Spirit: A Necessary Component of True Strength

December 11-12, 2009 / 25 Kislev 5770

By Rabbi Avi Weiss

It is well known that on the first day of Chanukah one candle is lit.  On each successive night, one more is kindled.  This in fact is the view of Beit Hillel as recorded in the Talmud.  (Shabbat 21b)

Beit Shammai dissents.  His position is that on the first night eight candles are lit.  On each successive night, one less light is kindled.

The Talmud explains the reasoning behind each view.  Beit Hillel bases his view on Ma'alin Bakodesh, holiness moves in ascending order.  Since lighting the Chanukah candles is a holy act, each night requires an additional candle to be lit.

Beit Shammai sees it as corresponding to the sacrifices offered on the Sukkot festival.  As they were offered on successive days in descending order, so, too, the Chanukah lights.  For Beit Shammai the descending order also reflects the amount of oil remaining as the miracle unfolded.  On the first night there was enough oil for eight days, on the second night there was left enough for seven days until the eighth night when only the amount for that night remained.

Yet there is another way to look at this disagreement.  Chanukah is a two dimensional miracle.  On the one hand, we were victorious over the Syrian Greeks who were prepared to annihilate our religion.  This miracle is spelled out in the Al Hanisim prayer.  In it we say that on Chanukah God, "gave the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few."

There is also the miracle of the lights. There was enough oil for one day and it miraculously lasted for eight.  This miracle is alluded to in the Haneirot Halalu which is recited after the candle lighting.

In one word the Al Hanisim celebrates the physical miracle of overcoming the Syrian Greeks.  The Haneirot Halalu, the spiritual miracle, of retaining our belief system even in the face of powerful assimilationist forces.

Could it be that Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree concerning which miracle is paramount.  For Beit Shammai it was the physical military victory.  Hence, the candles are lit in descending order.  Such is the way of military victory.  At first, it looms large, all eight candles are lit.  But, while physical victory is important, if it does not lead to a meaningful message, it quickly fades and diminishes in power.  

Beit Hillel is of the opposite opinion.  For Beit Hillel, the miracle is spiritual.  The way of spirituality is to begin modestly almost unnoticed.  In time, the spiritual power expands and becomes larger and larger.  Hence Beit Hillel insists the candles be lit in increasing numbers - each day the power of the spirit becomes stronger and stronger.

This is an appropriate message on Chanukah when in Israel - despite what we may read in the press - soldiers display important physical power and do so with a sense of deep ethics.  This is known in the Israeli Defense Forces as tihur haneshek, purity of arms.  In this sense our soldiers reflect the words of Zechariah read this week: "Not by might nor by power but by My spirit says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)  This does not mean that might and power are not important.  Indeed, some commentators understand this sentence to mean "Not only by might nor only by power, but also  Power and might are crucial when infused with a spirit of God. by my spirit says the Lord of hosts."

And so it is with our holy soldiers.  On this Chanukah may they all be blessed.