1. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1986), "Concerning the Hanukkah Candle"
Hanukkah, […] is the work of correction of creation, which is to obtain the vessels of bestowal, with which we can then achieve the purpose of creation. We can call this “spirituality” because we do not want to do anything for ourselves, but only for the Creator.
2. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1986), "Concerning the Hanukkah Candle"
Hanu [parked] Koh [here/thus far], meaning that they parked here. This means that Chaf-Hey [Koh/25th] of Kislev [the date when Hanukkah begins] was not the end of the war, but only a pause. It is like an army that wants to start a new, major assault, so it lets the soldiers rest and regain their strength so they can continue the war.
3. RABASH, Letter No. 26
The matter with Hanukah. This is the meaning of Hanu (parked), where the parking was not because of wholeness, meaning an illuminating mirror. Rather, the parking was Ko (here/thus far), meaning incomplete, which is a mirror that does not illuminate. In other words, the war of the inclination is still not over, but we have to come to the real completeness. This is the meaning of Hanu-Ko, parking as in Ko, meaning receiving the upper bestowal so they would have more strength to go forward in the war of the inclination.
4. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1986), "Concerning the Hanukkah Candle"
Hanukkah is still not the completion of the goal, but only the correction of creation. It completes the vessels of bestowal, meaning acts of bestowal, and this is why it is forbidden to use the light of Hanukkah, since using is an act of reception, and the miracle was only on acts of giving—that they can do them and aim to bestow, which is called Lishma.
5. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), "These Candles Are Sacred"
On Hanukkah, the redemption was only on spirituality, since the decree was only on spirituality, as it is written (“About the Miracles”), “When the wicked kingdom of Greece arose over Your people, Israel, to make them forget Your law and remove them from the rules of Your will, You with Your great mercies stood by them in their time of trouble.”
It follows that the redemption was only about spirituality, and in the work, “spirituality” is called “vessels of bestowal,” called “light of Hassadim that dresses in vessels of bestowal.” But here, when we are rewarded with vessels of bestowal, it is only half the work, half a war. That is, a person must be rewarded with the vessels of reception also entering the Kedusha [holiness], meaning to use them with the aim to bestow.
Once the vessels of reception have also entered the Kedusha, this is considered that he has Kelim to receive, as well. At that time, this degree is called “sweetening of the Gevurot.” In other words, before he obtained the vessels of reception that work in order to bestow, he could not use the light that was revealed over vessels of bestowal.
6. RABASH, Article No. 7 (1987), "The Miracle of Hanukkah"
The matter of the Greeks is that we must go only within reason in both mind and heart. Naturally, when Israel wanted to go above reason and not consider what the outer mind necessitates, they could not.
This is called the war against the Greeks. This is when the real work begins, namely that the people of Israel wanted to mount the track that leads to Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. This path is called “faith above reason.” The Greeks wanted to control the body so it will not relinquish anything unless the reason agrees to it.
7. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), "These Candles Are Sacred"
We say (in the song Mighty Rock of My Salvation), “Greeks have gathered over me, then in the days of the Hasmoneans, and broke the walls of my towers.” “Greeks” are those people who go within reason, who cannot do anything if it is against reason. At that time, there was the governance of the Greeks, meaning this dominion governed over the people of Israel.
This authority is called “the wicked kingship of Greece,” whose role was to make them “forget Your Torah and move them from the laws of Your will.” That is, the governance is to go specifically within reason. This is what causes the breaching of the wall that guards the tower.
8. RABASH, Article No. 9 (1986), "Concerning the Hanukkah Candle"
"Spirituality” means using vessels of bestowal. The domination of the Greeks is expressed in forbidding anything that has to do with vessels of bestowal because there was control over the work of Torah and Mitzvot there, as well.
This was on the outside. It is far more so in the thought—they would govern the thought so they would be unable to aim anything for the Creator. Rather, they wanted the people of Israel to be immersed in self-love, by which they will be separated from the Creator. All the thoughts of the Sitra Achra [Other Side] are only about removing them from the Creator, and remoteness and separation come only by disparity of form, known as “self-love.”
