December 18, 1963 (eighth day of Hanukkah)
Hello and all the best to my friend,
I am sending you and your family congratulations. May your family know contentment, peace, and health. As your family has grown, may all the works you are engaged in grow, as well, both in corporeality and in spirituality, and may you find in them success and blessings.
We see that our sages have determined to publicize the miracle regarding two miracles that occurred to the whole of Israel: Hanukkah and Purim. On Hanukkah, it is by lighting the candles, and on Purim, it is by reading the Megillah [Purim scroll]. We should understand why on Hanukkah we need to show the candles outwards, for all to see, and why the candles should be lit when everyone has left the market, which is in order for people outside to see, unlike Purim. We should also understand why on Hanukkah our sages asked, “What is Hanukkah,” which was not so on Purim?
We should distinguish between a miracle that pertains to spirituality and a miracle that pertains to corporeality, and 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.
For example, if someone is critically ill at a person’s home, and all the doctors have given up and said that they cannot help that patient, then a believing person says to the Creator, “Dear Lord, now no one can help me but You,” so he asks of the Creator, “Perform a miracle and heal this sick person.” And when the sick is healed, it is called a “miracle from heaven.”
By that we can understand the meaning of a miracle in spirituality. When a person is born, the evil inclination immediately connects to him, as it is written, “Sin crouches at the door,” and the good inclination comes after thirteen years. Our sages said, “It is a caution for a courthouse to not hear the words of the litigant before the defendant’s advocate comes,” since they will justify the argument of the plaintiff. Accordingly, when the evil inclination comes to a person with its arguments, he is compelled to listen to it. Later, when the good inclination comes, its words are not heard. It follows that the good inclination is in exile, and the evil inclination has full control over the body. This is regarded as spirituality in exile, under the corporeality.
A person cannot come out of this exile, and only the Creator can deliver him, as our sages said, “Man’s inclination overpowers him each day and seeks to put him to death. Were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not have prevailed over it.” From this we see that only the Creator can help, and this is why it is called a “miracle.”
On Hanukkah, we say, “The evil kingdom of Greece came over Your people, Israel, to make them forget Your teaching and move them from the laws of Your will.” This means that the exile was only on spirituality, since the Greeks wanted to rule over the people of Israel with their philosophy.
This is the meaning of what we say, “Greeks have gathered around me … and have broken the walls of my towers.” 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.”
It follows that the miracle of 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, since exile is a matter of feeling. For example, one who sees one’s friend driving a car on Shabbat [orthodox Jews don’t drive on Shabbat], and approaches him and asks him, “Listen friend, do you regret driving on Shabbat? After all, our sages said, ‘The wicked are full of remorse.’” There is no doubt that he will laugh at him. So what does it mean that our sages said that the wicked are full of remorse?
Rather, we must say that one who feels that he is wicked regrets it. But one who does not feel it does not regret. Therefore, the person who is driving on Shabbat and does not regret it, certainly does not feel that he is wicked because he does not believe in the Creator, so he does regard himself as wicked for driving on Shabbat.
It follows that a person cannot be in spiritual exile if he does not feel it. This is why we should ask, “What is Hanukkah?” so that one will begin to reflect on himself. But on Purim, the redemption was on corporeality, so there is no need to ask “What?” since a corporeal exile is something everyone knows and feels, so when the miracle is publicized, everybody knows.
Therefore, on Hanukkah, we say, “These candles … and we have no permission to use them,” since the miracle was only on spirituality. But on Purim, it is written, “feasting and rejoicing,” since the miracle was on the bodies.
May the Creator help us be granted redemption in spirituality and corporeality, Amen.
From your friend who wishes you and your family the best,
Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag