The Secret of the Light of Chanukah: From the Sefirah of Hod to the Eternal Redemption

Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh, Parashas Vayeshev, 24 Kislev 5755 - At the home of the Rav (Rabbi Berland) for the workers and fundraisers.

On Chanukah, the Hidden Light from the Six Days of Creation is revealed, illuminating anyone who feels true bitterness over their sins. This article explains the secret of the Sefiros (Divine emanations) of Netzach (Eternity/Victory) and Hod (Splendor/Submission), the virtue of waiting and self-nullification during the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, and the transition from the redemptions of the past to the future, eternal Geulah (Redemption) through the King Mashiach.

If there was a person who transgressed the entire Torah eight hundred times, committed every sin in the Torah, ate and desecrated Yom Kippur and Shabbos eight hundred times, and violated every negative commandment—yet felt true bitterness at that very moment before Chanukah and bowed his head in remorse, he would certainly be forgiven. Chanukah is a vessel for the Infinite Light, the light that existed before the creation of the world.

This is the light that was renewed for Adam HaRishon (the First Man). We learned in Tractate Avodah Zarah that Adam HaRishon celebrated a sixteen-day festival. When he saw that the days were getting shorter, he was afraid, but on Chanukah, he saw that the light was beginning to return and the days were getting longer. So he made an eight-day festival before the days began to lengthen, and another eight days afterward. The nations of the world took this custom for idolatry, but for us, Hashem will return the true light through Chanukah.

To merit this light, a person must feel a terrible and genuine bitterness before Chanukah. He must think: 'Who knows if I will even have a place in Gehennom (Purgatory)? Who knows if I have even done teshuvah (repentance) at all? I am still full of arrogance, seeking honor like the wicked Haman who was angry that Mordechai would not bow down to him.' If a person still feels that he wants honor from anyone, even from his wife, it is a sign that he has not done teshuvah at all. "The first step in teshuvah is realizing that I do not want honor from anyone; rather, I only want to honor everyone else."

The Secret of the Cherubim and the Breath of Infants

The sefer Pri Eitz Chaim explains that the light departed immediately after the sin of Adam HaRishon. Afterward, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov came and restored this light, until Yaakov fought with the angel and then "the hollow of Yaakov's thigh was strained." The Zohar and the holy Arizal zt"l explain that the Sefiros of Netzach and Hod were damaged, which are the Sefiros from which prophecy is received.

Through a kosher musician, we draw down the Shechinah (Divine Presence) and Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), because music comes from Netzach and Hod, the place of the Cherubim. A person must always be in the spiritual state of the Cherubim. Rabbi Avraham ben Rav Nachman zt"l explains that if we lack this aspect of the Cherubim, then damage is caused and infants are taken from the world. Everyone asks: Why are infants taken when they have never sinned, being pure and innocent souls?

"Go your way in the footsteps of the flock, and pasture your kids beside the shepherds' tents."

The "kids" are the infants. Either the great tzaddikim are taken—who are also called infants and Cherubim—or, when there are no tzaddikim to lead the generation and perform the spiritual unifications, there is no choice but to take actual infants. The breath of the infants' mouths is what brings forth the Torah of truth. When we do Hisbodedus (secluded prayer) for an hour with a broken heart, true bitterness, and despair over our own arrogance, we draw down the essence of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and through this, the infants all over the world are sustained.

The Sefiros of Netzach and Hod: The Secret of Waiting and Nullification

On Chanukah, we build the Holy Temple, whose entire essence is the two Cherubim resting upon the Tablets. We are going to rectify the sin of Chava and build the Temple so that no more infants and no more Jews will be taken. Yaakov Avinu already had twelve tribes, but he did not yet have Binyamin, and therefore the angel was able to strike the hollow of his thigh, damaging the Sefiros of Netzach and Hod.

After Moshe Rabbeinu, Yehoshua, and the Elders, prophecy ceased. This lasted until the arrival of Shmuel HaNavi, who embodied the Sefirah of Netzach, and King Shaul, who embodied the Sefirah of Hod. If Shaul had nullified himself to Shmuel, the Sefirah of Hod would have been rectified and we would never have fallen. Shmuel told Shaul to wait seven days. The entire nation fled from the Philistines, and Shaul was left alone. Shmuel told him: "You must nullify yourself. The Sefirah of Hod is the complete nullification to the Sefirah of Netzach."

Shaul did not wait, and thereby lost the eternal kingship. Afterward, he was given a new test: to wipe out Amalek, including the infants. The Torah says not to have mercy on them, because we do not understand what true mercy is.

"One who says, 'May Your mercy reach a bird's nest'—we silence him."

"And He Encountered the Place": Standing in the Shemoneh Esrei Prayer

Waiting and self-nullification are expressed in prayer. When the Torah says to stand in the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, do not rush to finish.

"And he encountered the place."

You have reached the right place, where are you running? Now an illumination comes to you to stand for an hour in prayer, and you think: 'I missed the Gemach (free-loan society), I lost ten thousand dollars.' But when you are in Shemoneh Esrei, what do you care if the world turns upside down? I asked Rav Shach zt"l before my wedding what to do about the Shemoneh Esrei prayer of Maariv, and he told me: "You will stand for Shemoneh Esrei! The bride will wait, she will not run away. Stand until it illuminates for you."

Just as Shmuel told Shaul to wait, so too did Mordechai the Jew. When Haman came to take him to ride on the horse, Mordechai stood up to pray Shemoneh Esrei. There is a concept of "do not move." Stand your ground. Just like Rabbi Eliezer, whom no person ever preceded to the Beis Midrash (study hall), and who never left before everyone else.

In the book 'Levush', a story is brought about a man who was caught by robbers who wanted to kill him. He asked for a moment to say Kiddush Levanah (the sanctification of the moon). He said it with such enthusiasm, jumping and dancing, until a wind came, carried him, and blew him away, and he was saved. "Chanukah is like Yom Kippur, the wind comes and carries you up to the heavens."

The Eternal Redemption in the Future to Come

All the redemptions that have taken place until today – the war of Sisera, Purim, the Exodus from Egypt – were from the Sefirah of Hod (Splendor). Since they were only from the Sefirah of Hod, they were in the aspect of female and song, and a woman was always involved in them: Devorah and Yael, Esther, Bisyah and Miriam, and also in Chanukah, Yehudis.

This stemmed from a blemish, because the men did not have enough mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) and did not truly cleave to Hashem in order to merit the Sefirah of Netzach (Eternity/Victory). Therefore, there was no choice but for a woman to participate and sacrifice her life. A person must guard his holiness and his eyes, just as Shem and Yafes did when they walked backwards, holding their bodies, their heads, and their eyes so as not to see their father's nakedness.

However, the Geulah (Redemption) in the future to come will be from the Sefirah of Netzach. It will come through the King Mashiach who truly cleaves to Hashem and draws down the Sefirah of Netzach. Then there will be an eternal and enduring redemption, in the aspect of "And the Eternal One of Israel will not lie," and may we merit the complete Geulah speedily in our days, Amen!

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