9. RABASH, Article No. 897, "What Is Hanukkah"
“Greeks” refers to a philosophy, when one wants to understand everything with the external mind. “Then in the days of the Hasmoneans” means that specifically when there are Hasmoneans, meaning servants of the Creator, we see that the Greeks have control.
10. RABASH, Article No. 77, "Greeks Have Gathered Around Me"
“Greeks have gathered around me, then in the days of the Hasmoneans.”
The Greeks are the Klipa [shell/peel] opposite from the Kedusha [holiness]. Kedusha is the quality of faith above reason, and the Greeks go explicitly within reason. The Greeks come specifically in the days of the Hasmoneans, meaning right when one wants to walk on the path of Kedusha. Before this, there is no room for the Greeks because “God has made them one opposite the other.” This is the meaning of “Anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him” (Sukkah 52).
11. RABASH, Article No. 11 (1989), "What Are the Forces Required in the Work?'
Precisely when a person wants to draw near the Kedusha, which is done through faith above reason, the “views of the Greeks” appear in a person. This is a Klipa [singular of Klipot] against faith. At that time we see that before he began the work of bestowal, the Greeks were not revealed in the person, and he thought that he had sufficient faith in the Creator and had the strength to observe Torah and Mitzvot, and all that he needed was to do more Torah and Mitzvot.
But when one wants to be a Hasmonean, meaning that only Kedusha will govern the world, the “Greeks,” which is the Klipa opposite faith, appears more vigorously every time and wants specifically to break “the walls of my towers.” Faith is the “wall,” and all the greatness depends on the measure of faith that a person has in the Creator.
12. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), "These Candles Are Sacred"
Is written, “Greeks have gathered over me … and broke the walls of my towers.” This means that a person should guard this wall, called “faith in the Creator above reason.” In other words, a person must not wait until he understands that it is worthwhile to learn and to pray, etc. Rather, he should not consider what the reason advises him. Instead, he should follow the way that the Torah obligates a person. This is how one must behave. Only in this way, called “unconditional surrender,” can one be rewarded with the reason of Kedusha.
And the most important is the prayer. That is, one must pray to the Creator to help him go above reason, meaning that the work should be with gladness, as though he has already been rewarded with the reason of Kedusha, and what joy he would feel then. Likewise, he should ask the Creator to give him this power, so he can go above the reason of the body.
In other words, although the body does not agree to this work in order to bestow, he asks the Creator to be able to work with gladness, as is suitable for one who serves a great King. He does not ask the Creator to show the greatness of the Creator, and then he will work gladly. Rather, he wants the Creator to give him joy in the work of above reason, that it will be as important to a person as if he already has reason.
13. RABASH, Letter No. 43
We say in the song, “Mighty Rock of My Salvation”: “Greeks have gathered around me … and have broken the walls of my towers and defiled all the oils.” Homat (walls of) has the letters of Hotam (seal) and Tehum (area/zone). “My towers” is the tower full of good abundance (Midrash Rabah, Chapter 8). The “wall” concerns keeping foreigners from entering the city and robbing its good.
It is likewise here—in order to avoid entrance of foreign thoughts and uninvited desires, we must make a wall by which we keep from the outer ones. This wall is called “faith,” for only by faith can one be saved from all the above. This is called “zone,” for thus far the outer ones can approach, but when they see that the person did not go outside the wall they return to their place.
This is so because faith is specifically above reason, and the domination of the Sitra Achra is specifically within the reason of the outer mind. Thus, it has no connection or contact with the person.
14. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), "These Candles Are Sacred"
A “tower” means that within man, there is a certain measure of greatness of the Creator. This “wall” is called “faith above reason,” and specifically by faith above reason one can come to feel the greatness of the Creator, as well as depict to himself the greatness of the Creator.
