used for חנוכה נר. “Wicks and oils” allude to the weaker neshamos who cannot receive rectification and repair on Shabbos and Yom Tov due to their inability to feel the holiness. But on Chanukah—when the light reaches lower—even these neshamos shine bright, and can receive their תיקון.
The Chanukah Flame Gives us the Ability to Illuminate
The Me’or Einayim explains that every Yom Tov has its own unique mitzvah which enables us to access the light of that Yom Tov. The matzah helps us leave behind the impurity of Mitzrayim; the sukkah surrounds us with Hashem’s lovingkindness; Purim gives us the power to eradicate Amalek; and so forth.
On Chanukah, we’re given the mitzvah to light a flame lower than ten tefachim, because this gives us the ability to illuminate the lowest places in our lives and in the world.
He says further that during the events of Chanukah, the Yevanim sought to remove Torah and mitzvos from Klal Yisrael—רצוניך חוקי מעל להעבירם— but great miracles transpired which allowed Torah to remain intact. “So too,” says the Rebbe, “each and every Chanukah gives us the ability to cleave and hold on to our Torah and mitzvos.”
Banishing Darkness with Light
Another aspect of the way the light of Chanukah reaches to the lowest places is taught to us by the Beis Aharon. The Gemara says that the time for Chanukah lighting goes השוק מן רגל שתכלה עד, until the people cease walking in the street. Regel, says the Beis Aharon, can also mean habit. The חנוכה נר illuminates until our bad habits are removed from the שוק, (the place where the yetzer hara dominates).
The reason for this is that our habits and proclivities—the areas where we feel stuck, trapped, and beholden— are the domain of מעשרה למטה. We can’t seem to shake them off and we don’t feel any light or התגלות השכינה in those places. But on Chanukah, the light reaches everywhere, even to the lowest places.
