Reb Henoch of Alexander zt'l (Chashava l'Tovah) taught, "The good Yidden (tzaddikim) say that this Shabbos is a great Shabbos, and on this Shabbos, one can attain clarity in emunah b’Hashem." He explains that every Shabbos teaches us emunah, as it states (Shemos 31:13) 'ה אֲנִי כִּי לָדַעַת ...ְ ׁמֹרוּת ִּש שַ ׁבְּתֹתַי אֶת אַ ךְ, "Only keep My Sabbaths! ... to know that I am Hashem..." Chanukah is also a time of learning emunah and believing in His miracles.
When both come together on Shabbos Chanukah, it is a very special time to acquire emunah in Hashem.
The Light of Chanukah
In Lecha Dodi we say אורי קומי אורך בא כי התעוררי התעוררי. The Beis Avraham zt'l teaches that אורך and אורי allude to the light of Chanukah. This is because אורך can be read as for ך אור, the light of Chanukah, which is placed lower than twenty amos (ך is twenty). And אורי stands for 'י אור, that the Chanukah lecht must be higher than ten tefachim (י is gematria ten). It hints at the great light of Chanukah, and therefore, it states התעוררי התעוררי, awaken! These are great holy lights that illuminate the world. Let's awaken and lean into this unique opportunity!
A chasid came to Rebbe Asher of Stolin zt'l for Shabbos Chanukah. It was also rosh chodesh. In the afternoon, this chasid slept on a bench in the beis medresh. Every few moments, he woke up and said with love, "Ah, Shabbos! Shabbos!" A few moments later, he said, "Ah, Shabbos Chanukah." A short while later, he awoke again and said, "Ah, Shabbos rosh chodesh!" The son of Rebbe Asher (the Beis Aharon zt'l) saw this, and he quickly called his father to the beis medresh to see how this chasid slept. The rebbe came and watched this chasid for a while and said, איד א ווי ער שלאפט אוי, "He definitely sleeps like a Yid!" Even if someone feels that this level is distant from him, the story is a reminder of how the early chasidim would invest in the special days of the year. Even in their sleep, they remembered and felt the kedushah of the day.
Shabbos and Chanukah Together
The Meor Einayim (Mikeitz) writes, "Hashem gave Shabbos to the Jewish nation so we can be close to Him. When one keeps Shabbos, all his sins are forgiven. However, it is hard to tap into the holiness of Shabbos because it is so exalted. שבת is Hashem's name, how can a person ascend to this high place? On Chanukah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, keviyachol, comes down lower than ten tefachim to the people at very low levels and draws them up so they too can experience Shabbos. This is the explanation of בשבת מדליקין שאין פתילות בחנוכה בהן מדליקין, 'Wicks that one can't use on Shabbos, one may light with them on Chanukah.' The wicks represent people, שאין בשבת מדליקין, who don’t become illuminated on Shabbos, בחנוכה בהן מדליקין, they can become illuminated on Chanukah. Hashem, keviyachol, lowers Himself down to the person and kindles his neshamah."
Reb Yisrael of Ruzhin zy'a would repeat in the name of his father, Reb Shalom Shachna of Prohovitch zy'a, that the Shabbosim until Chanukah are alluded to in the words (Bereishis 1:2) ובהו תהו היתה והארץ, "The earth was astonishingly empty..." Even the Shabbosim at the beginning of the year lack an element of shine and brilliance. But when Chanukah comes, it states, אור יהי אלקים ויאמר, "Hashem said, there should be light," as from then on, one can more easily attach himself to the holiness of Shabbos.