When a person feels the greatness of the Creator, he is “like a candle before a torch,” annulled before Him. But the Greeks, meaning dominion of within reason, which did not let them go above reason, is regarded as “breaking the walls of my towers.” In other words, the faith above reason, which is a wall. Within this wall we can build towers, meaning obtain the greatness of the Creator, which is called “a tower.” That is, specifically through faith above reason we are rewarded with the “reason of Kedusha.”
15. RABASH, Letter No. 68
The holy ARI says that Homat [wall] comes from the word Tehum [area/zone], meaning that the people of Israel have a limit to what is permitted to think. That is, one must believe that the Creator leads the world with benevolent guidance, even though we do not understand it.
When a person has that boundary, he has a wall his enemies cannot penetrate. This is a keeping from foreign thoughts. This is why faith is called a “wall.” The Greeks broke that wall, and a miracle occurred and the Creator helped them, as it was mentioned, “Were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not have prevailed over it.
16. RABASH, Letter No. 43
“Broken the walls of my towers,” namely the wall around the tower full of good abundance, by which we are rewarded with open providence, that the Creator leads the world benevolently.
Through the abovementioned breach they have “defiled all the oils,” meaning that they were denied all the vitality and clarity they were granted through faith, for Tuma’a (impurity) comes from Timtum (dumbness) and Situm (blocking). Finally, a miracle happened and the Creator helped them, and they were rewarded with the revealed light once more, called “light of the face.”
17. RABASH, Letter No. 43
It is known that the candles cannot burn until three conditions are met 1) the candle, which is the vessel in which the oil is placed; 2) the oil; 3) the wick (a woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel up into the flame). When those three are brought together we can enjoy their light.
We should interpret the three above discernments in the work and ethics. The Kli (vessel) where the oil and wick are placed is the body, called a “candle.”
In the labor in Torah and Mitzvot, one feels contrast in His providence, concerning things that are not revealed to him, namely that the guidance of the world is in benevolence. According to man’s view, the Creator should have guided the world differently, meaning that His goodness would be revealed to all. Thus, it contradicts man’s reason. This is called a Petillah (wick), from the word Petaltol (winding) and from the word Pesulah (flawed), since it is flawed to think such thoughts.
The clarity and awakening that bring one to crave Torah and work, and to feel the sweetness and pleasantness in Torah and work, are called “oil.”
If one of them is missing, it is impossible to enjoy their light.
18. RABASH, Letter No. 43
When the body consists of labor and clarity, one is rewarded with attaining the light of the Creator, which emerges specifically through the two of them. And just as there is nothing to illuminate once the oil and wick have burned out, and it becomes dark, once the labor and clarity are over he has no light and it becomes dark for him once more.
If he wishes to obtain more light, he must try to find more labor, called “wick,” and more clarity, called “oil,” since the light has nothing through which to seep and hold. The reason for this is that there is a rule: “The reward is according to the effort.”
The clarity, called “oil,” comes mainly through faith, which is one’s prevailing over the evil inclination that brings one to exertions and contradictions to the external intellect. This is called “tests” in the work of the Creator.
After prevailing over it, one is rewarded with receiving the light of the Creator that illuminates to man’s soul, and then there is no more room for contradictions. This is called the “light of Hanukah.” That is, he is rewarded with open providence, that His guidance is benevolent to His creations.
19. RABASH, Article No. 5, "The Meaning of Sins Becoming as Merits"
This is similar to a flame that is tied to the wick. The foreign thought is considered the wick, which wants to install a flaw in his work. That is, the foreign thought makes him think that from the perspective of the mind and reason, he has nothing to do in His work. And when he gets the foreign thought, he says that he does not want to make any excuses, but everything that the reason says is correct except he is walking on the path of faith, which is above reason.
It follows that the flame of faith is tied to the wick of the foreign thought. Thus, only now can he observe the Mitzva of faith properly. It follows that the questions have become to him as merits, since otherwise he would not be able to accept any merits from faith.
