Chanukah II 5766

Every month in the Jewish calendar has a zodiac sign. For example, the signs of Adar and Tishrei are a
fish and scales of justice, respectively. The zodiac sign represents in some way the essence of the
month. The sign expresses in some way the essence of the month it represents. Armed with this
knowledge, we look at the sign of Kislev, a keshet (bow and arrow). What is the connection between
the keshet and Kislev, and how does it express the essence of Kislev?

A second question: Included in the paragraph of Al haNisim is the phrase “l’hashkicham Toratecha
ul’ha’aviram mechukei retzonecha, to cause them to forget your Torah and to move them away from
the statutes You desired.” The second half of that phrase is readily understandable; the Greeks
attempted to change our faith by preventing us from performing the mitzvot. But how could they force
us to “forget” the Torah?

The gemara teaches that while we are inside the womb, an angel teaches us the entire Torah. When the
time comes to be born, the angel strikes us on the mouth and we forget everything. Why? This gemara
demonstrates that when a person enters a new environment, he is likely to forget his old environment.

The Greeks understood that in order to convert the Jews, they had to move them to a new environment.
Little by little they would come to enjoy this new environment and, both knowingly and unknowingly,
begin to forget their old environment. The Greeks did this by building theaters, circuses, gymnasiums,
and the like, introducing a new alternative. Through this, they attempted to cause us to forget the
Torah.

This idea is expressed through the keshet. In its natural state, the keshet is a semicircle with a string
stretched to each end. When we pull the string back, removing it from its natural state, its former
“environment,” so to speak, the harder we release the string the more forcefully it shoots the arrow.

The Greeks tried to remove us from our natural state of Torah, mitzvot, and true ethics. By returning to
our natural state we became strengthened and emerged victorious over the Greeks. This was essentially
the whole war against the Greeks. They attempted to remove us to a new environment, to embrace
their new alternative. The victory was in our return to our natural environment.

How appropriate, then, that the gemara says, “If you encounter this contemptible one (the yetzer hara),
drag him to the beit midrash.” Why does the gemara instruct us to get up and walk to the beit midrash?
Why isn’t it enough to say a perek of Tehillim? In order to stand up to the yetzer hara and emerge
victorious, you need to move to the proper environment, the beit midrash.

One of the things that always accompanies the move to a new environment is candles. This is seen by
ner Shabbat, ner neshama, and ner havdalah. The same with ner Chanukah. One of the lessons of the
ner Chanukah is that the key to success is living in the proper environment, being involved with the
proper friends, giving us the power to preserve, to strengthen, and to illuminate.

Part II

“Ner Hashem nishmat adam” – the neshama is compared to a ner. Why is it compared to ner and not to
light, as in “ki ner mitzvah v’Torah ohr”?

Furthermore, the mishnah in Pesachim says that the night before Pesach, we check for chametz by the
light of a ner. Even in modern times, despite the advent of electricity, we continue to use a ner. Why
don’t we check for chametz by the light of the fluorescent lightbulb?

The answer is that there is a great difference between ohr and ner. With ohr, the light spreads over the
entire area. The light of a ner, however, is much more focused, allowing the individual holding the ner
to see into niches and dark crevices. Ohr illuminates the big picture; ner illuminates the details.

The comparison of the neshama to a ner is therefore appropriate. The very concept of a neshama is to
bring holiness into the mundane yom-yom, into the details of daily living. The guf (body) is compared
to ohr – when Hashem makes “kotnot ohr (with an ayin), garments of skins” for Adam and Chava, He
challenges them to turn them into ohr (with an alef), to return to their pre-sin state, when the guf itself
emitted light. But ohr, the big picture, is not enough; you also need ner, focus on the details. Ner
without ohr is like a neshama without a guf; ohr without ner is like a guf without a neshama.

For this reason, if the ner Chanukah is lit above 20 amot, it does not fulfill the mitzvah. This is because
ner cannot illuminate from that high up; ohr illuminates from great heights. Ner is meant to be low to
the ground: “Ner l’ragli d’varecha, Your words are a ner at my feet,” where I can pay attention to the
details, “v’ohr lintivati, and a light on my path.” You cannot get to ohr without ner. Only someone
who pays attention to the details can get to see the big picture as well.

Ner Chanukah teaches us the importance of paying attention to the details: smiling, saying hello, thank
you, and so on. Sometimes the smallest words can change a person’s day. This is ner Hashem nishmat
adam.

As we approach Chanukah (haba aleinu l’tovah), let us contemplate the candles and remember to pay
attention to the small details. Through this, may we merit the great light over Zion speedily in our
days.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!

Meir Goldwicht
Rav Meir Goldwicht’s weekly sichah on the Parsha and Moadim
is a service of YUTorah, the online source of the Torah of
Yeshiva University. Get more parsha shiurim and thousands of
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