Chanukah and Purim differ drastically in their manner of observance and in the message that they convey. The Mitzvot of Purim revolve around the “physical” — we feast, drink, give gifts of food, and charity. The message is clear: they tried to destroy us, so we celebrate by highlighting our continued physical existence. There is only one unique Mitzvah of Chanukah: to kindle a light. Sure we have parties, eat latkes, and play draidel, but those are only customs. The only specific action mandated by Jewish law is to kindle a light, to publicize the miracle of Chanukah (we...
Spirituality
Chanukah – The Big Miracle
One of the most famous questions related to Chanukah is as follows: Since the Jews had sufficient oil to burn for one day, then the miracle is that that oil burned for an additional seven. Why do we celebrate the miracle for eight days? There are many answers to this questions. A few of them are: the first day was celebrated for the miracle of the military victory the fact that they even found one tiny flask of pure oil was itself a miracle. they only added an eighth of the oil each day I’d like to share with...
A Time to Reflect
The Jewish fast days serve two purposes: 1. To remind us of a tragic time in our history 2. To give us the opportunity to reflect and repent Today is the fast of Asarah BiTevet, which commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem during the First Temple period. Although that event may not directly touch our emotions, the battle that Israel is fighting must. The fast day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the current situation, and on our own lives. Are we doing all that we can to help our people? Are we leading...
Elul – Getting Ready
A Chassidic story: A wealthy merchant would regularly visit the Baal Shem Tov and would donate large sums of money for the Rebbe’s charitable causes. Eventually his fortune changed and his business failed, leaving him nearly penniless. When he went to visit the Rebbe again the Baal Shem, undoubtedly aware of the man’s dire straits, asked him for a huge donation of 400 rubles to aid the victims of an earthquake in the holy city of Tzvat. The man left upset and angry. How could the Rebbe be so insensitive as to request such a huge sum from him...
Just Dance
It was told that in the shul of the great Chassidic Master, the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin, they sang and danced on the night of Rosh Hashanah. When the Misnagdim, the anti-Chassidic proponents, heard of this they were taken aback. How could the so called great Rebbe allow dancing on the awesome Day of Judgment? They decided to send a spy to the Chozeh’s synagogue to investigate. The undercover Misnaged traveled to Lublin on the eve of the new year and witnessed the community diligently preparing for the holy day. That night in the synagogue of the Chozeh the...
Illumination
This period of time is dark, literally and figuratively. Daylight hours are short. The weather is cold. It’s easy to get sick. Lethargy sets in. There are no holidays. The financial crisis is raging. Israel is at war. What’s a Jew to do? There’s a surefire way to illuminate ourselves and the world around us, to fortify our “good energy” levels, and dispel the darkness: perform mitzvot. Yeah, I know that sounds simplistic, but it’s actually incredibly deep. You see, each mitzvah contains within it tremendous spiritual energy and power to affect us and our surroundings. When we perform...
Tu B’Av – The Circle
The Talmud tells us that the two happiest days in the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and the fifteenth of Av (Tu B’Av) because on those days the single woman of Jerusalem would go out into the vineyards wearing borrowed (so as not to embarrass the poorer girls) white dresses and call out to the young men, “lift up your eyes and see what you are choosing. Don’t look at outer beauty but rather look for a good upbringing and family.” Tu B’Av, then, is the ultimate Jewish singles event! At the end of the chapter relating to Tu...
Succah Journey
I recently heard the following Torah thought, from a local UWS rabbi, to answer the question of why the Sukkot holiday directly follows Rosh Hahsana and Yom Kippur. He quoted a Midrashic source that explains that since there exists the possibility that the Jewish nation was judged unfavorably and deserving of Galut (exile), we take the initiative and place ourselves into exile by leaving our homes and dwelling in the Sukkah, to avoid the real thing. Let’s analyze this. What is the outcome of exile, besides the obvious physical displacement? There is disorientation, resulting from being cut off from...
The Illusionist
Today I built a Sukkah on the terrace of our apartment, on the 18th floor of a Manhattan building. The views from the terrace are stunning. Unfortunately, I’m afraid of heights. I still enjoy the views, but only from several feet behind the railing. I envy those guests who walk right up to the edge and lean over the railing. Actually, it makes me feel really uneasy. Well, today things changed. You see, in order to put up the frame of the Sukkah, I needed to get right next to the railing. At first I was nervous, but as...
Elul – Getting Ready
A Chassidic story: A wealthy merchant would regularly visit the Baal Shem Tov and would donate large sums of money for the Rebbe’s charitable causes. Eventually his fortune changed and his business failed, leaving him nearly penniless. When he went to visit the Rebbe again the Baal Shem, undoubtedly aware of the man’s dire straits, asked him for a huge donation of 400 rubles to aid the victims of an earthquake in the holy city of Tzvat. The man left upset and angry. How could the Rebbe be so insensitive as to request such a huge sum from him...
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