"The Entire Matter is Self-Sacrifice"

On the fifth night of Chanukah, a gathering of the youth for the service of Hashem was held by the holy community of Shuvu Banim of the Breslov Chassidim, named after our Rebbe, Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Nachman of Breslov, and under the leadership of our teacher, the holy Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. As is customary in these holy gatherings, Rav Berland shlit"a sang melodies of spiritual awakening with the young men and subsequently delivered his holy words, which are unique to the festival of Chanukah.

"[*] days before Yom Kippur, all sins are forgiven; the main thing is that a person should not commit new sins. Hashem can forgive; for Him, there is no problem in forgiving. The main thing is that a person should receive a new soul, in which he will not be capable of committing transgressions, not capable of stealing, not capable of murdering. 'Create in me a clean heart, O G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me' (Psalms 51:12). The whole essence of Chanukah is that in the dedication of the House, they rebuilt the Holy Temple, even though they were not obligated to fight for the Holy Temple; there is no such obligation. One is not obligated to abolish the mosques for the sake of the Holy Temple, but the early ones acted beyond the letter of the law. The 'Mehadrin min HaMehadrin' (the most meticulous), because the whole essence of Chanukah is self-sacrifice."

"Self-sacrifice is when one is not obligated by the letter of the law. Self-sacrifice is when a person sits and learns all night; he is not obligated by the letter of the law, but he is offering a sacrifice to Hashem, he is binding himself to Hashem. The whole essence of Chanukah, the Zohar explains (Shelach Lecha 173b), is that the world stands only on those who bind themselves for the sanctification of Hashem's Name. Not those who learn out of lethargy, or who learn because their father told them to, or because they are already accustomed to learning; everything that is learned must be through self-sacrifice."

"Chanukah is the self-sacrifice of the Hasmoneans, of the Maccabees. Mattityahu was a spark of Mashiach ben David."

All the holy scenes from the holy gathering with the Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a