The Meaning of Hanukkah

A Hanukkah candle, its measure is “until all feet have vanished from the market.”

Regel [foot/leg] comes from the word Meragel [spy]. “Market” means the public domain. When we are in the private domain, we walk in wholeness and there is no room for spies. On Hanukkah, we must extend the light of Hanukkah until all the quality of “spies” vanishes from the market, for in the place of the light, there is no room for the Sitra Achra [other side].

“The following year they were appointed as [days of] praise and gratitude.” Why did they wait for the following year? It is because on the first year of their victory, because of the greatness of the miracle and the brightness, they adhered to their Maker and seemingly became one body, to the point that they did not need to appoint praise and gratitude. But the next year, they had to appoint it with praise and gratitude the way one hammers something with nails so it will not fall, so they will adhere to the Creator through gratitude (Avodat Ysrael).

The debates concerning Hanukkah were not mentioned in the Mishnah although there is a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, for the Mishnah is the internality of the world, but only in the Braita [Gemara], which is external, as it is written, “Go and learn it outside,” for Hanukkah implies that the brightness is mainly about lowering down the Kedusha [holiness] so that it shines outside (idem.).

According to the view of Beit Shammai, it “wanes down” like the fruit of the festival, implying that through the external Kedusha, they are rejected and gradually decline. According to Beit Hillel, “it gradually increases,” implying the Kedusha, to draw the Kedusha as in “increasing holiness” (idem.).

“Broke the walls of my towers.” A wall means keeping strangers from entering the tower. The “tower” means Kedusha, called “a tower filled with abundance.” Conversely, all the Sitra Achra has is emptiness. The wall is called “boundary that divides between Kedusha and Sitra Achra,” which is faith. It is called “boundary,” meaning the limit of the thought and the external mind. This is called “the seal of the token of the covenant of holiness.”

We must understand why the Greeks wanted specifically to revoke the circumcision and Shabbat [Sabbath]. Circumcision is called a “token,” and Shabbat is called a “token,” referring to the covenant of holiness. A covenant means faith, as implied in the words, “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your hearts.” Through faith, one is rewarded with faith in the Creator. The Klipa [shell/peel], which is called “foreskin,” parts from it, so there is room for installing Kedusha. All their efforts were to cancel them and admit them into the cursed philosophy, which is against faith.

This is called a “wall.” To the extent that they inserted philosophy, to that extent it is considered that the wall was breached. This is the meaning of the words, “broke the walls of my towers and defiled all the oils,” for “oil” means the clarity in Torah and work.

A stupor and sealing were placed on the Kedusha, meaning they felt no vitality in Torah and work, and found only one jar of oil that was marked with the seal of the high priest, and it had enough to burn for only one day. A miracle happened and they lit with it for eight days.

“With His mighty hand, He brought forth the Segula [remedy/power/virtue].”

We should understand what is this Segula. In the essay “Mutual Guarantee,” he writes, “And you will be unto Me a Segula from all the nations, for all the earth is Mine.” He asks what is the connection of Segula to “all the earth is Mine.” He explains there that “You will be unto Me a Segula,” for through you, sparks of cleansing of the body will be passed on to the all the nations, for Segula means a desire to bestow.

Indeed, we should understand why it is called Segula. It is known that something that is not confirmed by the intellect usually does not change to another state. It follows that the reason has no direct relation to the result, and this is called Segula.

For example, a person who needs money in order to be rich is told that there is a Segula that if he donates a lot of money to charity, it is a Segula for wealth. This is counterintuitive, for one who wants to be rich should not waste any penny on others. And yet, “Give tithing so you will become rich,” this is called Segula.

Concerning our matter, “One who wants to live should put himself to death.” That is, one who wants to lead a life of pleasure must not want and not receive anything for himself, but only to bestow. Only by this will he receive delight and pleasure. It follows that the desire to bestow is a Segula to thereby obtain abundance.

This is why they said, “With His mighty hand,” called “the hand of Hesed [grace/mercy],” for Hesed is called “mighty,” He took out the Segula from the people of Israel. By giving to the creatures that quality of Hesed, they can execute the vessels of bestowal from what one is included in.

This is the meaning of “Your right [hand] is stretched out to greet the returning.” “Returning" means that when one does not want to be a receiver, but always wants to be among the returners, he returns everything he needs. Then, one who wants to be among the returners, “Your right is stretched out,” meaning the quality of Hesed that the Creator is sending him. By this He takes out the Segula.

Our sages said, “What is Hanukkah? Hanu [parked] Koh [here].” It is known that Koh refers to Malchut, the name BON, Aleph-Hey-Yod with a filling of Heys of the filling of the filling. This means that those who had a war to take upon themselves the kingdom of heaven, because acceptance of the kingdom of heaven is built on the basis of in order to receive, there is a great war, since this is against nature. Hence, emerging from this state is called “the miracle of Hanukkah.”

This is regarded as “lowers the proud to the ground, and raises the low up on high,” for bestowal is low in our eyes because when one sees that this act will not yield any reward for his own benefit, he feels it as a state of lowliness.

This is the meaning of “We have no permission to use them, but only to see them” regarding Hanukkah candles. Using is with vessels of reception, and here the miracle was that they served the Creator with vessels of bestowal.

There is a difference between Hanukkah and Purim: The miracle of Hanukkah is on vessels of bestowal, whereas on Purim, the miracle was on vessels of reception. For this reason, there are feast and joy there, while on Hanukkah it is only to see them and not to use.