THE HIDDEN POWER TO DEFEAT YAVAN
Chanukah
The Gemara’s account of the miracle of Chanukah emphasises the connection to the Heichal, the structure of the Beis Hamikdash; “The Yevanim (Greeks) entered the Heichal and defiled all of the oils within the Heichal”.
Their war against the Jews was a spiritual one. They sought “to cause them to forget your Torah and to take them away from the statutes of Your will”. Yavan represents spiritual darkness.
The Mahara”l of Prague explains that the spiritual force of the Yevanim was able to affect the level of the ‘Heichal’. This is alluded to in Gematria; היכל has the Gematria of 65. יון (Yavan) has the Gematria of 66. The greater Gematria alludes to their ability to dominate and defile the Heichal and all of the oil of the Heichal.
The Heichal of the Beis Hamikdash was made up of two rooms, the Kodesh – where the Menorah stood - and the Kodesh Hakodoshim. The Kodesh was the more external room. The Kodesh Hakodoshim lay deeper within the Beis Hamikdash structure, hidden away from view.
Whilst the Yevanim could corrupt the level of the Kodesh, they were unable to reach the level of the Kodesh Hakodoshim.
In the Mishkan, the prototype of the Beis Hamikdash, the Kodesh Hakodoshim measured 10 Amos by 10 Amos. The number 10 is represented by the letter Yud (י).
Within the word היכל there is a hidden Yud. The vowel under the ה is a Tzeirei. The Tzerei is pronounced as though there was an additional י after the vowel (to create the ‘ey’ sound). But this י is not written. Like the Kodesh Hakodoshim hidden in the recesses of the Beis Hamikdash, the extra י in Heichal is hidden.
If we count the hidden י (as though the word was written הייכל), the Gematria is 75. This is greater than the 66 of Yavan, alluding to the fact that they had no power over the Kodesh Hakodoshim.
75 is the Gematria of כהן (Kohen). This is why the victory and miracle of Chanukah came through the Kohanim, who had the power to defeat the Yevanim.
More specifically, the miracle of Chanukah is connected to the Kohen Gadol. The Gemara highlights how the one flask of pure oil that they found was sealed with the signet of the Kohen Gadol.
According to the Mahara”l, the seal was not just a sign that the oil had not been tampered with. The seal of the Kohen Gadol was the power that ensured that this oil could not be defiled by the Yevanim.
The Torah refers to the Kohen Gadol as being Kodesh Kodashim. The Kohein Gadol was on the level of Kodesh Hakodoshim and he was the only person who would enter the Kodesh Hakodoshim. In the face of such holiness, the Yevanim had no power.
Chassidus teaches that we each have within us a Kohein Gadol and Kodesh Hakodoshim.
Like the design of the Beis Hamikdash, our soul also has layers and chambers. The external courtyard (the Azarah) represents our thought, speech and action – our external expressions through which we interact with the world. The Heichal (the Kodesh), with its various Keilim; the Shulchan, Menorah and incense Alter, represents the intellect and emotions of the Neshama. These are how we connect to Hashem through our mind and heart.
The Kodesh Hakodoshim is the very essence of the soul – the Yechidah.
Our connection to Hashem through our thought, speech and action of Torah observance is susceptible to the darkness of Yavan, representing the Yetzer Hara and forces of spiritual corruption. Our emotional and intellectual connections to Hashem are also able to be defiled.
But the essential core of the Neshama cannot be corrupted. It is not a relationship with Hashem through something that we do; either in action, feeling or ideas. It is the essential bond that every Jew has implicitly with Hashem. It is the source of the pure and simple faith and the power of self-sacrifice that every Jew possesses deep within them.
Like the Chashmonaim, the Yechidah is revealed through Mesiras Nefesh - absolute and supra-rational dedication to Hashem. When we access the Holy-of-Holies, the Kohen Gadol within us, not only are we sealed with a force of protection, we have the power to drive away darkness and transform it to light.
Their war against the Jews was a spiritual one. They sought “to cause them to forget your Torah and to take them away from the statutes of Your will”. Yavan represents spiritual darkness.
The Mahara”l of Prague explains that the spiritual force of the Yevanim was able to affect the level of the ‘Heichal’. This is alluded to in Gematria; היכל has the Gematria of 65. יון (Yavan) has the Gematria of 66. The greater Gematria alludes to their ability to dominate and defile the Heichal and all of the oil of the Heichal.
The Heichal of the Beis Hamikdash was made up of two rooms, the Kodesh – where the Menorah stood - and the Kodesh Hakodoshim. The Kodesh was the more external room. The Kodesh Hakodoshim lay deeper within the Beis Hamikdash structure, hidden away from view.
Whilst the Yevanim could corrupt the level of the Kodesh, they were unable to reach the level of the Kodesh Hakodoshim.
In the Mishkan, the prototype of the Beis Hamikdash, the Kodesh Hakodoshim measured 10 Amos by 10 Amos. The number 10 is represented by the letter Yud (י).
Within the word היכל there is a hidden Yud. The vowel under the ה is a Tzeirei. The Tzerei is pronounced as though there was an additional י after the vowel (to create the ‘ey’ sound). But this י is not written. Like the Kodesh Hakodoshim hidden in the recesses of the Beis Hamikdash, the extra י in Heichal is hidden.
If we count the hidden י (as though the word was written הייכל), the Gematria is 75. This is greater than the 66 of Yavan, alluding to the fact that they had no power over the Kodesh Hakodoshim.
75 is the Gematria of כהן (Kohen). This is why the victory and miracle of Chanukah came through the Kohanim, who had the power to defeat the Yevanim.
More specifically, the miracle of Chanukah is connected to the Kohen Gadol. The Gemara highlights how the one flask of pure oil that they found was sealed with the signet of the Kohen Gadol.
According to the Mahara”l, the seal was not just a sign that the oil had not been tampered with. The seal of the Kohen Gadol was the power that ensured that this oil could not be defiled by the Yevanim.
The Torah refers to the Kohen Gadol as being Kodesh Kodashim. The Kohein Gadol was on the level of Kodesh Hakodoshim and he was the only person who would enter the Kodesh Hakodoshim. In the face of such holiness, the Yevanim had no power.
Chassidus teaches that we each have within us a Kohein Gadol and Kodesh Hakodoshim.
Like the design of the Beis Hamikdash, our soul also has layers and chambers. The external courtyard (the Azarah) represents our thought, speech and action – our external expressions through which we interact with the world. The Heichal (the Kodesh), with its various Keilim; the Shulchan, Menorah and incense Alter, represents the intellect and emotions of the Neshama. These are how we connect to Hashem through our mind and heart.
The Kodesh Hakodoshim is the very essence of the soul – the Yechidah.
Our connection to Hashem through our thought, speech and action of Torah observance is susceptible to the darkness of Yavan, representing the Yetzer Hara and forces of spiritual corruption. Our emotional and intellectual connections to Hashem are also able to be defiled.
But the essential core of the Neshama cannot be corrupted. It is not a relationship with Hashem through something that we do; either in action, feeling or ideas. It is the essential bond that every Jew has implicitly with Hashem. It is the source of the pure and simple faith and the power of self-sacrifice that every Jew possesses deep within them.
Like the Chashmonaim, the Yechidah is revealed through Mesiras Nefesh - absolute and supra-rational dedication to Hashem. When we access the Holy-of-Holies, the Kohen Gadol within us, not only are we sealed with a force of protection, we have the power to drive away darkness and transform it to light.