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Parsha Halacha — halacha CHANUKAH — Vayeishev 5784

Выпуск: Parsha Halacha — halacha CHANUKAH — Vayeishev 5784. Темы: parsha_commentary. Поисковые термины: недельная глава, парша, parsha, פרשה, פרשת השבוע. Stephen and Bella Brenner in loving‬ ‭memory of Stephen's father, Shmuel Tzvi ben Pinchas, and Bella's parents, Avraham‬ ‭ben Yitzchak and Leah bas HaRav Sholom Zev HaCohen‬ ‭To sponsor or subscribe, please email‬‭rabbicitron@hotmail.com‬ ‭The following insights are from‬‭Rabbi Yisroel Meir Alter‬‭(1799 – 1866) of‬‭Ger‬‭, Poland,‬ ‭author of the Chidushei HaRim and founder of the‬‭Gerer Chassidic dynasty‬‭. These‬ ‭insight are printed in Torat Chidushei HaRim, a collection of Rabbi Alter’s teachings‬ ‭compiled by his descendant, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Levin (Jerusalem 1950).‬ ‭1)‬ ‭Why Do We Make a Big Deal about the Miracle of the Oil?‬ ‭Why do we celebrate the miracle of the oil of Chanukah lasting for eight nights? After‬ ‭all, in ancient times, such miracles were relatively commonplace as we find‬‭1‬ ‭that Rabbi‬ ‭Chanina ben Tradyon once blessed his daughter that vinegar should make her Shabbat‬ ‭candles burn instead of oil and so it was.‬ ‭A similar question can be asked about the splitting of the sea which we commemorate‬ ‭on the seventh day of Pesach. Why is this miracle so noteworthy when the Talmud‬ ‭recounts‬‭2‬ ‭how Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair once split a river while he was on the way to‬ ‭redeem captives?‬ ‭The concept is that it’s to be expected that miracles occur for Tzadikkim who serve G-d‬ ‭in an extraordinary manner such as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair.‬ ‭This was not the case, however, regarding the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus,‬ ‭many of whom were idolators.‬‭3‬ ‭The splitting of the sea was therefore a great miracle in‬ ‭that G-d considered their inner goodness and judged them as being deserving of a‬ ‭miracle.‬ ‭1‬ ‭Ta’anit 25a‬ ‭2‬ ‭Chullin 7a‬ ‭3‬ ‭See‬‭Shir HaShirim Rabbah 21:7‬ ‭1‬ ‭Similarly, the lighting of the Menorah as a communal service in the Beit HaMikdash‬ ‭represented the entire community, many of whom had gone to the side of the Hellenists‬ ‭in their recent past.‬‭4‬ ‭The fact that G-d considered the community as a whole to be‬ ‭righteous in consideration of the recent teshuvah awakening – that was the true miracle.‬ ‭2)‬ ‭Why Mehadrin min HaMehadrin?‬ ‭The common custom on Chanukah is to light an additional lamp (or candle) every‬ ‭evening.‬‭5‬

Издание
Parsha Halacha
Дата
8 декабря 2023 г.
Страниц
4

Темы: parsha_commentary