Vedibarta Bam � And You Shall Speak of Them: Hints for Chanukah in the Torah

"Alef Beit... Taf."

The entire alef-beit, comprising the letters with which the Torah was written, is a hint to Chanukah and some of its major laws.

The first eight letters (alef, beit, gimmel, daled, hei, vav, zayin, chet) add up to 36. During the eight days of Chanukah we kindle a total of 36 candles (excluding the shamashim).

The letter tet is a hint that the Menorah should be placed less than 10 tefachim (handbreadths) off the ground.

The letters yud, kaf stand for "Yud kasher" - 10 tefachim [and more is also] kasher.

However, the letters lamed, mem, nun, samech, ayin, pei stand for "Lema'alah mei'esrim, neir, sukkah, eiruv, pesulah" - Above 20 [amah-cubits] a neir-candle, sukkah, and eiruv-crossbeam to enclose the entrance to a public area - are disqualified.

Finally, the letters tzaddik, kuf, reish, shin,taf teach that "Tzorech kedushah ra'u shamash tosif" - "because of the holiness of the candles [which may not be used for personal needs], it is proper that a shamash be added."

"Let there be light." (Bereishit 1:3)

The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 2:4) says that the phrase "And darkness [on the face of the abyss (1:2)]" symbolizes Greece, which darkened the eyes of the Jewish people with its decrees, ordering Israel "write on the horn of an ox that you have no portion in the G-d of Israel," i.e. Antiochus requested from the Jews a public disclaimer of Hashem and Torah.

Immediately following this the Torah says, "And G-d said "Yehi ohr" - "Let there be light" (1:3). The word "ohr" - "light" - is the twenty fifth word of the Torah. Moreover, the word "yehi" (יהי) - "let there be" - numerically adds up to twenty five. All this alludes that the darkness caused by the Greeks will be illuminated with the light (of the Menorah), which will be kindled by the Jews on the 25th [of Kislev].

"All the pegs of the courtyard of copper. And you will command the Children of Israel, that they shall take for you pure olive oil... to kindle a lamp continually." (Shemot 26:19-20)

QUESTION: What is the connection between the word "nechoshet" - "copper" - the final word of Parshat Terumah, with the command in the beginning of Parshat Tetzaveh to prepare pure olive oil for illumination?

ANSWER: King Nevuchadnetzar of Babylon had a very frightening dream which agitated him greatly. Afterwards, he forgot the details and thus did not know the dream's interpretation until Daniel told him that he had dreamt of an image whose head was of fine gold, with its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of copper, and its legs of iron - and then all the parts crumbled together.

Daniel then interpreted all this as a reference to the four Monarchies who subjugated the Jewish people. The gold represented Nevuchadnetzar and his kingdom because of their tremendous power. The Persians and Medes were the silver. The copper kingdom was the Greek empire of Alexander the Great and his successors. (This includes Antiochus who was Macedonian and a descendant of Alexander the Macedonian.) Finally, the Roman empire dominated by Edom and Ishmael (represented by Christianity and Islam) are compared to the iron. Ultimately, they will all crumble under the kingdom of Hashem, which will be ruled by Mashiach (Daniel 2:31-45).

The last word of Parshat Terumah, "nechoshet" - "copper" - would be a reference to the Syrian-Greek empire. The Torah follows this up with the statement "Now you shall command the Children of Israel that they shall take for you pure olive oil to kindle the lamp continually" (27:20). The Torah is hinting that in the days of the Greek empire (nechoshet - copper) there will be a special need for pure olive oil to kindle the Menorah.

Incidentally, the word "nechoshet" is also an acronym for "Neir Chanukah sham tadliku" - "Chanukah candle there you will kindle."

The word "nechoshet" is an acronym for "neir Chanukah semol tadlik" - "Kindle the Chanukah light on the left."

"Nechoshet" is also an acronym for "Neir Chanukah shamas tadlik" - "For the candle of Chanukah light a shamash."

This is followed with "And you shall command the Children of Israel that they take pure olive oil" to indicate that olive oil is most preferable for the kindling of the Chanukah Menorah, which is placed on the left side of the doorway, with a Shamash above.

"Command the Children of Israel to take for you pure olive oil... to kindle a lamp continually... on the pure Menorah shall he arrange the lamps." (Vayikra 24:2, 4)

In this parshah there is the following hint for Chanukah: In the preceding pesukim there is a listing of all the Jewish Yomim Tovim - Festivals - celebrated throughout the year. The order in which they are mentioned is as follows: Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Immediately following this the Torah continues, "Hashem said to Moshe: 'Command the Children of Israel that they take to you pure olive oil, pressed for lighting, to kindle a continual lamp.'" This is a hint to Chanukah, which follows Sukkot on the calendar, and in which using olive oil is the most preferable way to fulfill the mitzvah (see Orach Chaim 673:1).

The Torah portion begins with the words "Tzav et B'nei Yisrael" - "Command the Children of Israel" - which have the numerical value of 1,100, the same numerical value (im hakolel - counting the entire statement as one) as "bimei Matityahu ben Yochanan" - "in the day of Matityahu son of Yochanan".

Thus, the Torah is alluding that in the days of Matityahu son of Yochanan there will be a festival (Chanukah) following Sukkot when Jews will use pure olive oil to kindle the Menorah.

"Command the Children of Israel to take pure olive oil... to kindle a lamp continually... on the pure Menorah shall he arrange the lamps." (Vayikra 24:2, 4)

QUESTION: Why was Moshe first told to take pure olive oil "leha'alot neir tamid" - "to kindle a continual lamp" - in singular, and then it continues "on the pure Menorah ya'aroch et haneirot - "shall he arrange the lamps" - in plural?

ANSWER: According to some commentaries (see Avudraham), the word "Chanukah" is an acronym for "Chet neirot vehalachah keBeit Hillel" - "Kindle eight candles and the halachah is like Beit Hillel," alluding that on the first night one begins by lighting one candle and every night one adds a candle until the eighth night, when eight candles are lit.

Since this parshah is a hint to Chanukah, (see above) first it says "neir" - "candle" - in singular because at the start - the first night - only a single candle is lit. And henceforth, on each succeeding night, there are neirot, a plural number of candles, from two to eight.

"One gold ladle of ten (shekels) filled with incense..." (7:14)

During the entire Yom Tov of Chanukah, we read each morning about the offerings the Nesi'im brought to the dedication of the Altar. Among the donated items was "One golden ladle filled with incense." These words are acronyms which allude to the basic laws of Chanukah.

kaf = chaf pachot - The Menorah should be lower than 20 cubits above the ground.

achat = alef-chet tadlik - Kindle, starting with one and increase to eight.

asarah = ad shetichleh regel hashuk - It may be lit until the passersby have vanished from the market.

zahav = zemanah bein hashemashot - Lighting time starts at twilight.

meleiah = mitzvatah lehanichah eitzel hapesach - It should be placed near the entrance door.

ketoret = karov tefach rochav tadlik - Within a handbreadth of the width of the door, kindle.