Rav Nosson And The Disappearing Candles
From Revach.net
There is a Machlokes between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel whether we start with eight candles and take one away each day or we start with one and another one each day. Rav Nosson of Breslov asks, since the miracle was greater every day why would Bais Shammai that we light fewer candles?
Rav Nosson answers that we know Shammai's middah was Din. A person cannot get more than he deserves. This Shitta was the driving force of him throwing out the three people seeking geirus but asking for more than they can have specifically to learn only Torah SheBichsav, to learn the whole Torah on one foot, and to be a Kohen. Hillel on the other hand was the middah of Chesed. Chesed means giving someone more than he deserves. In the above cases that meant the time and patience to set them straight.
The light of Chanukah is the Ohr HaGanuz, the hidden light of the Torah. This light is reserved only for tzaddikim. Yet on Chanukah Hashem lets it burn for all to see. Each day the light gets brighter with the intensity of the Nes. Shammai held that as the light gets brighter we must hide it from the undeserving therefore each day we light one less candle. Bais Hillel however makes no connection between how much light we see and how much we deserve. Therefore as the lights burn brighter each night, Hillel holds that despite our lowly stature, we too may light an extra light and enjoy the special light of the Shechina.
The lesson for us, says Rav Nosson, is that in this world we pasken like Bais Hillel and we must share our love an our light with even the sinful and undeserving.
There is a Machlokes between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel whether we start with eight candles and take one away each day or we start with one and another one each day. Rav Nosson of Breslov asks, since the miracle was greater every day why would Bais Shammai that we light fewer candles?
Rav Nosson answers that we know Shammai's middah was Din. A person cannot get more than he deserves. This Shitta was the driving force of him throwing out the three people seeking geirus but asking for more than they can have specifically to learn only Torah SheBichsav, to learn the whole Torah on one foot, and to be a Kohen. Hillel on the other hand was the middah of Chesed. Chesed means giving someone more than he deserves. In the above cases that meant the time and patience to set them straight.
The light of Chanukah is the Ohr HaGanuz, the hidden light of the Torah. This light is reserved only for tzaddikim. Yet on Chanukah Hashem lets it burn for all to see. Each day the light gets brighter with the intensity of the Nes. Shammai held that as the light gets brighter we must hide it from the undeserving therefore each day we light one less candle. Bais Hillel however makes no connection between how much light we see and how much we deserve. Therefore as the lights burn brighter each night, Hillel holds that despite our lowly stature, we too may light an extra light and enjoy the special light of the Shechina.
The lesson for us, says Rav Nosson, is that in this world we pasken like Bais Hillel and we must share our love an our light with even the sinful and undeserving.
the Pri Haaretz explains something similar, but explains that the koach of Gevurah necesitates that one grows gradually whereas growth through Hesed can be instantaneous.
Posted by
yitz |
2:41 PM
Shalom R' Yitz and thanks for the comment!
Posted by
Rabbi Ally Ehrman |
2:05 AM
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