Every Day, One Step at a Time
David Haber
Grade 12 student, Yeshivat Or Chaim
On Chanukah, we read from the Torah all eight days. The eight readings come from the second half of Parshat Naso and the beginning of Parshat Beha’alotcha. Though we read new pesukim each day, one might notice that the readings are incredibly repetitive, almost identical. This is because these pesukim are detailing the korbanot brought at the inauguration of the Mishkan by the twelve leaders of the tribes. Originally, all twelve leaders were going to bring different sacrifices, with each one trying to outdo the previous. However, one of the leaders had an idea. He suggested that they bring twelve of the same Korban, so that no one would get jealous or feel animosity towards someone else. The other eleven leaders agreed with this idea. So the reason the Torah reading sounds so similar every day is because the same korbanot were brought, just by different people.
A question arises from this sequence of events. It is a very common idea that the Torah never wastes any words. So why didn’t Hashem just write that the first leader brought a Korban, and the other twelve leaders brought the same one? This could have made the Parsha significantly shorter and would have saved approximately seventy pesukim of seemingly “wasted” words. There are two answers to this question. The first one is that by putting all of the details of the identical Korbanot twelve times, Hashem is trying to show he was very happy with B’nei Yisroel’s unity. Nothing makes a father happier than to see his children getting along, and that’s exactly what the twelve leaders were doing when they all agreed to bring the same Korban. The second answer is that the Torah is trying to teach us about repetition. We say basically the same words every day, with few changes. Furthermore, we light the Menorah the same way every night, for eight nights in a row. It seems that Chanukah is full of repetition. Everyone knows that repetition is the best way to perfect something. The people who are at the top of their fields got there through repetition. The best basketball players do the same drills 100 times in a row. The best sprinters work on their stride for hours at a time. The same concept applies to practising Judaism. The best way to reach our full potential is to do the same thing repeatedly. Go to Minyan every morning. Learn the same page of Gemara many times in a row. That is a message Hashem is sending us through Chanukah. This idea also ties into the way in which we light the Menorah. According to Beit Hillel, we light the Menorah going upwards. On the first day we light one candle, on the second day two candles, through to the eighth day where we light eight candles. Even though we repeat the way we light the Menorah, we still need to try and make little improvements each day. That one added candle each day represents the small improvements we make through repetition.
Chanukah teaches us an important lesson. The key to perfection is repetition, with small improvements and steps forward each day. On Sunday, try going to Minyan. On Monday, make an attempt to get there on time. On Tuesday, don’t remove your tefillin until Davening is over. Regardless of what specific small improvements you try to make, the idea is to do something. As long as you’re trying to take those little steps, you will always see improvements.
Physicality and Spirituality: The Difference Between Chanukah and Purim
Rachel Goldstein (Grade 9) and Yael Gryn (Grade 10)
Students, Ulpanat Orot
A brief summary of many Jewish holidays we celebrate is “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat.” This definitely applies to the holidays of Chanukah and Purim, when we celebrate the Jews overcoming oppressors who tried to eradicate them. Although there are many similarities between the two stories, the ways the Jews were threatened in each case were drastically different. In the Purim story, Haman wanted to physically exterminate the Jewish nation. The Greeks in the Chanukah story, on the other hand, targeted the spiritual aspect of Judaism, prohibiting the Jews from doing mitzvot and connecting with Hashem. This type of persecution is arguably worse, because instead of simply killing every Jew they tried to kill the essence of Judaism. An example of this is when the Greeks infiltrated the Beit Hamikdash. It would have been enough to simply burn it down, but they went the extra mile to defile every room, utensil, and jug of oil they could find in an attempt to wipe out not only Jews, but Judaism. In spite of the hard-fought battles between the Greeks and the Jewish people, a few Jews managed to defeat them and reinstate the temple. This small group was able to hold on to its spirituality and see the strong hand of Hashem through the widespread loss of faith. In the merit of this, Hashem made a miracle and allowed one small jar of oil to retain its purity despite the destruction of the rest of the Beit Hamikdash.
Generally, the danger in a physical war is tangible and easier to fight. In the struggle of Purim, all Jews were able to see the physical threat Haman posed, and took up arms against it. The harm in the spiritual battle of Chanukah was more subtle. The Greeks managed to corrupt many Jews before the few who retained their beliefs were able to recognize the problem and retaliate. Their spiritual strength and the miracles of Hashem caused the Jewish people to rededicate the Beit Hamikdash, rekindle the menorah, and rebuild their connection to Hashem.
Throughout history, the Jewish people have been persecuted both physically and spiritually. Hashem has guided us through our suffering and troubles and will not allow us to be permanently destroyed. As we celebrate these eight days of Chanukah, we are reminded of the many miracles Hashem performed for us. May we be able to illuminate our lives in a positive way like the light of the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash and the miracles that took place in the times of our forefathers, בימים ההם בזמן הזה.
