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?

Noach - Relying on Heavenly Support

These are the generations of Noah, Noah was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו

Breisheit 6:9

Reb Elimelech in Noam Elimelech asserts that the Tzaddick, the righteous man, both inspires unity and has influence on the masses.

How does he see this? He says that we can look into the first letter of the word 'righteous man' (צדיק), the letter Tzaddick (צ).

The letter Tzaddick is composed of two letters, the letter Nun (נ) and the letter Yud (י). The letter Nun sits at an angle with it's top point narrower, signifying the power of the Righteous Man to inspire unity, bringing people to rally around a point.

The bottom of the letter Nun is wider, signifying how the Righteous Man has influence over the masses.

And perched there to the right, seemingly on the shoulder of the Nun, is the Yud. This is the Yud of the divine name of Hashem, and the source of heavenly influence on the Righteous Man.

The Nun and Yud come together to influence who the Tzaddick is and show how the Tzaddick's influence effects the world.

We see this further in the verse from Tehillim.

 All Your works will thank You, Hashem, and Your pious ones will bless You.

יוֹדוּךָ ה' כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְבָרֲכוּכָה

Tehillim 145:10

The Yudim (Yud [י] and Yudecha [יודך]) come to show how we rely on Hashem. We should all come to feel that we have the 'Yud' sitting on our shoulder and enjoy the resonance of heaven in our lives, and the influence of the Tzaddick on the world.

Noach - Peace of Mind

When I became religious in Seattle, one of the first questions the rabbi asked me was, 'how are you called to the Torah.' I hesitated. I wasn't sure what to say. Searching my feelings, I went with my intuition, and said 'Levi.' It stuck. From then on, I got called up for the Levi aliya. Nevertheless, a little voice said, 'Are you sure?'

Breisheit - Learning Torah for the Sake of the World

and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day

 וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי

Breisheit 1:31

For each day in the process of creation, the days are noted as 'a day', 'a second day', 'a third day' etc, but for the last day of creation, it is noted as 'the sixth day.' The word six is preceded by the letter 'hey' (ה). Why does this day appear differently, what message is embedded in this?

Breisheit - In the Name of the Woman

And the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all life.  

וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה כִּי הִוא הָיְתָה אֵם כָּל חָי

Breisheit 3:20

The Kli Yakar asks, why did he call her a name now after the sin of tree of knowledge, and that he was supposed to have called her Chaya?