חלק ב — תורה 7

11. And this is the concept of Chanukah. Know! the idea of Chanukah is that each person experiences Chanukah according to how effective he is in beseeching [God] on Yom Kippur—i.e., pleading, “Please forgive!” This is because “Please forgive!” brings to “Chanukah.”

For it was on account of the sin of the spies that Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded: “Please forgive the iniquity of this people” (Numbers 14:19). And it was the sin of the spies that caused the destruction of the Holy Temple. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: God said to them, “You wept without cause; I shall institute for you a weeping for generations” (Taanit 29a). For that night was the evening of Tisha b’Av, on which the Holy Temple was destroyed. It was over this that Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded “Please forgive!” For all transgressions are linked to this sin and fault, since it was on account of this fault that the Holy Temple was destroyed.

Now, when the Holy Temple stood, we were clean of sin, as it is written, “righteousness dwelt in her” (Isaiah 1:21)—and Rashi explains: the daily-offering of the morning brought forgiveness for nighttime sins, and the daily-offering of the afternoon brought forgiveness for daytime sins. The Jewish people are a holy nation. The great measure of their innate spirituality and their great refinement make it impossible for them to bear the burden of sin for even a single day. We therefore have need of the Holy Temple to atone for us, daily. But ever since the Holy Temple’s destruction we have not been able to cleanse ourselves of sin, for we have no one to atone for us.

Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, knew all this, and so sacrificed himself for the Jewish people. He pleaded: “Please forgive the iniquity of this people…,” because he knew that the Temple’s destruction was on account of this all-encompassing sin. Thus, achieving his request resulted in the consecration of the Temple, namely, Chanukah, the reverse of the Temple’s destruction.

The same holds true for every person. To the extent that a person is effective in his pleading “Please forgive!” on Yom Kippur, through which the fault of the Temple’s destruction is rectified, he commensurately brings to the consecration of the Temple, the theme of Chanukah. It follows, that Chanukah is brought about through “Please forgive!” Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, hinted to the spelling of Chanukah in the verse “Please forgive…,” because the first letters of “Please forgive the iniquity of haam Hazeh K’godel Chasdekha, V’khaasher Nasasah” are ChaNUKaH. For Chanukah is brought about through “Please forgive!”

So, too, are all the aforementioned concepts encompassed in the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple comprises the concepts of son and disciple. For our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is it called Mount Moriah? It is because from there horaah (instruction) went out for the Jewish people (Taanit 16a). This is the concept of disciple. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is [the Temple Mount] known as “the Bedroom”? Because in its merit the Jewish people are fruitful and multiply (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:16:3). This is the concept of son.

And this is why the Holy Temple was [built] on the site of a threshing floor (see 2 Samuel 24:18-24), as this suggests livelihood, which is drawn by meshing together son and disciple. This corresponds to the lechem hapanim (showbread) in the Holy Temple. It represents the food and livelihood drawn by meshing together son and disciple. Through this, the lights of the makifim, namely, the Light of the Panim (Face), are revealed, as discussed above. For the Light of the Face is the concept of the ShA (370) lights, as is known. And ShA is twice HeKeF, as is brought.

This is the concept of “oil brightens the face, and bread sustains the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15). That is, the revelation of the makifim—i.e., the Light of the Face as in “oil brightens the face, and bread…”—manifests while eating. Thus the mitzvah of Chanukah involves oil, because the theme of Chanukah is the consecration of the Temple, through which livelihood is drawn and the Light of the Panim is revealed. This corresponds to the lechem hapanim , the concept of “oil brightens the panim, and bread…”

This is also the concept of “May God make His face shine upon you viychuneka (and grant you grace)” (Numbers 6:25)— viyChuNeKa alludes to ChaNuKah, through which the Light of the Face is revealed, as in “May God make His face shine….”

Thus, by sacrificing himself for the Jewish people and empathetically observing their suffering, Moshe Rabbeinu merited the inner meaning of Chanukah, for he was compassionate and a true leader, as discussed above. And the Jewish people’s greatest suffering is the burden of sin, God forbid, as discussed above. He therefore pleaded on their behalf, “Please forgive.” And this brought to the concept of Chanukah, the consecration of the Holy Temple, on which rectification of all the aforementioned concepts depends.

{“Vayar YHVH Ki Sar Lirot (When God saw that he had turned aside to see), God called to him from out of the bush and said, ‘Moshe! Moshe!’ And he said, ‘ Here I am!’” (Exodus 3:4) .} And this is ChaNUKaH: ChaNU Kaf Heh—i.e., the 25th of Kisleiv. KiSLeIV is an acronym for Vayar YHVH Ki Sar Lirot. Moshe Rabbeinu empathetically observed the Jewish people’s suffering, this being the meaning of “sar to see”—it connotes “sar and upset” (1 Kings 21:4). And their greatest suffering is the burden of sin, God forbid.

Thus, when God saw that he empathized with them over this, He called to him and said: “‘Moshe Moshe!’ And he said, ‘Here I am!’”—which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded as: “Here I am” for the priesthood, “Here I am” for kingship (Shemot Rabbah 2:6).

“Here I am for the priesthood” alludes to the consecration of the Temple, for Moshe served during the Eight Days of Inauguration, as it is written (Psalms 99:6), “Moshe and Aharon were among His priests.” In addition, the priest signifies the meshing together of son and disciple. Of the priest it is stated “l’horot (to teach) the Children of Israel” (Leviticus 10:11). L’horot is etymologically similar to horaah (instruction), which is the concept of disciple. L’horot is also etymologically similar to heirayon (pregnancy), the concept of son.

“Here I am for kingship” alludes to the aforementioned concept of Malkhut, which draws the livelihood in which the Light of the Face is revealed, as discussed above. This is the meaning of “Malkitzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine; he was priest to God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). “MaLKitzedek king of Shalem” alludes to MaLKhut; “brought out bread and wine” alludes to livelihood drawn by Malkhut; “he was priest” alludes to the priesthood, i.e., the meshing together of son and disciple, through which livelihood is drawn by Malkhut.