20 December 2017

Zot Hanukah!

2 Tevet 5778
Eighth Candle of Hanukah

Zot Chanukah
The "simple" explanation for this special name for the last day of Chanuka is the Torah reading from the end of Parshat Naso that emphatically announces ZOT CHANUKAT HA-MIZBEI'ACH (when the Torah is summing up the gifts of all the Tribal Leaders.

There is another, deeper meaning to the name. If you want to really know what Chanuka is all about, the answer is THIS, THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHANUKA - the fact that there are 8 days of Chanuka - ZOT CHANUKA, this is what Chanuka means. It means EIGHT. EIGHT is our answer to the Greek challenge. They said nature is perfect. They said it is a mutilation of the body to be circumcised. And they forbid us to fulfill that great mitzva of ours, under pain of death. EIGHT represents the step beyond TEVA, beyond nature. MILA on the 8th day represents our challenge to go beyond how we were created and take charge of the completion of our physical and spiritual form. The Mikdash began to function on its higher spiritual level on the EIGHTH day. The Greeks tried to take that away from us too. Torah was given to us on the day following seven sevens. It is an EIGHTH too. And the Greeks tried to take that from us also. With G-d's help, we prevailed over the Greeks and the triumph is celebrated with an 8 day holiday. This is Chanuka. ZOT CHANUKA.  
(Courtesy of OU.org)

8 comments:

  1. When we lit the oil for Zot Chanukah and we sat to study the flames, tears flowed from eyes as we will not light again until next Chanukah. Hopefully, Mashiach will arrive before then IY”H. I was overwhelmed by sadness, witnessing the beautiful light flickering in the darkness. I was also saddened by the unfortunate tragedies of Chanukah flames jumping off and causing fires in homes, and the demise of a mother and some of her children. This brought to mind the Sasson tragedy, involving a Shabbos blech. Now a Chanukah Menorah. These families knew each other, were both Israeli living in NY. What do we make of this? There are no coincidences.

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    1. I know exactly how you feel. I have this set to post this evening when Hanukah is finished, but if you'd like to get a head start...

      Another Tragedy In Flatbush

      It is also significant that both families were reportedly Israeli that had been in Flatbush only a short time. But, I am not on any level to explain it.

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    2. In sense, it was part of their rectification for correction for the coming redemption and considering the hanukkah tragety, the mother and 3 youths have already paid for all of their sins easier and the father, other youths and cousin will consider repenting and correcting their mistakes so there is no reason to cry for them and they are among those who will receive moshiach easier...
      Regarding most of us including real secular jews, we all have to correct ourselves and see where we are going wrong or our end will be far worse than what has happened to all those who left this world tragically! !!
      The exile is coming to the end now and we (real jews and good gentiles) are coming into the days of moshiach and redemption and I want us all to enter this world much easier with far less pain and suffering
      Jack

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  2. The UN is certainly moving against Yerushalayim. See: https://www.rt.com/news/413664-un-general-assembly-jerusalem/
    After the seven, the number of natural events, we experience the EIGHT, Mashiach's number. The wheel started the motion in that direction, the world of evil will gradually disintegrate. The rashaim annihilated. Then, the last day of Pessach with joy. Is Mashiach a talmid chacham? He may not be! But when is about words of power, he certainty is! "He will have greater wisdom and understanding than any other man alive. Pray for that day..
    " It has arrived Devash! שם

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    1. Not yet, but we are certainly on the path now considering the situation in the world and how many big rabbis we have left today...
      The united nations is also made up of many Arabs and there are anti semitic Europeans which is why huge numbers of them hate the zio state which in sense is good
      Jack

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  3. Thank you Devash. Please include Rabbi Mizrachi’s video in a separate post. Too important to miss. Can I also do the same, but after your’s is up because I think we have some different readers. Some of mine are in the US and elsewhere.

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  4. I like this explanation very much I have posted under a minute and a half videos of Rabbi Ginsburgh explaining the deeper meaning of the candle lightings also

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