Q:
Is there any connection between lighting the menorah on Chanukah and the kohanim who light the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash?
A:
We must know that the fact that both yield light is significant.
Because why do you have to have a menorah? You could have, let’s say, a flower. Or you could put let’s say a peri, an olive. Every day add another olive.
The answer is there’s something about fire, about light, that’s very important.
And light has many significances.
The answer is there’s something about fire, about light, that’s very important.
And light has many significances.
Light can be first of all gratitude for the light of the Torah: Torah ohr. And therefore certainly the menorah of Chanukah shares a significance with the menorah of the Beis Hamikdash. Because the light of the Torah, that’s what we are loyal to. And we thank Hashem for the Torah by means of the menorah that the kohen lights every day in the Beis Hamikdash. We thank Him for giving us the light of the Torah.
The light also signifies the light of seichel. Baruch atah Hashem chonen hada’as. How happy we are with the ability to think. It’s the first brachah, the first tefilah of the weekday bakashos. And many people ignore that and they don’t realize how important it is to be sane. Baruch atah Hashem chonen hada’as, that we have sanity. The ability to think is one of the biggest matanos of all. Without that what is life worth?
That’s also a significance of lighting the menorah in the Mikdash. We thank Hashem for giving us the light of the seichel. And on Chanukah too, we thank Him for the light of the seichel because it’s only by means of our seichel we’re able to utilize our great principles of resisting the power of the goyim. And therefore these two menorahs certainly signify using your seichel.
Also, the light of the two menorahs speaks about the Shechinah, that the Shechinah dwells in the Am Yisroel. Every day when they lit the menorah, all year round, it was for the purpose of letting us know that we are always blessed that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is with us. He’s constantly with us forever and ever. השכינה שורה בישראל.
And of course on Chanukah people waited for some sign that Hakadosh Baruch Hu was with them. They won battles, all right. But maybe the battle is koach basar vedam. Where do we see the yad Hashem? But when they saw this nes of Chanukah, they saw that the Shechinah is still here with us. השכינה שורה בישראל.
There are many more significances which the menorah shares with the ner Chanukah but all together they come to teach the great lesson that we and Hakadosh Baruch Hu should always be together; and that’s the emunah, the loyalty. He is loyal to us and we are loyal to Him.
TAPE # E-85 (November 1996)
