Drawing the Light of Hanukah into The Darkness of Tevet

 There is a thought that when I seesomeone else’s candle and it is not lit or its flickering, I have aresponsibility to light their candle. People sometimes fear that lightingsomeone else’s candle will diminish my own, but in fact it’s just the opposite,not only do I not diminish my own, but I am bringing more light to the world.Yesterday our family had the unfortunate task to bury our cousin, RhondaShoshana bat Frieda - Rhonda Tawil A'H     Rhonda was someone who suffered for manyyears, but she always had a smile and cared about everyone else bringing lightto all      We don’t eulogize on Rosh Hodesh andmore so on Hanukkah, but these words of Torah I believe reveal some of heressence and a lesson to all of us.      Each month in Musaf of Rosh Hodesh wehave a Kavana or though to modify the permutation of the name of Havaya in theblessing of the month. Each of these permutations relates to a verse from theTanachand helps us to understand what we hope to accomplish in the month.     The verse for Tevet is a verse wemention when we take the Torah from the Ark.      גַּדְּל֣וּ לַהֹ’ אִתִּ֑יוּנְרוֹמְמָ֖ה שְׁמ֣וֹ יַחְדָּֽו׃      Exalt the LORD with me; let us extol Hisname together.     The Benai Yissaschar suggests that ourgoal is to draw the ligh of Chanukah into the darkness of the month of Tevet.We do this on Rosh Hodesh and also tonight when we complete the lighting withZot Chanukah.     The Talmudtells of Adam and this month of Tevet. Adam saw that from the time of creation throughwinter each day became shorter and worried that the light of the world wascoming to an end. Once he saw that the season of Tevet, i.e., the wintersolstice, had arrived, and saw that the day was progressively lengthening afterthe solstice, he said: Clearly, the days become shorter and then longer, andthis is the order of the world. He went and observed a festival for eight days.Upon the next year, he observed both these eight days on which he had fasted onthe previous year which preceded the solstice and these eight days of hiscelebration, as days of festivities. He, Adam, established these festivals forthe sake of Heaven, but they, the gentiles of later generations, establishedthem for the sake of idol worship.      The fast of theTenth of Tevet (this year we will observe it on the 10th of January,2025) commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, whichled to the destruction of the First Temple. This day is the first—in terms ofthe chronological order of the events it commemorates—of four fast days thatdenote the stages of the destruction of the First Temple, as follows:      10 Tevet: Babylonian siege ofJerusalem begins   17 Tammuz: The walls of Jerusalem arebreached two and a half years later   9 Av (Tisha B’Av): The destruction ofthe First Temple by the Babylonians. Many years later, the Romans destroyed theSecond Temple on the very same date.   3 Tishrei: (the Fast of Gedalyah). Themurder of Gedalyah ben Achikam, who was the governor of the survivors whoremained in the Land of Israel after the exile to Babylon. His murdersymbolized the completion of the destruction and the beginning of the exile.     In days o0f old, some fasted on the 8th,9th and 10th of tevet. A three day Fast in this month ofdarkness commemorating three tragic events as the Tallmud explains.     The first event is the Torah’stranslation into Greek, known as the Septuagint. The completion of thistranslation took place on the 8th day of Tevet, but the sources write that theevent darkened the world for three days, precisely until the Tenth of Tevet.Indeed, the 8th and 9th of Tevet are defined as “fasts of tzaddikim”, and thisis why in previous eras, righteous individuals would fast all three days in arow.      The second event in close proximity tothe Tenth of Tevet is the birth of Yehoshua the Nazarene. There is a Jewishtradition that identifies his birth with the 9th day of Tevet (and even claimsthat the persecution of the Jews in his name is one of the reasons for settingthe fast on this day).     Translating the Torah into Greek and thinkone can understand it, waters down the Torah. I know of many non-Jews who canquote chapter and verse, but without the oral tradition understand nothing. AndChristianity is an attempt to water down Jewry by replacing 613 misvot with onedirective. These are attempts to destroy the oral Torah.      The rabbis explain that the lawsrelating to Hanukah are in essence revealing the light of the oral Torah.