23 Nov It’s a Mystical Chanukah; Transforming Darkness to Light
Chanukah;
Transforming Darkness to Light
and The Courtship of Lighting a Candle
Inspired by the teachings of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
The Great Sages Shammai and Hillel oppose each other in their disagreement on lighting the Chanukah candles. Shammai says we should light 8 candles beginning on the first day reducing to 1 candle the last day. Hillel says light 1 candle first day then increase to 8 candles the last day. We hold by the tradition of Hillel by lighting 1 to the 8th candles… but with an understanding that when Mashiach comes we will hold to light as Shammai states… 8 to 1 which requires a further explanation.
There is a very interesting insight that says although we will light in a Messianic time as Shammai as 8 to 1, there is no statement that we will stop lighting as Hillel states as 1 to 8. The commentary says we will actually light according both opinions…. simultaneously. We will at that time be ‘holding opposites’. Both ways to light the Chanukiah will be as one. How is that possible?… A classic paradox in state of resolve.
It is teaching us the concept that as we approach the Messianic Era and the Oneness of G-d in the world, paradoxes will come to be resolved. When there is the harmony of Oneness, the plurality of the world will be resolved (rectified). All will be as One.
As we learn from Creation, the World of Chaos is Darkness and The World of Tikun is Light. First there was darkness then there was Light…
The battle of Chanukah was a battle of darkness vs light. The Syrian-Greek empire embraced the intellectual ways of science and rational thought, much as the western world [Edom] does today. The Jews however believed in the inclusion of the the tangible (or empirical) of the intellect, with the inclusion of the abstractness of spirituality. It should be noted that Torah and Judaism does not discount the wisdom of the intellect of science, however Jewish wisdom does believe in a holistic approach in that there needs to be an interinclusion of the wisdom of the mind (intellect) and the wisdom of heart (spiritual-emotive). We need both. In short, the Syrian –Greeks wanted to eliminate the presence of God’s spiritual and abstract thought from the world, and cleave only to the intellectual aspects of life.
One of the ideas we might consider that illuminate the power of the transformation of darkness to light are that which came from the tragedy of the Holocaust… the resurgence of a Torah consciousness. In this rectification of darkness through the living, learning and teaching of Torah, the souls of all who perished will be elevated. As we come to the Final Redemption, we will physically and spiritually be awakened from the 400 year slumber dating back to the ‘years of Mitzrayim-Egypt’. As we may understand, such an awakening may not be very comfortable, and change will be imminent as we approach a Messianic time.
When the Israelites were at the Yom Suf, their emunah-faith was waning. It was by the Hand of G-d that the Egyptian pursued them and awakened their yira-awe by their facing death .They stood at the banks of the Yom Suf and were being pursued by the Egyptians who were coming to kill them and …. and it worked. There was a transformation. From the darkness of being overtaken and killed by the Egyptians, the Hand of God woke their emunah – faith, and with G-d as their partner, they crossed the Yom Suf and moved safely toward Mt Sinai and the receiving of the Torah.
Where Yaakov and Esau meet (parshas Vayishlach), Esau is travelling with 400 men. Esau’s 400 men are significant and Kabbalistically represent the 400 unrectified sparks of Holiness that fell from the Darkness of the World of Chaos (400 Jewish souls planted and concealed in the bodies in non-Jews) ., at the time of ‘the big bang’ and the creation of this world. These are the sparks of holiness (in an unrectified state) that needed to be revealed and elevated to rectify the world and bring Mashiach…. Light. Esau represents the most abundant fallen spark of Chaos, darkness. As Jacob approaches Esau he prostrates 7 times so as to subjugate and open the 7 emotive chambers of his heart to receive Esau both physically and spiritually. He is thus approaching the dark sparks of holiness (of Esau) in order to receive them and elevate them as light. This process continues on today and may be referred to as the process of ‘the tshuvah or transformation of Esau’ as it was done by Jacob, Jacob as the individual and Nation Yisroel, as we continue to do a Jews today.
Where Joseph had intellectual wisdom (‘he was a child of Jacob’s old age’), he lacked emotional wisdom.
His brothers threw him into the darkness of the pit. He was sold into slavery in ‘the darkness’ of Mitzrayim, and thrown into the darkness of jail. It was through the experience of ‘the darkness’ that Joseph was able to become nullified (humbled) and receive Hashem’s Light in a most rectified way.
To approach the/our fallen sparks of holiness whether it is be a person, place or a thing such as lighting a candle, there must be the intent not only to give Light (sparks of holiness) , but also to take care on how that Light (sparks of holiness) is able to be received . As in the matter of Jacob and Esau and the 400 fallen sparks of holiness (unrectified shards of Creation and the planting on Jewish souls concealed in the bodies of non-Jews), the older Esau serves Jacob the younger (as the Torah states) as Esau is the caretaker of the sparks in a negative, dark or unrectified state for Jacob, a.k.a. Yisroel [Jews] making it possible for the Nation of Israel , to acquire the merit by revealing and igniting them.
The world environment of conflict is as a result of the powers of light and dark, chesed and gevurah, at odds with one another. The rectification of those powers we understand to be embodied in the spiritual vessel of Esau (the 400 sparks) and Jacob need to become revealed, ignited and rectified to bring about the Oneness of beauty and harmony… to bring about the rectified potential of Jacob as Yisroel, the Holy Land Israel , Her People Israel… and the Messianic Era. Esau needs Jacob, and Jacob needs Esau.
Our concerns must be greater than just waxing on about the obvious revealed issues. We must take our anger and frustration and find a way to elevate it toward positive spiritual and physical change or it will ferment in us and chip away at our emunah-faith.
The world’s ‘fuel’ for transformation to bring Tikun Olam and the Final Redemption comes from the continual resolve or ‘rectifying of paradox’ … opposites, aka opposing forces. and continually elevating the sparks of holiness. This would include those concealed sparks contained within the spiritual vessel of Esau (Edom).
As we approach the End of Days, the potential for greater clarity will exist and the contrasts will seem greater before they seem less through the resolve (tshuvah to tikun) . It may seem at times discomfort is as a curse, but we must recognize that within the darkness of what may seem like a curse or darkness, is contained the most powerful blessing.
The most powerful sparks of Holiness are contained within the darkness…. the opposing forces… the paradox … and when revealed and ignited merit the tikun-rectification that brings the Final Redemption, Mashiach. >
Freilichen Chanukah
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honors)
www.lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com
The Courtship of Lighting a Candle
When we light one candle from another we ought not touch the wicks together but allow the unlit wick the opportunity to gently ‘receive’ the flame from the lit candle (the shamos). It is when the flame is ‘received’ by the newly lit candle (i.e. accepted- transferred), and both flames are burning independently strong that they then unite and rise high, giving birth to one united strong flame.Then, the candle has been properly lit.
The shamos ‘gives’ light to the unlit candle, and the candle to be lit ‘receives’ it in an action referred to in Chassidut as ‘touching – yet not – touching’ . The key to the unity and power of one single unified flame is that the candles become ‘both and equally givers and receivers’… and they do so simultaneously. This ‘courtship of the candles’ is a metaphor for many interactions in life. Like a husband and wife who individually -and- together form one new nishama of unity (yichud), or like one Jew who helps to ignite the light within the heart of another Jew to help him burn bright and strong. The first step is we must bring someone close, receive them with loving kindness in order that the sparks within them may be ignited and they may receive the light.
We must look to touch every Jew to help him to ignite the spark within, and we must nurture him until his spark becomes a strong independent flame. We must be strong individually and together.
Freilichen Chanukah
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honors)
www.lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com