Part II
In the first part, HaRav Wachtfogel asked why Aharon
Hacohen was so concerned about not having a share in
inaugurating the Mishkan in view of the fact that he had so
many ongoing responsibilities there. Furthermore, why was he
reconciled with the knowledge that he was responsible for
lighting the Menorah daily, and not with his other
responsibilities? In laying down the foundation of the
answer, HaRav Wachtfogel explained that Chananyah, Mishael,
and Azaryah spoke to Nevuchadnetzar in a very bold way and
thus paved the way for the Chashmonaim to later boldly resist
their oppressors.
*
The Mashgiach, R' Yeruchom Levovitz of Yeshivas Mir, was
accustomed to say that even within the utter darkness of
golus Heaven shows each person a bright light to guide
him. "A person can acquire his world (Olam Habo) in
one moment" (Avodoh Zorah 17a).
"Nevuzaradan saw the blood of Zecharya boiling. He asked:
`What is this?' [The Cohen] answered: `It is the spilt blood
of zevochim.' He said: `Bring other [animals].' He
slaughtered them and their blood was not similar [to the
boiling blood that he had found]. Nevuzaradan said: `Reveal
to me what this is, and if not I will comb your flesh with an
iron comb.' He said to him: `[Zecharya] was a Cohen and
novi who said nevu'ah for Yisroel about the
churban of Yerushalayim, and the people killed him.'
Nevuzaradan said to him: `I will console him.' He brought
Rabbonim and killed them, but the blood did not rest. He
brought teachers of children and killed them over it, but the
blood did not rest. He brought young Cohanim and killed them
over it, but the blood did not rest. He killed over it nine
hundred and forty thousand people, but the blood still did
not rest. Nevuzaradan walked over to the blood and said:
`Zecharya, Zecharya! I have destroyed the best of them. Do
you want me to kill them all?' The blood immediately stopped
boiling. Nevuzaradan began to repent. He said: `If for those
who only killed one person this is what happens, what will be
with me?' He fled, sent a will to his wife, and became a
ger" (Sanhedrin 96b).
Nevuzaradan acquired his world in one moment. He did
teshuvoh and became a ger tzedek. This is an
example of what the Mashgiach used to tell us, that each
person has his own precious moment. We must safeguard this
moment and not lose it. From that priceless moment we derive
power to fight against the yetzer. Nevuzaradan saw the
bright radiance of the Torah, held tightly to it, and became
a ger tzedek.
"You make darkness and it is night, when all the beasts of
the forest creep forth" (Tehillim 104:20). "Olam
hazeh is similar to night" (Bovo Metzia 83b). To
sustain oneself in olam hazeh, which is similar to
night, in the midst of the constant struggle against the ever-
strengthening yetzer hora, one must make use of the
dazzling flash of Heavenly radiance, as the Mashgiach taught
us. In the depth of our darkness HaKodosh Boruch Hu
shines a ray of brilliance on every man. We must grab it
relentlessly as did R' Eliezer ben Dordaya when he wailed
uncontrollably until he passed away (Avodoh Zorah
17a). About that burst of tears, which stemmed from unfeigned
teshuvoh, Rebbe said that R' Eliezer ben Dordaya
acquired his [eternal] world in one moment. R' Eliezer ben
Dordaya saw the piercing streak of light, clung to it, and
through it was zocheh to Olam Habo.
The Greek golus was different from all other
goluyos. In that golus the Jews were not exiled
from Eretz Yisroel but remained on their land, albeit under
Greek control. Even after the Chashmonaim took over Eretz
Yisroel their victory was only partial, and they remained
under pressure from the Greeks and others. HaKodosh Boruch
Hu caused this to happen to them so they would be
prepared for the long golus of Edom, the
"golus within a golus" in which we presently
live.
In golus Bovel the Jews intermarried with gentiles,
since they did not have any previous preparation for that
particular golus which might protect them. In the days
of Chanukah, when a little light rolled back much darkness,
the preparations for golus Edom were made. We must
hold tightly to this light during the darkness of the present
golus.
The Greeks decreed that Jews should not study Torah nor obey
Hashem's mitzvos—so as "to make them forget Your Torah
and compel them to stray from the statutes of Your will"
(Al Hanissim). About such a situation Chananyah,
Mishael, and Azaryah said to Nevuchadnetzar, "You and a dog
are the same to us." All forces that seek to thwart the Torah
are worthless and as if they do not exist.
The Chashmonaim, who set off to battle with the Greeks,
learned this lesson from Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah.
Although the enemy was much mightier and more numerous than
they, still they were no more formidable than a dog. This
vital message was carried over to future generations and
helps bnei Yisroel resist temptations during the long
golus Edom, with its extended periods of darkness. We
use the little light of the Chashmonaim to survive during
this current golus.
Now we can understand the Midrash that the Ramban
cited, in which HaKodosh Boruch Hu declared that,
"Your share is greater than theirs." The lighting of the
lamps during Chanukah, although only eight days, is
enormously meaningful for us.
The miracle of Chanukah was a preparation for the golus
Edom and it impressed upon all later generations of
Klal Yisroel suffering from the long and bitter
golus the proper guidance about how to act. Only
through the miracle of lighting the Chanukah lamp, which is
the little light which we grasp, can we survive the darkness
of the golus. What we have gained through the lighting
of the Chanukah lamp continues until the arrival of the
Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
The miracle of Chanukah has not ended; it is being constantly
written again. The mighty are being given over into the power
of the weak during the entire lengthy and bitter
golus. This is the way HaKodosh Boruch Hu
conducts the world. We survive among the powerful nations
although we are but one sheep among seventy wolves. This is
the situation in which we live; it is a realization of
Hashem's giving over the mighty into the power of the
weak.
The darkness of the golus can cover man's eyes so that
he cannot see the bright, lucid light shining from within the
burning lamps of the Menorah. How can we rectify this
condition? We must cultivate our yiras Shomayim.
Through yirah we will remember all the miracles that
HaKodosh Boruch Hu has done for us and we will see the
light radiating from the lamps. We will remember that all the
forces that are ranged against the Torah are worthless, just
as Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah said to Nevuchadnetzar.
Later, too, because of this realization the Chashmonaim acted
courageously and fought the seemingly indomitable Greeks.
They bequeathed to us a principle to follow so that we can
endure the bleak golus. Without yirah, however,
it can be that we will see no light at all and will be lost
within the golus. Our salvation will come through the
yiras Shomayim we implant within ourselves.
HaRav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel ztvk'l was the mashgiach of
the Beis Midrash Govoha in Lakewood, USA.