(Rabbi Farhi has a great class called Chanukah: Generating Miracles whichexplains this idea – Thanks Jonah for sharing).       In megilat Esther, we read: So Estherwas taken to king Aĥashverosh into his royal house in the tenth month, which isthe month Tevet, in the seventh year of his reign.      This was tragic. Taking a Jewish girl tothe King could not be good. But the seed was planted for saving the Jewishpeople, in the darkest moth of Tevet.      Tevet is about taking a seed, whichappears bad, which appears tragic, which is dark and decayed and then growingsomething beautiful from it.      I would like to close with a story      Once upon a time, there lived a humblewatercarrier named Moshe. Despite his modest means, Moshe was a devout man whoperformed his daily tasks with great dedication. Each year he saved his penniesto allow him to make his annual trek to Lublin for Rosh Hashana to see hisRebbe. And so it was this year that afew days before the holiday, he made his way to seek the counsel of the Chozeh,the Seer of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak.     Moshe made the journey to the Seer,hoping to find solace and guidance. When he arrived, the Seer listenedpatiently to Moshe's concerns. However, instead of providing immediate comfort,the Seer instructed Moshe to return home, saying, 'You cannot remain. Gohome! You must leave immediately and return.” There was no explanation.  Though confused by the Seer'sinstructions, Moshe obeyed and set off for home, stopping at inn for the night.He went to a corner and still jumbled in spirit and depressed, he waited forthe night to pass. No sooner did he find his place when a group of Chasidim ofthe Chozeh arrived. There joy in anticipation of seeing their Rebbe andcelebrating with him was palatable and contrasted with his own sadness. Theybegan to sind and then to dance and then they students noticed Moshe'sdespondent demeanor and inquired about his troubles. Moshe shared his story,including the Seer's peculiar directive.     Moved by Moshe's plight, the studentsdecided to offer him words of encouragement. They blessed him with heartfeltprayers, hoping to uplift his spirits. Each lifted a glass, offered a LeChaimto Moshe and a beracha for a healthy and happy year. Their kindness andcompassion had a profound effect on Moshe, and he began to feel a renewed senseof hope and purpose. They lifted his spirits and in turn he lifted his feet. Hedanced with them, sang with them and forgetting his troubles laughed with them     When morning arrived that insisted Moshereturn with them. He refused, but they would not take no for an answer andtossed him into the wagon. Upon their return to Lublin, the students broughtMoshe before the Seer.     Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak looked at Mosheand hugged him telling him how pleased he was that moshe would remain with themfor the Holiday. Moshe was even more confused. And then the Rebbe explained,'When you first arrived, I saw the Angel of Death following you. I wantedyou with your precious few days to return home and be with your family. Butwhen these righteous students blessed you and wished you 'L'chaim,' they liftedthe decree of death.'  The Seer then bestowed his own blessingupon Moshe, ensuring him that his efforts and dedication were valued andappreciated by both God and his community.     What would have happened had the Rebbeexplained to Moshe before he left what he saw?      This theme of Tevet of drawing lightfrom the darkness is an opportunity to change things, reverse things, and drawthe month back from Esav.  Rhonda was a person who created lightwithin darkness. May we all learn from her to do the same. Tehi Nafsha SerurahbeSro HaChaim.       Next Friday, as we noted, we will fastfor Asara BaTevet. Its unusual to fast on a Friday. What’s even stranger isthat some Rabbis suggest that had the calendar allowed it, and the 10thof Tevet fell on Shabbat, we might fast on Shabbat itself. How can that be?      The destruction began with the 10thof Tevet, but that was the seed, that was the beginning. The people had two anda half years to utilize that seed and turn it into something great. The 10thOf Tevet was hashem knocking on the door and saying wake up. We didn’t!      B’H, perhaps now we can know better and turndarkness into light. Let us not miss the gift. Let us not squander the opportunity.Take the light of Hannukah with you.      Shabbat Shalom,     David Bibi