Preparation for the Mitzvah
A chassid hid in the Yismach Yisrael's zt'l room to watch his Rebbe prepare and light the Chanukah lecht. The chassid watched the Rebbe's joy and hislahavus as he poured the oil and prepared the wicks, but when the Rebbe lit the lecht, it seemed very regular. He didn't see anything unique. The chassid wondered, “Shouldn’t the mitzvah be performed with even greater hislahavus than the preparations?”
He couldn’t come out of his hiding place to ask the Rebbe this question since he was there without permission, so he kept his questions to himself.
The next day, the Yismach Yisrael approached the chassid and said, "A person's part in a mitzvah is his preparations. The actual performance of the mitzvah isn't in his hands anymore. Either Hashem gives him inspiration, or He doesn't."
This is a reminder that we should prepare properly for the Chanukah lecht.
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l told the following mashal:
An oil merchant once came to town. The townspeople brought pots and containers and asked the merchant to fill them with oil. When all their vessels were filled with oil, the merchant said, "You want to buy more oil, and I want to sell you more oil. But I can't sell you oil if you don't have containers."
This mashal helps us understand why it is important to prepare for Chanukah lecht. Hashem wants to give us light, kedushah, brachos, and salvations on Chanukah, but we can’t receive it without enough vessels. Every preparation creates another vessel into which Hashem will pour His blessings.
Rebbe Dovid Moshe of Chortkov zt'l said: Place a gem on a velvet cloth, and it appears beautiful. Put the gem in a gold ring, and it seems exquisite. Place the same stone in a paper bag or in a dirty bowl, and it won’t have the same appeal.
The same is true with the light of Chanukah. We must create a setting that is conducive for it to shine beautifully.
This is hinted at in the words, ישראל בני ולכל במושבתם אור היה (Shemos 10:23). The אור, brilliant light of Chanukah variates, במושבתם, with its setting. If we prepare ourselves well, we become a proper receptacle to retain the great light of Chanukah.
A young man arrived at the Beis Yisrael's residence and said to the gabbai, Reb Chanina Shiff, "My grandfather, the Biala Rebbe (Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala zt'l) told me to come here to watch the Beis Yisrael as he prepares for Chanukah lecht."
The gabai opened the door and saw the Rebbe pacing in his room, his face aflame. The gabai quickly shut the door and said to the young man, "I don't dare disturb the Rebbe now. If you want to, go in on your own."
The grandson opened the door, but when he saw the Beis Yisrael's holy face aflame, he quickly shut the door. He was afraid to disturb him.
He returned to his grandfather and told him what he saw. His grandfather replied, "That's exactly what I wanted you to see."
Do the Mitzvah as Best as You Can
After the Yesod HaAvodah of Slonim zy'a was niftar, the chassidim debated whom to appoint as their next Rebbe. One elderly person recommended that they appoint the Divrei Shmuel zt'l (the Yesod HaAvodah's grandson) to be the successor, and he supported his opinion from the following incident:
The Divrei Shmuel was very attached to the mitzvah of Chanukah lecht. He studied the halachos very well, and every year, he spent a lot of time importing olive oil for the mitzvah. One year, he filled his menorah with olive oil, and then he went to his grandfather's house to watch the Yesod HaAvodah light Chanukah lecht. When he returned home to light his menorah, he saw that someone had already used his menorah and had lit the lecht. Since Shabbos was approaching, there wasn't enough time to prepare another olive oil menorah, so he lit one candle made from animal fats, and that was his mitzvah that night.
The elderly chasid told this story and explained to his friends, "The chiddush was that he lit that candle with joy. I say that if he can be happy with his mitzvah, even when it wasn't as planned, he deserves to be Rebbe."
The elderly chassid's suggestion was accepted, and the Divrei Shmuel became the next rebbe of Slonim.
The Divrei Shmuel’s attitude was passed down to his son, the Beis Avraham of Slonim zt’l.
One year, Friday afternoon, the Beis Avraham was about to light the Chanukah menorah when his child ran by and knocked over the menorah. The oil spilled, and there wasn't enough time before Shabbos to prepare the menorah again. The Beis Avraham said with a smile, "The same Creator Who commanded us to light Chanukah lecht commanded us not to become angry."
We must perform the mitzvos as best as possible and be happy with what we achieve, even when it isn't perfect. The results aren't in our hands; all we can do is try our best.
One year, Rebbe Yochanan of Tolna zy’a (Bayit v’Gan, Yerushalayim) lit Chanukah lecht, and was saying zemiros and Tehillim. Many people were present, and due to pushing, a child fell on the Rebbe’s Chanukah menorah, and it turned over. The child felt terrible. The Rebbe said, "My dear child, I'm so grateful to you. Now I can keep Chazal's counsel, כבתה לה זקוק אין, if the candles blow out before one half-hour passes, one isn't obligated to light the candles again. How often can I fulfill this Chazal? Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"
Instead of being angry with the child, he rejoiced that he could finally practice a statement from Chazal. (Afterwards, the Rebbe lit the candles again because the Mishnah Berurah rules that if a half-hour hasn’t passed, one should be machmir and rekindle the candles.)
Once, the Chofetz Chaim zt'l was in the home of Reb Nachumke Kaplan zt'l on Chanukah. The time to light Chanukah lecht arrived, but Reb Nachumke waited to light until his Rebbetzin got home. The Chofetz Chaim asked his rebbe why he waited since halachah clearly states one should light at the proper time, even if some people aren't home.
Reb Nochumke replied, “My wife will be upset if I light the candles without her. Chazal say עדיף בית שלום, shalom bayis is more important than Chanukah lecht. So, it is better that I wait until my wife comes home and then light."
