6b. Lighting a Chanukah Menorah, requires an activity that each one of us can perform regardless of his social and economic rank. Before the modern age of matches and electricity, lighting a fire was a difficult undertaking, nevertheless people did light fires for their daily use. Those who could afford it, would also light a candle for illumination at night. We are required to light a candle to honour the Shabbat. All married Jewish women, ever since the first woman Chavah = Eve and our Foremother Sarah, did light Shabbat candles. Even people who live in austere conditions, are able to crush a few olives and produce enough oil to light a candle, or to use the fat from broiled or cooked meat which floats above the soup. Since each one of us possesses the knowhow and capability to light a candle, and we light candles anyway for light, therefore, our sages commanded us to light extra candles, not for light but only in honour of the festival of the restoration of the Menorah in the Holy Temple. We light them with a special blessing to honour the festival of Chanukah, and we proclaim: "These candles we light for the miracles… these candles are holy, we are not permitted to use them, in any way or form, only to look at them, in order to thank… for Hashem's miracles…!"
Oil, exist in the world in abundance. Millions of barrels are drawn daily from the depth of the earth. However, for the Pure Menorah, G-d requires only a little oil - but pure oil. Olive oil that was extracted from a fruit that grows on a tree. The entire process of conversion from a fruit into oil must be made in Purity and Sanctity, and by people who lead a life of Purity and Sanctity!
All this in order to reveal to us another secret!
The miracle of Chanukah is about a small jar of oil, but Pure Oil, to teach us that the condition of our survival depends on leading our lives in Purity and Sanctity, as it is written: “Not with power nor with might, only with the spirit of Hashem"! We do not owe our survival to Jewish talent, courage, and daring, but only to the merit of “Children, Men and Women, Young as Old” – and conditioned with the Totality of our people who are leading their lives in Purity and Sanctity. As mentioned: (Mlachim II 18-19, Yeshaya 36-37, Sanhedrin 94). In the year 3060 (from Creation), 2714 years ago, a huge army of 185,000 commanders and millions of soldiers, under the leadership of Sancheriv, besieged Yerushalayim in order to destroy it. Miraculously, at the exact midnight, they died before getting a chance to shoot even one single arrow. The Talmud credits this miracle to the merit that in that time, in the entire land of Yisrael, there was not even one young boy or girl, one man or woman who were not well-versed in the laws of Purity and Impurity, and the observance of Mikva.
The same merit is needed today till the end of time in order to save ourselves, and our communities!
The four lessons for the survival of our people and each and every one of us, are:
"MIKVA!" "Even when you increase prayers I do not hear! – Immerse – Repent!" (Yeshaya 1:15-16, Targum).What is the connection between Immersion and Repentance? Mikva "Immersion," which stops the breathing and endangers life, brings to "the realization of standing before G-d!" which is a most effective means to instinctively connect a human-being to the Creator, even in good times, accept Torah observance and effect a transformation from life of disinterest to a life of commitment, repentance and devotion to G-d and effect problem-prevention and/or problem-solving 'repentance,' which is a key to our Survival and Salvation! This is one of the reasons why: "Repentance requires Immersion." (Or Zaru’a, 1:40:112). G-d's acceptance of our prayers depends on repentance which requires Immersion. Therefore, "Mikva" is a prerequisite for our salvation.
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