The pasuk in Mishlei states, “... נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר .../… a commandment
is a lamp and the Torah is light …” (Mishlei 6:23) Just as the oil, wick and light need a lamp
to hold them, so too, the light of the Torah needs a vessel to contain it. The vessel that holds the light of the Torah
in this world is the mitzvos. The Zohar[1] explains that Shlomo
HaMelech associated mitzvos with a lamp because we perform the mitzvos with our
248 limbs with love of God and fear of Heaven.
Two-hundred-forty-eight limbs + love of God + fear of Heaven = 250 which
is the gematria of neir/lamp. The
Zohar is teaching us that we can rectify our deeds and limbs in this world by
imbuing them with the light of the Torah.
We do this by performing the mitzvos.
Each mitzvah holds a unique aspect of the spiritual light of the Torah. When we do a specific mitzvah we draw the
unique spiritual force associated with it into the physical world.
This concept applies not only to the 613 mitzvos mentioned in
the Torah. It also applies to those
mitzvos that were instituted by Chazal including, of course, the mitzvah of
lighting candles on Chanukah. What is
the unique spiritual force triggered by the mitzvah of Chanukah lights? The Chiddushei HaRim explains that the
mitzvah of lighting candles on Chanukah contains the spiritual enlightenment of
the original miracle of the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash on the first Chanukah. Lighting the Chanukah candles draws the
enlightenment of the original miracle once again into the world. In fact, the Tur Shulchan Aruch writes that
we light Chanukah candles in order לְהַזְכִּיר/to mention the miracle.[2] Notice that he does not write, in order לִזְכּוֹר/to remember the
miracle. The nuance is not as apparent
in English but in Hebrew, these two words are actually two forms of the same
verb. לְהַזְכִּיר/to mention is a
stronger form of לִזְכּוֹר/to
remember. It implies an action that is
being done to the object of the verb.[3] Since the object of the verb here is the
miracle, the Tur is telling us that by lighting the Chanukah candles we are
bringing to light the actual original miracle.
Lighting the Chanukah candles is not merely a way of remembering the
original miracle. By lighting the
candles, we are triggering the same latent spiritual force that caused the
original miracle (i.e. bringing it to life.)
This is why the prayer that we say after lighting the candles
starts with the words, “הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ
קוֹדֶשׁ הֵם/These lights are holy.”
Generally, the objects that we use to perform mitzvos (e.g. lulav,
matzah) are not considered holy. They
may be tossed once they are no longer needed.
The same principle should apply to the lights of Chanukah. Yet, the prayer states that they are
holy. Why? According to the Chiddushei HaRim, though, it
is clear. They are holy because they
contain the spiritual force of the original miracle.
This explains the language of the brachah that Chazal instituted
before lighting the Chanukah lights. We
say, “לְהַדְלִיק נֵר
חֲנֻכָּה/to kindle the Chanukah lamp.”
We do not say, “לְהַדְלִיק נֵר
בְּחֲנֻכָּה /to kindle a lamp on Chanukah.”
The language of the brachah suggests the original Chanukah lamp. Performing the mitzvah activates the
spiritual force of the original Chanukah menorah.
This concept helps us understand a puzzling halachah about
the Chanukah lights. A person who sees
Chanukah lights is required to say the blessing, “שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ/who
made miracles for our forefathers” even if he himself does not light. Generally, one is required to say this
blessing upon seeing the place where a miracle occurred either to him or his
forefathers. Why do Chazal require us to
say this particular blessing upon seeing Chanukah lights? According to the Chiddushei HaRim, though, it
is clear. Since the Chanukah lights
contain the spiritual force of the original miracle, seeing the Chanukah lights
is akin to seeing the actual place of the miracle. This is why Chazal required the blessing
usually reserved for seeing the place the miracle occurred.
Each of us has the ability to release the spiritual force of
the original miracle of the menorah by lighting Chanukah candles. Our very souls are intimately connected with
the mitzvos. A clear awareness of the
spiritual effect of our physical action strengthens that spiritual effect. Contemplating this concept while lighting the
Chanukah lights is the best way to draw the spiritual force inherent in the
mitzvah into the world.
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