Chanukah - Lights and Renewal

For What is Chanukah?

The Gemarah in mesechet Shabbat (21B) explains that the name Chanukah comes from the fact that Greeks had defiled the alter and that the Hashmoneams replaced the defiled alter and re-dedicated the new alter for Temple service. We know that names of holidays emulate the qualities of the holiday, and the name Chanukah symbolizes  the essence of the holiday of being about renewal.

However the deeper issue is which miracle was the holiday actually established for. Despite the impressive accomplishments with the military victory, the Gemarah states that Chanukah signifies the miracle of finding the cruze of oil and that it remained lit for 8 days.

The Slonimer Rebbe explains, Chazal doesn't set holidays just based on a miraculous event, or for a remembering a specific event, rather it must have an eternal and lasting quality.

What is the eternal nature of Chanukah?

Vayetzei - Wellsprings of Shabbat

And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and behold three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because from that well they would water the flocks, and a huge rock was upon the mouth of the well.

 וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהִנֵּה שָׁם שְׁלשָׁה עֶדְרֵי צֹאן רֹבְצִים עָלֶיהָ כִּי מִן הַבְּאֵר הַהִוא יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים וְהָאֶבֶן גְּדֹלָה עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר

Breisheit 29:2

Says the Rebbe from Slonim, we can learn out many insightful ideas for our lives from this scene for in the Torah there is no superfluous statements. Why does the Torah specify that he saw the well in the field?

Toldot - Competing Powers Within

And the children struggled within her, and she said, "If [it be] so, why am I [like] this?" And she went to inquire of Hashem. And Hashem said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your innards, and one kingdom will become mightier than the other kingdom, and the elder will serve the younger.

       וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרשׁ אֶת ה' וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לָהּ שְׁנֵי גוֹיִם בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר

Breisheit 25:22-23

What was bothering Rivka? Rashi says that her concern was spurred from  "that the pain of pregnancy is so great." So how did Hashem's response that "two natation are in your womb" appease her and address her concerns?

The Slonimer Rebbe raises a question from the Or HaChaim HaKadosh, asking how can a great righteous woman like Rivka be complaining about the pain of pregnancy? How can that be the focus of her concerns?