Zos Chanukah
Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin zt'l taught, "What tzaddikim accomplish on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, simple Yidden can accomplish on Zos Chanukah." So, if a person needs a salvation, he can get it on Zos Chanukah.
The Vayaged Yaakov (of Pupa) zt'l said, "Don't feel bad if you didn't take advantage of Chanukah until now. Zos Chanukah means 'This is Chanukah.' The peak of Chanukah is before you, and you can benefit from it immensely."
The Maharal says that seven represents nature (as there are seven days in the week, seven notes for music, seven wisdoms, etc.) and Chanukah is eight days, because Chanukah is beyond nature. Zos Chanukah is even higher because it is doubly eight (the eighth day of the eight days of Chanukah, שבשמינית שמיני). It is a day of miracles, and even simple Yidden can draw yeshuos from this day.
The explanation is that throughout the year, we must construct miracles in heaven and then draw them down. Not everyone can construct miracles; therefore, the average person cannot perform miracles throughout the year. But on Zos Chanukah, a time beyond nature, miracles are already prepared in heaven. All that is needed is to draw the miracles down, so even simple Yidden can do that on this day.
Reb Itzekel of Pshevorsk zt'l lived in Aix-les-Bains, France. The Rosh Yeshiva there was Reb Chaim Yitzchak Chaykin zt'l, a student of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l. A bachur in the yeshiva had a cancerous growth in his throat r”l. The doctors said that surgery was needed. It was the only chance for this bachur to survive. The problem was that the required surgery was very risky, because it was in the neck, and a tiny error could be fatal.
Reb Chaykin went to Reb Itzekel for advice. Reb Itzekel replied, "I still have wicks from Chanukah. [Chanukah was three weeks earlier]. Put the wicks on the bachur's neck, and he should stay home for three days, and b'ezras Hashem, he will have a refuah sheleimah." The bachur did as instructed. After three weeks, he returned to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor was shocked at the results. He was totally healed!
To perform such miracles, one must be a tzaddik of Reb Itzikel’s caliber. But on Chanukah, and certainly, on Zos Chanukah, every Yid can bring salvation.
It states (Tehilim 92:7) לא וכסיל ידע לא בער איש זאת את יבין, "A boorish man does not know; neither does a fool understand זאת." We can explain that he doesn’t understand the significance of זאת ישכילו חכמה לו .חנוכה זאת, if you were wise, you would understand the importance of חנוכה זאת, and בוטח אני בזאת, in the merit of Zos Chanukah, I trust and will experience Hashem's salvation.
Rebbe Shlomo (the first Rebbe) of Bobov zt'l said that the miracles of חנוכה זאת are alluded to in the pasuk בעינינו נפלאת היא זאת היתה 'ה מאת. The נפלאת, wonders happen because of זאת, because of חנוכה זאת.
The Bnei Yissaschar (Kislev Teives 2:10) writes, "The earlier Rabbanim often said that Chanukah is mesugal for עקרות פקידת, for barren women to bear children. In my opinion, the segulah is primarily on Zos Chanukah." (Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt'l would repeat this idea from the Bnei Yissaschar every year at his Zos Chanukah tisch.)
Someone came to the Chazon Ish zt'l complaining about his poverty. The man said, "I need a miracle, and מתרחיש יומא בכל לאו ניסא, miracles don't happen every day." The Chazon Ish corrected him and said that this phrase should be read as follows: לאו, it isn't as people think! ניסא מתרחיש יומא בכל, Miracles occur every day!" And this is undoubtedly true on Zos Chanukah, a day of miracles, a day beyond the laws of nature.
Rebbe Pinchas of Koritz zt'l said that Zos Chanukah is mesugal for parnassah. He learned this from the eight praises we say in דוד ויברך (I Divrei HaYamim 29:11). (1) הגדולה 'ה לך (2) והגבורה (3) והתפארת (4) והנצח (5) וההוד (6) הממלכה 'ה לך ובארץ (7) לראש לכל והמתנשא (8) והעושר. והעושר, wealth, is the eighth praise, corresponding to the eighth day of Chanukah.
The other days of Chanukah are also mesugal for parnassah, as the Arugas HaBosem zt'l (Vayigash) teaches on the pasuk (Bereishis 45:5) לפניכם אלקים שלחני למחיה כי, "for the sake of parnassah, שלחני, Hashem sent me before you..." The word שלחני is roshei teivos להדליק ימים שמונת חנוכה נר, “To light the candles of Chanukah eight days.”
On Zos Chanukah, Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin zt'l saw chassidim playing dreidel with money. The Rebbe said, "Play. What a person earns during Chanukah, he might lose [at the next game]. But what one gains on Zos Chanukah, he won't lose." It will remain with him forever.
