Miraculous. Supernatural. Vs Predictable and Natural.
We are all a few days into wearing our Chanuka ‘glasses’.
This is the perfect time to reflect on the miracles that take place in our lives in a personal way as well as nationally as the Jewish nation.
The Chanuka festival was instituted more than two thousand years ago, after the victory of the Jewish traditionalist Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek armies. By winning these battles miraculously – they were totally uneven in terms of troop numbers and combat abilities - the Maccabees regained control of the holy temple in Jerusalem. After searching diligently, they found one untainted jug of oil suitable for lighting the Menorah. Though there was only enough oil for one day, the oil lasted miraculously for eight days. That small measure of oil burned miraculously for eight days when the newly produced oil was ready.
The next year, the Sages of Israel instituted a national eight-day celebration called Chanuka.
To remember the miracles. The military victory and the oil miracle.
Clearly these were not events where the rules of ‘nature’ were followed. Small untrained armies don’t overpower huge well oiled military machines in the predictable ‘natural’ world.
Oil doesn’t burn for eight days when there is only a one-day supply.
Hashems input was clear and obvious in these miracles.
Every year when we come to this time, we celebrate the miracles that Hashem did for us then.
And we pause to reflect on the realization that these things happen during our times as well. Hashem makes things happen in our times that cannot be explained rationally according to the predictability of nature. Just as He did in the times of Chanuka.
The night before Chanuka I had a multisensory experience that reminded me in the most direct way about the miracles happening in front of our very eyes in year 2024.
I spent two days in Israel this week. In the middle of the night, around 4:00 am the sirens started wailing. It was a sign that there was an incoming missile detected. I ran to the safe room with all the pajama clad hotel guests and staff. Thank G-d not very long later we were able to go back to our rooms. Millions of people in Israel endured this for four nights this week. Senseless upheaval with no agenda other than anti-Jewish hate. My grandchildren in Israel went to school as usual the next day albeit having been wakened and rushed to shelters in middle of the night.
Why the rebels of Yemen choose to get involved in fighting Israel is a craziness. It makes as little sense as all the rest of the senseless antisemitism that we have endured for so long and has recently reawakened with vigor. Hate for the sake of hate. We pray for the end of this hateful and destructive reality and a beginning of a world with love for the sake of love, where all live together in peace – Mashiach NOW.
For me this 4am disturbance was impactful preparation for Chanuka. To remind me that Chanuka is not just a historical story but a real-life contemporary celebration. Especially during our current time period.
Let us unpack this for a moment. There have been nights when hundreds of fatal missiles and drones have been launched against Israel by Iran and they were 99% intercepted. (Click here for an article titled ‘Miracle of Miracles’ describing the direct Iranian attack on Israel earlier this year when Hashems miracles were obvious). Missiles, explosive-packed drones and countless other destructive tools have rained down on Israel over the past year. Our enemies have not ceased in their desire to wreak death and destruction G-d forbid upon the Jewish people. Yet time after time Hashem protects us and their diabolic plans are unsuccessful.
The obvious message here is that Hashem makes miracles today like He did in the times of Chanuka.
There are various kinds of miracles.
The splitting of the sea after our exit from Egypt was miraculous. Water that usually flows, standing erect like a stone wall while the millions of Jews walk through, now that is a miracle. No plausible explanation there. No human intervention.
Then there are miracles, like the miracles I am describing in Israel in our times that have epic human effort and input.
Yet they too are an extraordinary show of G-d’s Light, Might and Miracles.
This is one of the extremely relevant messages of Chanukah.
Yes, the Maccabees were an army. They fought with weapons. But they understood that it was G-d who was making them victorious.
This point, that Hashems miracles come on the platform of our natural efforts is central to the message of Chanuka.
These eight days of Chanuka are intended to give us an outlook and appreciation for the many miracles in our lives that we may be overlooking.
Supernatural things. As well as ‘small miracles’. By this I mean natural events that come together in an unpredictable and miraculous way.
True, there is a highly motivated and well-trained army in Israel. Our best and finest brothers and sisters are heroically and faithfully standing in defense of our people. All too many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Yes, there are incredible technological developments that have created defense systems. Our ally, the USA contributes admirably to our protection.
But the most important ‘ally’, the most significant ingredient, the ‘secret weapon’ that is the source of our strength and success is Almighty G-d.
Gavriela, a visitor to Chabad House in Luan Prabang Laos shared the following story with us.
"I wanted to publicize a truly miraculous event with you. While the Rav was reciting the 'Meshaberach' prayers for the soldiers at your Chabad House in Laos, my son was serving in the army in Lebanon.
Late at night, when all lights must be extinguished, an Israeli tank accidentally rolled over my son's knapsack. Inside, amongst other ammunition, was a "Lahav" missile. Miraculously, the missile did not detonate.
My son's siddur (prayer book) was crumpled, and his tefillin boxes were broken. However, the sacred parchments within the tefillin remained miraculously intact.
When I checked the time of the incident, I discovered it coincided precisely with the moment we were reciting the prayers for soldiers at your Chabad House.
I returned from the trip with cherished memories and am currently preparing a presentation to share them with others. My children have also been released from reserve duty, a source of immense relief.
May you be blessed with continued success. We send you our love."
Chanuka reminds us to look honestly and without bias at the events in our lives that cannot and should not be treated as ‘coincidence’. Rather we must see them for what they are. Hashems ‘Divine Providence’ and Miracles.
On Chanuka there is an ‘energy’ of miracles in the air.
Let us take full advantage of this opportunity.
By lighting the Menorah for the eight nights of Chanuka (on Friday afternoon before sundown) we remember and give praise to Hashem for the miracles of the olden days and the ones that He does now.
By becoming more aware of Hashems miracles that surround us, we invite and elicit more miraculous blessing into our lives.
Halleluah. Praise G-d. During the eight days of Chanuka we recite the Halel prayer daily. One hundred and twenty three variations of praising Hashem are included in one Halel recitation. Times that by 8 and you have 984 special Chanuka praising of Hashem.
May we keep praising Him for His miracles and kindness and may He bless us with miracles and wonders more and more till the miracle we are all waiting for, the coming of Mashiach when we can light the ‘real’ Menorah in the Bet Hamikdash in Yerushalayim, speedily in our days
AMEN!
Shabbat Shalom
Happy Chanuka
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
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