Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Zos Channukah - The forgotten children

 
I atteneded the Bostoner of Bet Shemesh's hadlakas Neiros last night and he said:
 
Perhaps the concept of the time for lighting Channulah candles designated as "ad shetichleh regel min hashuk," which is difficult to understand (why Chazal chose to designate that time in such a way) means that the regilus or the habit that some Jews have of wandering in the shuk or marketplace (which is the dwelling of the external negative forces and) together with the gentile nations, and then he sighed saying "A Yid iz azoy und azoy und azoy," which I took to mean that a Jew must remember how truly different and unique he is, even though the gentiles may understand that a Jew is like this or like that i.e. that is just like they are. Therefore we must light a small candle and kindle a flame in such a way that it shall declare and proclaim the miracle of Channukah and survival of us as Jews against all odds! that they shall not be able to feel habituated to us nor us to them, ad shetichleh regel min hashuk," until that habit of us in the marketplace is ended, to the point that they fathom not what a Jewish child is at all!
 
Afterwards I was zoche to learn from the sefer Birkas Moshe of Lelov as I sat at the Zos Channukah tisch last night in Lelov Bet Shemesh:
 

Parshas Naso reading for Zos Channukah begins with Bamidbar Chapter 7 verse 54. "On the eighth day, the nasi or chieftain was of the sons of Menashe, Gamliel the son of Pedatzhur.   נד. בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי נָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה גַּמְלִיאֵל בֶּן פְּדָה צוּר

The Birkas Moshe, Rav Moshe Mordechai of Lelov zatzal understood this verse which refers to the final eighth day of Channukah on which the light of the Menorah shines brightest with eight lights (the heilige Imrei Pinchas Koretzer and Meor Aynaim of Czernoble taught that light of Moshiach shines through the Menorah),

On the eighth day of Zos Channukah even the forgotten sons are uplifted, anyone who simply declares I too have a G-d! Whoever lets the Rock and Redeemer of Israel into his life! is uplifted on this day! Each and every Jew, no matter how lowly, no matter how forlorn and lost he may feel, like one of the forgotten sons, yet on Zos Channukah Hashem uplifts him and shines for him the light of Moshiach and redemption. All a Jew has to say is I too, have a G-d! I am not lost for Hashem is with me. Then if he lets G-d in, he is uplifted.

How does the Lelover read this into our verse?

On the eighth day (Zos Channukah) Nasi (they shall be uplifted, since Nasi literally means uplifted one),  Bnei Menashe (the forgotten children - from the meaning of the name Menashe which Yosef named him because Hashem had caused Yosef to forget his pain and hardships see Bereishis 41:51) Gamliel (read as Gam Li E"l - I too have a G-d) ben Pedatzhur (Peda Tzur He who has redeemed the Rock - or he who lets G-d in).


Chapter 7 verse 56. One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense.   נו. כַּף אַחַת עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מְלֵאָה קְטֹרֶת

The Birkas Moshe also cites a teaching from the tzadik Rav Meir of Premishlan on the above verse. He interprets this verse to mean that with just one small bow, just a small demonstration of self subjugation and submission to Hashem's will one is transformed into a goldene yid, a golden Jew. How does the Premishlaner see this in the above verse? Kaf Achas - Kaf is spelled Chaf Fay, which is the root of the verb LaChuf, which means to bow and to submit onself, Achas means One. Thus One Spoon is read as One bow of submission.
Asarah Zahav - Ten Gold - Ten is equal to Yud in Gematria a well known Yiddishism for a Jew a Yid. thus Ten shekels of Gold is read as a Goldene Yid. Mit Ayn Beg - with just one small bow of submission to Hashem's will, vert min a goldene Yid - we are transformed into golden Jews!

May the light of Zos Channukah shine the golden Jewish soul within each of us!

No comments: