Losing meaning of chanu pls share short meaning l of chanuka

PinkFridge

Thu, Dec 06 2018, 7:25 pm

Purim and Chanukah are the yomim tovim of galus. Unlike other yamim tovim, where we are missing out without the korban Pesach, omer, avodah of Yom Kippur, simchas beis hashoeiva, our celebration of Chanukah is the way it was intended to be.

The chachamim established these days lehodos u'lehallel. Try to find some extra ways to thank Hashem.

This was part of something bigger. Briefly: Galus Mitzrayim was an assault on our bodies. (Guf.) Paras was hedonistic. (Nefesh.) Yavan attacked our sechel by glorifying the intellect and the (we know limited) vision of man. (Sechel.) Edom is cumulative and has elements of all. (Hacol.)
The acronym of the four galiyos, which are alluded to in many places, is the letters of the dreidel.
Daniel had a dream about the four galiyos. The animals and metals of the dream correspond to what I wrote too, but don't remember offhand. He dreamt about the first three one night, but the last was so horrific it took its own dream.

Hang in there. Hashem is still here, there, and everywhere, even in the hester panim of this too long galus.

amother

Silver

Fri, Dec 07 2018, 3:33 am

PinkFridge wrote:

Thanks for this vort.

WitchKitty

Fri, Dec 07 2018, 4:11 am

When I think of the meaning of Chanuka Rabbi Fishel Schachter's voice pops in to my mind:
"Because it proved! It proved they didn't go to war for their own sake! they wouldn't have done that. They went to war only to be mekadeish sheim shamayim. They went to war only because they believed in the Ribbono shel Olam."
That's what makes me love Chanuka. To remind me to do things for the right reason.
And that Hashem sends us messages that He sees.

amother

Silver

Sat, Dec 08 2018, 9:29 pm

fsr wrote:

Thanks for sharing the above. My question on this is what does it really mean to be mekadesh sham shamayim?

And, how does a regular person "mekadesh sham shamayim on a daily basis?

Is it a very very high level to do things only "for hashem"?? Or is it simply the fact that I keep majority of mitzvos only bec hashem told me, otherwise, I wouldnt keep them??

PinkFridge

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 6:35 am

amother wrote:

You are mekadesh sheim Shamayim in all your quiet acts of living as a Torah Jew. When you affirm that Ani Hashem Elokeichim is true, certain, correct, eternal, etc. It adds incredible energy to and heals the world.

Hallel has a running theme of Yisrael, beis Aharon, yirei Hashem. I daven that I should make it into one of those categories. (OK, the middle may or may not be relevant. But we can still tap into their purity. We're supposed to - that was the role of the kohen, to model true purity and goodness for the rest of us.)

Re your last paragraph: It seems the distinction you're making is between doing mitzvos out of love and out of fear. Working on ahavas Hashem is a lifelong avodah, and not an easy one. And I don't know if most of us get "there" in the sense of staying there. It's more like cycles of feeling flashes of insight and working to get back to it. And that's ok. Your latter category is still in the right trajectory. And if you want to actually do something out of ahavas Hashem, work on the flip side of loving Hashem and that is making Him beloved to others through your actions, by living a Torah life. Chazal refer to making the shem Shamayim mishaheiv beyadeinu, through our actions, not our speech. IOW you don't have to run around preaching love of Hashem, you have to act according to His will. And love His people, and have respect for His creations. That's somewhat more attainable.

amother

Puce

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 8:40 am

Just a thought:

Chanukah is a strange holiday. The Chashmonaim gained independence and so pushed off the churban for 200 years, but that's all. They were illegitimate rulers, being kohanim, and the later kings actually persecuted chachomim. So why did Chazal institute hallel and candle lighting?

Because even a partial victory is worth celebrating. It wasn't the geula, not at all, but Hashem granted the Jews sovereignty over Israel, and that's worth celebrating. We don't have to get everything we want to be thankful for what we have been given.

Happy Chanukah.

PinkFridge

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 8:49 am

amother wrote:

Chazal knew that bayis sheini wasn't going to last. It was a chance to catch our breath and prepare for the long haul. That's why the Anshei Kneses Hagedola organized nusach hatefillah. (Rabbi Reisman has spoken about this.)

amother

Puce

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:00 am

PinkFridge wrote:

Of course Chazal knew what was happening.
And they chose to celebrate illegitimate rulers who persecuted talmidei chachomim. Why? They saw value in an interim, incomplete victory.

PinkFridge

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 12:39 pm

amother wrote:

Of course Chazal knew what was happening.
And they chose to celebrate illegitimate rulers who persecuted talmidei chachomim. Why? They saw value in an interim, incomplete victory.

They were not celebrating the later rulers.
They waited a year to establish it as a yom tov, to be sure that the energy they sensed in that time period, would return the following year.