This is called “rejoicing in suffering.” Although he suffers from the foreign thoughts that afflict him and cause him to slander and gossip and speak badly about His work, he is nonetheless happy about it for only now, at such a time, he can observe in a manner of faith above reason. This is called “the joy of Mitzva.”
20. RABASH, Letter No. 68
What is a miracle at all? It is known that something natural is not regarded as a miracle, but what is above nature, this is considered a miracle. Natural means something that man can do alone. This is called natural. But what man cannot do is already regarded as above nature.
21. RABASH, Letter No. 68
Hanukkah was a spiritual miracle, and in spirituality we must ask “What?” or we do not feel the miracle. This is why they said, “What is Hanukkah?” so that each one will ask about the miracle of spirituality, meaning so as to first know the meaning of spiritual exile, and then be able to be granted spiritual redemption.
And because of it we should divulge it publicly, to make everyone interested. Otherwise, we do not feel the exile or the redemption.
22. RABASH, Article No. 7 (1987), "The Miracle of Hanukkah"
The miracle that happens to a person, that he can decide for the side of Kedusha, is not a matter of intellect. Rather, it is something that the body deems redundant, which is the labor. The body loathes it and regards the whole matter of labor as redundant. But precisely from this redundancy, meaning what a person leaves and does not want or crave, from here comes to him the miracle remaining in Kedusha.
This is the meaning of “From the one remnant of the jars, a miracle was made for the roses.” A jar is as it is written, that Rabbi Meir purified the vermin with one hundred and fifty flavors. It means that in every thing there are views both ways. With what can we scrutinize? It is with what remains, meaning with what the body deems redundant, what it regards as nothing. This is faith above reason, and only by this can we be saved from falling into the trap of the Klipot.
23. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1990), "Why Is the Torah Called ‘Middle Line’ in the Work? – 1"
The miracle of Hanukkah was on the “right,” called “the correction of creation,” that they had wholeness. This is called that the miracle was over spirituality, since the vessels of bestowal, called “spirituality,” from the perspective of the Kelim [vessels], and these Kelim pertain to the good inclination.
Conversely, the vessels of reception are attributed to corporeality, meaning to the evil inclination, as we explained, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all you heart,” meaning with both your inclinations. That is, with the good inclination, which is vessels of bestowal, we should work for the sake of the Creator. But also with the vessels of reception, which belong to the evil inclination. They, too, must be used for the sake of the Creator, meaning to receive in order to bestow.
24. RABASH, Article No. 11 (1990), "What Placing the Hanukkah Candle on the Left Means in the Work"
“A miracle” implies something that a person cannot obtain. That is, it is impossible for one to obtain it unless through a miracle from above. Only in this way is it called “a miracle.”
For this reason, when a person comes to a state where he already has recognition of evil, that it is impossible for him to emerge from the domination of the nations of the world in him, that Israel in him is in exile under them, and he sees no way that he can emerge from their power, when the Creator helps them and brings them out from the authority of the nations of the world and turns it around so that the people of Israel governs them, this is called “a miracle.”
25. RABASH, Article No. 7 (1987), "The Miracle of Hanukkah"
“Why did they make the days of Hanukkah eight?” After all, they had oil for one night, and the miracle was that it burned seven more days. Therefore, according to the miracle, they should have set it only for seven days.”
They explained that since there remained on the first night from the oil that was needed for the first night, so the miracle on the first night was that not all the oil burned, but rather some of the oil burned and the rest remained seven more days.
This means that their finding the oil jar that was sealed with the seal of the High Priest is not regarded as a miracle, although it was a miracle that the Greeks did not see the oil jar. Instead, he regards a miracle as that which was unnatural, and that which was done above nature is regarded as a miracle, since the oil jar was in the world but they did not see it.
This is not so with the oil. Of the measure required for lighting during one night, only a small part of the oil burned. That small part, which was blessed, burned longer. This was unnatural. That is, it is not according to nature to burn longer than predicted. It follows that what was left of the first night, the fact that not all the oil burned, this is called “a miracle,” since this did not exist in the world.
26. RABASH, Article No. 11 (1989), "What Are the Forces Required in the Work?'
When the Creator made a miracle for them, meaning helped them, everyone saw that all the work did nothing for them, meaning that all the work was in vain, since they could not conquer them, as it is written (in “For the Miracles”), “You delivered mighty into the hands of the weak, and many into the hands of the few.”
That is, naturally, there was no way for them to win because they were weak and few there. Thus, they saw within reason that the Creator helped them. This comes to teach us that when the Creator helps, it cannot be said that He can help specifically a mighty man, and cannot help a weak person.
Now we can see what great forces and good qualities must be in a person so the Creator will help him approach Him. In the work, we should interpret “You delivered mighty into the hands of the weak,” meaning the strong thoughts and the strong desires of the Greeks in a person into the hands of the “Israel” in a person, who are weak in thoughts and are not skillful. They do not have the strong desire and the ability to overcome the desires of the nations of the world in a person. And yet, You delivered these mighty ones into the hands of the weak. This is called a “miracle” because it is not natural that a person will be able to overcome them.
27.
RABASH,
Article
No.
7
(1987),
"The
Miracle
of
Hanukkah"
The meaning of the jar of oil that they found, which was sealed by the seal of the High Priest. A Kohen [priest] is called Hesed [mercy/grace]. “High” means Hesed that became Hochma, meaning abundance of Hassadim, called “Priest.” The priest is the quality of Hesed, and Hesed indicates faith above reason. This is the meaning of Abraham, the quality of Hesed, being the father of faith.
The Greeks cannot see faith because they see only through reason, and not above reason. Therefore, when they walked above reason, the Greeks could not govern them. This is the meaning of the Greeks not seeing the oil jar.
And concerning the miracle that it burned eight days, it is an indication that it illuminated the Hassadim in Bina. From Bina to Malchut there are eight Sefirot, but Hochma of Hochma did not illuminate. This is why they established it as eight days, since it illuminated only in eight, as it is written, “Sons of Bina [understanding], eight days, established song and chanting.”
28. RABASH, Article No. 32 (1989), “What Does It Mean that Oil Is Called ‘Good Deeds’ in the Work?”
“Oil” means good deeds, […] called “above reason.” Hence, the wick is quenched for lack of oil. This is the meaning of what we asked, “What does it mean that oil is called “good deeds”?
The answer is that good deeds are like the oil in the wick. When the oil runs out, the light stops. Likewise, when the good deeds stop, the light departs and descends once more to the place of lowliness.
Baal HaSulam said that when he comes into a state of ascent, meaning that he feels that it is worthwhile to work in order to do everything in order to bring contentment to his Maker, he should not say, “Now I have a basis on which to build the kingdom of heaven, since now I no longer need to go above reason.” Rather, he should say, “Now I see that I must go specifically above reason, and the evidence of this is that specifically by going above reason, the Creator brings me closer and loves me.”
How does he know that the Creator loves him? Baal HaSulam said a rule about this: If a person has love for the Creator, he should know that it is because the Creator loves him, as it is written, “The Lord is your shade.” “Therefore, from here on I take upon myself to go only above reason, for in this way I see that the Creator brings me closer.”
29. RABASH, Article No. 13 (1985), "Mighty Rock of My Salvation"
We begin with the present, as it says, “To praise You is a delight,” meaning we thank and praise You for the good we have received from You. It is as our sages said, “One should always praise the Creator and then pray” (Berachot [Blessings], 32).
The reason is that one who believes that the Creator is merciful and gracious, and that He desires to do good to the creations, has room for prayer. This is why we must first establish the praise of the Creator, meaning a person himself should establish praise of the Creator. This does not mean that the Creator should see that the person is praising Him, since the Creator doesn’t need people. Rather, the person himself should see the praise of the Creator, and then he can ask Him to help him, since His conduct is to do good to His creations.
30. RABASH, Article No. 13 (1985), "Mighty Rock of My Salvation"
After he said, “To praise You is a delight” comes the prayer, and we say, “Restore my House of Prayer.”
What is “My House of Prayer”? It means, as it is written, “Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.” “My holy mountain.” Har [mountain] comes from the word Hirhurim [thoughts/contemplations], meaning that He will bring them thoughts of Kedusha [holiness]—that all their thoughts will be only of Kedusha.
31. RABASH, Article No. 13 (1985), "Mighty Rock of My Salvation"
“And make them joyful in My house of prayer” is man’s heart, so there will be a place for the presence of the Shechina [Divinity] there. The Shechina is called “prayer,” as it is known that Malchut is called “prayer,” as it is written, “But I am all prayer.”
After “Restore my House of Prayer” comes “And there we will bring a thanksgiving offering.” It follows that first there is praise, then there is prayer, and then praise once more, like the order of the prayer, which concludes with praise and thanksgiving.
32. RABASH, Article No. 13 (1985), "Mighty Rock of My Salvation"
What can one do if he wants to begin with praise but his heart is closed, and he feels that he is full of faults and cannot open his mouth and sing and praise? The advice is to go above reason and say that everything is “covered Hassadim [mercies].” In other words, he should say that everything is Hesed [grace/mercy], but it is covered from him because he is not yet qualified to see the delight and pleasure that the Creator has prepared for His creations.
And after he establishes the praise of the Creator—meaning that he believes above reason that everything is good and gracious—he should pray that the Creator will mend his heart to become “My House of Prayer,” meaning that the mercies of the Creator will appear there. This is called “revealed Hassadim.”
And then, “There we will bring a thanksgiving offering,” meaning that he will give thanks for having been privileged with offering the vessels of reception. This is called, “There we will bring a thanksgiving offering” for having been rewarded with sacrificing his will to receive. In return for it came the will to bestow, which is called “the place of the Temple.”
33. RABASH, Article No. 895, "The Meaning of Hanukkah"
“We have no permission to use them, but only to see them” regarding Hanukkah candles. Using is with vessels of reception, and here the miracle was that they served the Creator with vessels of bestowal.
There is a difference between Hanukkah and Purim: The miracle of Hanukkah is on vessels of bestowal, whereas on Purim, the miracle was on vessels of reception. For this reason, there are feast and joy there, while on Hanukkah it is only to see them and not to use.
34. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), "These Candles Are Sacred"
Baal HaSulam said about what is written, “These candles are sacred and we have no permission to use them, but only to see them,” that we must know the difference between the miracle of Hanukkah and the miracle of Purim. On Hanukkah, the decree pertained only to spirituality, that the people of Israel were prevented from observing the Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds]. The miracle was that when they prevailed over the Hasmoneans, they could observe the Mitzvot. Since spirituality has no Kelim [vessels], since Kelim are called specifically “vessels of reception,” which is called “creation existence from absence,” which is the will to receive, this is why the intimation comes, “These candles are sacred and we have no permission to use them.”
This is not so with the miracle of Purim. Then the decree was over the bodies, too, as it is written, “To destroy, to kill, and to annihilate” (Esther 3:13). It follows that the miracle was on the bodies. “Bodies” are called “vessels of reception.” Hence, on Purim, it is written, “Joy, feast, and a good day,” where a feast pertains to the body. On Hanukkah, we were given the miracle, “no permission to use them, but only to see them.”
35. RABASH, Article No. 897, "What Is Hanukkah"
The miracle of Hanukkah was only with the good inclination. This is why it is merely called “parking,” since the work has not been completed, meaning that there are still more corrections on the evil inclination, which is called “body.” This was only the miracle of Purim.
This is the meaning of “observed and received,” thus far by force, since the evil inclination has not agreed to the work because it was still not corrected, and now that the miracle was in the redemption of the bodies, “with all your heart—with both your inclinations” comes true. This is why it is called “willingly.”
Hence, on Hanukkah, there is recognition of the miracle only in praise and gratitude, which is only the needs of the soul, while on Purim, we recognize the miracle in feast and merriment, which touches through to the body.