A PERSONAL PROCLAMATION:
Loyalty to Life of Purity and Sanctity, by Each & Every
One of Us, Publically & Yearly!
During the battles of the Chashmonayim with the Greeks in the
year 3597 to the Creation, about 2179 years ago, for about three years, the
Holy and Pure Menorah of the Holy Temple was not lit. After the Chashmonayim
overpowered the Greeks and their Hellenized Jewish associates, they restored
the services at the Holy Temple, and wanted to re-light the Holy and Pure
Menorah - Candelabra. They found that the Greeks have defiled all the oil
flasks, and only one flask of Pure oil, with the seal of the high priest was
found, which would normally suffice for the lighting of only one night.
Miraculously, this one day measure of oil did burn for eight days. [Either the
necessary round trip travel time to the trib of Asher to bring the best special
Pure olive oil, or Seven days to purify the oil producers, and one day to
produce the pure oil. (Orach-Chaim, Bayt-Yosef 670).] The following year, our
sages proclaimed those 8 days as a festival of G-d praising and thanksgiving.
Therefore, "from the 25th day of Kislev, for the 8 days of Chanukka, we
light the Chanuka Candles, we recite the full Hallel – Thanksgiving Psalm
prayer, we say the "Miracles prayer" – "Al-Hanissim,"
during the silent devotion prayer, at the Thanksgiving blessing, [and in the
Grace after the meals.] We do not eulogy and do not fast during those 8
days." (Shabbat 21).
Answers to few of many questions asked:
1. Why did G-d deem it necessary to perform for us a miracle
to reinstate the lighting of the Menorah immediately, with pure oil, without
having to wait the necessary 8 days for the production and/or bringing of new
pure oil? The Menorah was not lit during 3 years, why it could not wait another
8 days for the new pure oils.
2. Why the miracle was that only one instead of the 8 jars
that were needed for eight days will be found?
3. What did this miracle accomplish for our people, besides
saving seven little flasks of oil, and the fact that the Menorah miraculously
remained lit for seven additional days, more then many other miracles, that
occur daily to our people and to each and every one of us, as we proclaim 3
times daily in the Thanks-Giving prayer of the Amida, that it obligates each
one of us to light the Chanukah candles yearly to the end of generations?
4. Why must each person light his own personal Menorah? Only
one Menorah was lit for our entire People of Israel in the Holy Temple!
Likewise, to light one Menorah in the synagogue or on top of a high tower from
where it could be seen by all the people of the city could be sufficient to
publicise the miracle of the Menorah.
5. Why must every person exhibit his lighting of the Menorah,
and allow the entire community check on him, if and how did he light the
Chanukkah Menorah? Since we must light the Menorah outside, at the entrance
door, or in a window facing the street. The obligation to light the Menorah is
only as long as there are passer-by in the street, who are able to see it lit.
There is no other commandment that require us to display its observance?
6. Why the miracle of the lighting the Menorah and not any of
the other [9] miracles that took place daily in the Holy Temple of Yerushalayim
was chosen, for the celebration of the restoration of the Temple service and
the yearly celebration of the victory of the forces of Purity and Sanctity over
the forces of impurity and darkness?
7. Why the obligation to light the Chanuka Menorah, was
instituted only a year after the victory, and not immediately after?
8. Why the Greek culture is so dangerous, that our sages call
it "Darkness!" as written: "Choshech Al Pnai Tehom" - "Darkness
upon abyss!" this is Yavan – Greek," (Breshit 1:2, Raba 2:4), which
prompted our sages to proclaim a personal obligation on every Jew to light a
Chanuka Menorah to the end of generations, in order to express the clash and
conflict with the Greek culture?
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