– And You made for Yourself a great and holy name in Your world. The meaning of אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה ה' שְׁמוֹ ה' is revealed here! The Rebbe of Chernobyl says: Therefore, the Chanukah candle is placed above three tefachim so it is not resting on the ground, yet below ten tefachim, for the Shechinah never descended lower than ten. But in His mercy, Hakadosh Baruch Hu devised means so that no one be cast away – through the miracle of Chanukah, He figuratively lowered His Presence beneath ten tefachim, drawing close to us to bring us back to Him, to prevent the banished from being banished.
The oil symbolizes wisdom. By the Mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles, Hakadosh Baruch Hu grants a person the wisdom and insight to serve Him with deeper understanding – then and now, in every generation, whenever this Mitzvah is fulfilled. The Arizal Hakadosh says: Direct kavanah to the names of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. This is the power of the day of זֹאת חֲנֻכָּה – all the powers gather in it, and therefore it is a most auspicious day for salvations!
We have therefore seen what Hakadosh Baruch Hu is capable of doing; even when salvation does not come to Bnei Yisrael by right, He gives it to them nonetheless! The days of Chanukah are above the order of nature!
With this, we can approach and study a very powerful and uplifting Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah, 88:7):
“And the chief butler did not remember...” – Each day, he would stipulate conditions, and an angel would come and reverse them. He would tie knots and an angel would come and untie them. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to him: ‘You forget him, but I will not forget him.’ That is what is written: “And the chief butler did not remember.” Another matter, the chief butler forgot you, but I will not forget you. Who was expecting Avraham and Sarah, who were old, to have a son born to them? Who was expecting Yaakov, who crossed the Yarden with but his staff, to expand and become wealthy? Who was expecting Yosef, who experienced all these troubles, to become king? Who was expecting Moshe, who was cast into the Nile, to become what he became? Who was expecting Ruth, who was a proselyte, to return to the kingdom of Israel? Who was expecting David to become king until the end of the generations? Who was expecting Yehoyachin to leave prison? Who was expecting Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya to emerge from the fire? Who was expecting, in the days of Haman, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu would save Israel? Who expects the exiles to achieve renown and glory? Who expects Hakadosh Baruch Hu to raise the fallen booth of David, as it is stated: “On that day, I will raise the fallen booth of David”. Who expects that the whole world will become one group, as it is stated: “For then I will convert all the peoples to a pure language, for all of them to call in the name of the Lord, to serve Him with a common effort”.
There are people who think that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has suddenly abandoned them. "Ribbono Shel Olam, I've been in shidduchim for ten years and still haven't gotten married! I'm already thirty! Yosef became king at thirty and I still haven't become a queen!" A person feels that he has been forgotten and all is lost, but who do you think is waiting for Yechezkel and Devorah and Shoshana? Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not forget anyone!
קֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁך – He set an end to darkness. When it is supposed to happen, it will happen! In one moment, Yosef comes out of prison after twelve years, and after he went through the training of the chief butler and the chief baker, he’s ready to be viceroy to the king of Egypt!
Chazal teach that whoever eats many olives forgets his learning. But whoever drinks olive oil at the time of olives remembers. Chanukah is the festival of olive oil. If someone comes and tells you that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has forgotten him, tell him: "וּמִנּוֹתַר קַנְקַנִּים – From the remnant of the flasks" – whatever remains to you of the oil, drink it, so you will understand that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has not forgotten you! He remembers every Jew! Even if things are delayed, know that everything Hakadosh Baruch Hu does is for the good – there is a reason for the delay! Even Yosef could come with complaints: "Why two more years inside that cell – what did I do?!" But in those two years he underwent the training to be viceroy to the king of Egypt! And then in one flash of a moment, they rushed him out of the dungeon, he shaved and changed his clothes, and he presented himself before Pharaoh! This is the power of Chanukah – in one moment there will be an end to darkness just as thirteen righteous people conducted an entire revolution against the Greeks!
May Hakadosh Baruch Hu merit us, in the merit of Chanukah, to see the coming of Mashiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days, Amen v’Amen!
