In the household of Reb Dovid of Tolna, hadlokas haneirois was a special event. His chassidim would gather excitedly in his house to take part in the lighting of his golden menora, which was an elaborate piece of artistic craftsmanship. One year, on the first night of Chanukah, when the tzaddik was ready to light it, he turned to one of his chassidim and said, “Your wife is short, isn’t she? When you want to speak to her, what do you do? Do you bend over towards her, or does she raise herself up to your height?” Without waiting for an answer, he recited the berachos and lit the menora. Needless to say, the chossid and all those present were very puzzled.
During this time, Reb Dovid’s great nephew, Reb Mordechai Dov of Hornisteipol, was staying at his home, and seeing the confusion of the chassidim, he explained: The Gemara says that “The Shechina does not descend lower than ten tefachim from the ground.” However, there is an exception to this rule, for the Chanuka menora is ideally required to be lower than ten tefachim, and it brings the Shechina itself here below. Reb Mordechai concluded by quoting from the AriZal that this is the deeper meaning of the words of the Gemara, ‘If your wife is short, you should bend over and whisper to her.’
The following evening, at the time of hadlokas haneiros, Reb Dovid again made some puzzling comment to one of his chassidim. Immediately, though he had not been told of the previous night’s explanation, he turned to Reb Mordechai and said, “This time, you will not understand as you did yesterday!”
(סיפורי חסידים זוין מועדים ע' 281)
In Haneiros Halalu we say that we have no permission to use the lights, only to look at them (“elo lir’oison bilvad”). This can mean that gazing at the lights is actually a benefit, healing any damage the eyes have incurred from seeing improper images, and protects one for the future. In fact many tzaddikim would sit and gaze at the licht as they burned.
(שו"ת שב יעקב סי' כב, זרע קודש – ראפשיץ)
After kindling the Chanukah licht, the Rebbe Rashab would sit near them for half an hour and learn, though at a slight distance, in order not to benefit from its light. He would learn Gemara, wherever he was holding in his learning of Shas.
The Rebbe explained that this practice highlights the special connection of Torah to light, and is a lesson for everyone – Chanukah is a time to increase one’s learning. Furthermore, since the Yevanim wished to prevent us from studying Torah, we respond by increasing our study.
(רשימות היומן ע' שכג, תו"מ תשמ"ב ח"ב ע' 618)
The War of the Yevanim
The Rebbe explained how the goal of the Yevanim and the misyavnim was to remove the separation that exists between Yidden and goyim, and to educate children to be similar to the other nations. This is more severe than placing decrees against the observance of Torah and mitzvos, because its effect remains even after the decree is over. It begins with something ‘small’, through ‘lighting up’ the way for a child with ‘oil’ that is contaminated with goyishkeit, claiming that it produces the same light. When one educates children improperly, drawing ‘light’ from a source which is not pure, this leads a child to become a Misyaven R”L.
The lesson from Chanukah is: when lighting up Yiddishe homes, one must use only pure Yiddishe light, uncontaminated by any goyishkeit. By doing so, with mesirus nefesh (not giving in to the majority, who also appear to be stronger), we will be victorious, for HaShem is on our side.
(לקו"ש ח"כ ע' 438)
At a children's rally the Rebbe pointed out the war against the Yevanim in our times. During the time of Chanukah, the Chashmona'im withstood a tremendous challenge, battling a mighty army with mesirus nefesh. Today's nisyonos are not as formidable, but are of a different nature. The Yetzer hara comes to a child and tells him to spend his time playing games like others around him, thus causing him to forget to learn Torah. Or he will try to convince him to eat a candy which others are eating, even though its kashrus is uncertain. In such a situation, the child must act strongly, with mesirus nefesh, no matter how exciting or enticing the challenge is, and then he will certainly be victorious.
(ז' חנוכה תשל"ח, לקו"ש ח"כ ע' 483)
Celebrating Chanukah
Since the primary nes of Chanukah was a spiritual one, annulling the decrees of the Yevanim against the observance of Yiddishkeit and the offering of korbanos, we commemorate it in a spiritual way, by saying Hallel and praising HaShem. However, it is also customary to make one’s seudos finer during Chanukah in order to recall the miracle of winning the war and to commemorate the completion of the Mishkan on chaf-hei Kislev. During such a seuda, one should sing praises to HaShem for His nissim, thus making it a seudas mitzva.
(שו"ע או"ח סי' תע"ר ובהשלמה לשוע"ר שם)
It was customary for the Tzemach Tzedek, as it had been for the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe before him, to hold a gathering on one of the evenings of Chanukah with his family, including his daughters-in-law. This was called a “latkes ovent”, a latkes evening. At this gathering the Rebbes would tell stories, some of which were repeated year after year. The Rebbe Rashab would also set aside time during Chanukah to speak to the children.
(היום יום כ"ח כסלו, רשימות היומן חנוכה תרצ"ג)
Consider
Why is it specifically the light of Chanukah that draws the Shechinah below ten tefachim?
How do we distinguish between “pure Yiddishe light” and “contaminated goyishkeit” when they both incorporate the study of Torah and the observance of mitzvos?
