It is known that on Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabba, the heavens seal our judgment and decrees for the coming up year. And yet according to Kabbalah, the hidden secrets of the Holy Torah, it is written that the final signature is done on the last day of Chanukah.
We started this year with great pain after the events of Simchat Torah. We were all left with thoughts of what horrible events happened to us, and what must have been inscribed and signed on Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabba. Is this the kind of year that Hashem has in store for us, full tears and bloodshed? Is this what Hashem wants for the Jewish nation to be in pain and to suffer? What message did Hashem send us on this very special day, and what signature did we receive on the closing of the High Holidays? However as Jewish people there’s what seems to appear to the naked eye, and there is the inside story, the things that we might not see or understand right away.
On the outside we had a great loss and terrible pain, as we ended the High Holidays, with the holiday of Simchat Torah’s bloodbath. We were all given our signed letters for the coming year. We suffered a great massacre and lost so many holy Jewish souls. However, that was only on the outside, the simple what we see to the naked eye, the “pshat” of the Torah. And now as we enter the hidden part of the Torah called the Kabbalah, which reveals the hidden secrets behind what we seem to have understood only with our eyes, we enter the holiday of Chanukah. The holiday that reveal to us what’s going on behind the scenes. It reveals those things that at first we did not see or understand. Hashem who is our merciful G-d, and who loves us and wants to reign over us and guide us forever, would never do anything to harm His children. G-d only wants us to grow and come closer to Him, so that we may be a light unto all the nations of the world. What we experienced on Simchat Torah, was not only sadness and pain, we experienced also great unity and closeness to Hashem and to one another. This kind of closeness, and unity, has not been seen since we returned to our homeland 75 years ago.
The Maccabees lived in a time where they were the minority, and there was a great darkness spiritually in the land as the Greek nation tried to erase our G-d, heaven forbid. On Chanukah this is when the hidden light that had taken a backstage came forth and lit the way. Not only physically with the menorah lighting strong in the Holy Temple, but spiritually for many generations on. Our soldiers are just like the Maccabees, fighting for us not only physically but spiritually as well. Each time they go out to battle they now pray together and get strength from King David, by reciting the prayers he said himself before going out to war. By connecting themselves to G-d before any move they make.
As we read the book of Bereshit week after week, we see how to the naked eye it seems like things just got worse from chapter to chapter. Yet all the harsh events that befall the Jewish people, especially Joseph, we’re all sent forth just to save Jacob and his family, and later the entire Jewish people. See the world must come forth and see the greatness of our Master. We amongst ourselves must see and know deep down in our hearts who is leading us, what is guiding us. What blueprints we must follow in order to be successful.
This past week I saw one of many beautiful videos of our holy soldiers praying from the holy Torah and reciting the verses that King David had said before going out to war. Putting their entire faith and power in the hands of the Almighty to fight and defeat our terrible enemy and come back safely to our families. Indeed we physically have the strongest army in the world, however without connecting this unbelievable strength and greatness to the One Above how can we truly succeed?
The Maccabees were still a minority compared to all the enemies around them. However, they did not come to war with the strength of their hands or with the courage in their hearts. They fought in the name of Hashem. As Chanukah unfolds in front of us we realize that indeed we were inscribed with a good year. With a beautiful year, with a year full of light. The light of Hashem, the light of the Torah, and the light of unity and of togetherness. On the holiday of Chanukah we receive the holy Torah as our choice, like on the Holiday of Purim, and not as a given. After the horrible events that took place on Simchat Torah, we are now choosing to receive the holy Torah once again. The whole nation is making this choice as we come towards the final signing of the future and the decree of our coming year, on the 8th night of Chanukah. The holidays of Chanukah and Purim are the holidays that will last even in the times of the Redemption since these two holidays demonstrate to Hashem our choice, and our faith in the One Above. The choice that came from within our hearts to be close with Hashem and to want to worship Him and obey the laws of the Torah.
I bless myself and our entire nation with the lights of Chanukah that were taken from the highest place in heaven. The light that was saved for true and righteous people. The light that was saved for the coming of days, when G-d’s greatness will be revealed to the whole world. On Chanukah we get a glimpse of what will be, and of how great our Father and King really is. We also see now how great His children are, and how great Hashem’s love is for us. Happy Chanukah.
May we see the falling of our enemies, please G-d, in our times right away during the holiday of lights. And may our path as a nation light up the way not only for us, but for the whole world to see, that Hashem is one and His nation is one.
