in to see everything that's been in
front of me all along that I've been
neglecting and when I do I can't help
but feel an incredible sense of
gratitude and appreciation and that
should light a spark in me to be on fire
to see those Miracles should bring me up
so so what theam is saying is that the
reason the ra
calls is because it's our way backa is
the way back for even the person who
feels so dist whether it's the
assimilated Jew or whether it's the
observant Jew who feels
like they're they're they're cold
they're not on fire anymore you know it
says with a Malik when a Malik chased us
after har it
says which Rashi provides three
explanations what the word means one of
them is happen stance right the
philosophy of a Malik is chance and and
we who subscribe to purpose and meaning
in God they try to convince us now
there's no God everything's random and
chance and that's that's the essence of
the holiday of puram when we fight a
Malik but another thing that Rashi says
you know what
means we left ouri we were on fire we
were on fire we were plugged in we di
with kav we were excited to be a Jew we
wanted to be moral and ethical we were
on fire wanted to be charitable and kind
we were on fire and you know what they
did they splashed cold water on
us cold water says Rashi they just
splashed cold water on us that's what
often happens by the way when we're on
fire the forces the negative forces rise
against us so friends or family are
cynical what are you so religious now
what are you so spiritual oh you're so
oh you're one of them oh you're on fire
right what happens when you get on
fire there are all kinds of forces that
rise against you that try to Splash cold
water on you and say you're this and
you're that and you're trying to be and
and you have to persevere and you have
to overcome them if you're sincere and
you're sh so many of us have had cold
water splashed on us and we're in a in a
low we're in a valley there are Peaks
and valleys in our religious life and if
you're in a valley in your religious
life well you've just you've forgotten
the joy of daving and the joy of being a
Jew and the joy of shabas and the joy of
of mitzah and the joy of volunteering
for and the joy of you've just forgotten
it just life has gotten in the way or
you've been disappointed by life khaka
is the way back khaka lights that fire
even of the most distant you below 10 it
lights even the wick who shabas doesn't
do it for is our holiday and that's why
it's
and this is also what is explained
in you have the prince a King's
son I'm okay we started a few minutes
late you have to go somewhere I have to
go somewhere oh okay couple more minutes
so the prince of a king who um it was
ordained that he' be distance he was
kicked out of the
palace and the prince was um exiled from
the palace and and he was sent to live
among the
boers so the King on the one hand wanted
to kick out his son but on the other
hand he was fearful that the son was
going to learn from the practices of
these low lives he was living with
so so once a week he allowed the prince
to come back to the Palace just so he
would remember even when he was living
out there he would never forget where he
came from that he was a prince
and there are certain times during the
year where the king leaves the palace to
visit his son wherever his son is living
so the whole week long we're we're out
there we're struggling shabas one day a
week we're allowed back to the Palace to
remember we are princes and princesses
we're royalty to remember where we come
from so this is a beautiful beautiful
Insight um of the that on on shabas
we're invited back to the palace for a
day on y God comes out to us wherever we
are you actually see this in the daving
you see this hinted to in a number of
ways so he
says is even a third level not just that
we go back to the palace for a day nor
just that God comes out to us where we
are but kanak is when the prince has
become so assimilated among the among
the L lives among the BS until he thinks
he's one of
them so that he's fallen so low the
prince he's forgotten he's a prince
so once a week we go back to the Palace
a few times a year the king comes to
wherever we are but once a year God
comes even into the ghetto even into the
drgs of society even into wherever how
far we have fallen God comes to be
with once a year he's he's even lower
he's even less than 10 and when is that
that's on KH no that's on khaka
he comes to wherever we are but assuming
that we're in a neutral place he comes
even when we in a lowly Place less than
10 go to the next
paragraph This is God's affection for
the Jew to find him wherever he
is that no matter how when we are low
that's when hasm remembers us as it says
when the Jews came into the bik when
they were fighting the helist the Syrian
Greek oppressors and the helist the Jews
had strayed we were not sikim we were
assimilated we were embracing the Greek
values and lifestyle we were low we were
low and yet God revealed himself through
the miracle dka when we were in that low
State and we have the capacity to tap
into that each and every year on
that for these eight days no matter how
low we are to see Hashem and to tap into
that and to feel his love and to feel
his affection and to allow him to
elevate us once
again now if you have a conflict you can
only do either light the chabas candles
or the candles which one takes
precedence the shabas candles because
the shabas candles are about Shalom Bas
and shalas Bas trumps even
this so even though on the one hand
shabas candles Trump candles shabas
candles are not called beloved Uber
beloved only candles
areem finds us no matter how low we've
Fallen it's our way back no matter how
far away we may have strayed khaka is
our chance to um to look at those khaka
lights and to see to allow them to
enhance and sharpen our sense of sight I
mentioned last week that we tend to run
away from the Mana right away to make
the lockas and give the presentence and
play the drle and you know do the khaka
million khaka parties and concerts and
events that we have to go to but you're
supposed to sit with the Kaneka candles
and look and gaze at the khaka candles
and allow the light of the khaka candles
to illuminate your life to to to ignite
your spark to ignite your soul from the
flame of the kanaka candles
even outside the entrance of the home
finds you
there right what what did the want to
do they tried to darken our eyes they
tried to turn off the light they tried
to Splash that cold water ah Torah is
nothing ah spirituality is fake it's a
fraud religion is the Opium of the
masses the came along
and they darkened our eyes they SP cold
water on us they said this is all fake
it's all fraud it's all nothing who you
fooling it's not real and what's our job
is no for the fire to burn bright to
illuminate the the the darkness of the
world and to light our spark and in that
way that's why for the
r what a cherished what a beloved what
an opportunity to tap into a spiritual
energy in Kaneka that is even greater
than we have the rest of the Year have a
wonderful day and a very happy time