Chanukah Message from Rabbi Yitzchok Austin
The Gemorah Shabbos (21b) asks - What is the miracle of Chanukah?
When the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled it, including the oil that was used for lighting the Menorah. When the Chashmonaim (Hasmoneans) defeated the Greek army, they entered the Temple to re-dedicate it. They found just one jug of oil that was intact with the seal of the High Priest. Instead of lasting for one day, this single jug of oil lasted for eight days. And so the following year the Rabbis fixed this date as the festival of Chanukah.
We see from this story that the miracle of Chanukah comes from finding this one jug of pure
oil, and not the miraculous defeat of the Greek army. This is why we commemorate Chanukah every year by lighting the Menorah. The truth is, the battle against the Greeks was a necessary part of the story; otherwise the Temple would not have needed to be re-dedicated. However, this miracle takes second place and is barely mentioned in comparison to the jug of oil and the kindling of the Menorah.
From this, we can see that Chanukah is a spiritual festival. Compared to sound and smell, light is by far the more sublime sense, and often less easily noticed. For this reason, spiritual matters tend to be compared to light. This is also why the spiritual salvation that happened on Chanukah is connected to the miraculous jug of oil. This is not coincidental, nor secondary, but the whole point of the festival.
Chanukah can give us a profound spiritual energy to illuminate ourselves and our environment. Although most of the mitzvahs which we do today involve material objects, these objects are simply a means by which to reach for a higher spiritual goal, and to reveal our true inner self.
The message of Chanukah this year is more important than ever. We live in challenging times, when the news and media are generally full of gloom. Lighting the Menorah lifts us up and gives us hope for the future, for a time when things will again be bright.
With best wishes for a happy Chanukah.
Rabbi Yitzchok Austin
The Gemorah Shabbos (21b) asks - What is the miracle of Chanukah?
When the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled it, including the oil that was used for lighting the Menorah. When the Chashmonaim (Hasmoneans) defeated the Greek army, they entered the Temple to re-dedicate it. They found just one jug of oil that was intact with the seal of the High Priest. Instead of lasting for one day, this single jug of oil lasted for eight days. And so the following year the Rabbis fixed this date as the festival of Chanukah.
We see from this story that the miracle of Chanukah comes from finding this one jug of pure
oil, and not the miraculous defeat of the Greek army. This is why we commemorate Chanukah every year by lighting the Menorah. The truth is, the battle against the Greeks was a necessary part of the story; otherwise the Temple would not have needed to be re-dedicated. However, this miracle takes second place and is barely mentioned in comparison to the jug of oil and the kindling of the Menorah.
From this, we can see that Chanukah is a spiritual festival. Compared to sound and smell, light is by far the more sublime sense, and often less easily noticed. For this reason, spiritual matters tend to be compared to light. This is also why the spiritual salvation that happened on Chanukah is connected to the miraculous jug of oil. This is not coincidental, nor secondary, but the whole point of the festival.
Chanukah can give us a profound spiritual energy to illuminate ourselves and our environment. Although most of the mitzvahs which we do today involve material objects, these objects are simply a means by which to reach for a higher spiritual goal, and to reveal our true inner self.
The message of Chanukah this year is more important than ever. We live in challenging times, when the news and media are generally full of gloom. Lighting the Menorah lifts us up and gives us hope for the future, for a time when things will again be bright.
With best wishes for a happy Chanukah.
Rabbi Yitzchok Austin
Melaveh Malka 28/01/23
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Melaveh Malka 16/10/21
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Interior Layout for Distancing
Havdalah with Rev Menasche
Rev Menasche and Chazzan Steve at the Pre-Rosh Hashanah Kumzitz
