Reb shlomo's Teachings on Chanukah

Every month we are fixing a certain aspect of our

lives. The fixing of this month, Kislev, is sleeping.

Inasmuch as light disturbs your sleep, if it is too dark,

you are afraid to sleep. Hanukah is the holiday of the

hidden light, the light which shines into the deepest

darkness. What is utter darkness to the soul? To think

that I am utterly alone. Hanukah is the holiday that

even if all the vessels of the holy temple are defiled,

the holiest miracles are happening to us every second -

miracles from another world, from the world of deepest

holiness where defilement doesn't reach.

     What is it to be alone in the world? To think
 that

there to nobody in the world who can perform miracles for

me. Hanukah is the Initiation of the holy temple: G-d

temple, Israel temple, husband and wife temple, parents

and children temple. You can do anything in the world

outside your house. For sleeping, you need a house.

Nothing brings parents and children closer, than when

parents put their children to sleep. Why do children

need their parents to put them to sleep? Because they

need to know that there is someone watching who can and

will perform miracles for them - someone whose love comes

from a world of utmost purity and undefilement.

     Every year, Hanukah the festival of miracles, the

festival of rebuilding the house, the festival of Aaron

the High Priest, fixes all our relationships, teaches us

to love each other, and especially our family, with the

utmost undefiled love. Yom Kippur we become one with G-d

again -- Hanukah we become one with our children again.

Yom Kippur I promise G-d I'll do right again. Hanukah I

promise my children and G-d and the whole world: I'll

perform the greatest miracles for you.

     Please, please let it be clear to you that Hanukah is

the greatest holiday, that on Hanukah G-d gives us strength

so that you and I - the Macabees of today - can perform

the greatest miracles.

                             Gut Yontif - Much Love,

                                    Shlomo

 
 
 
So, the daughter of the Kozhnitzer Maggid didn't have children.  (We're blessing everyone to 
have children.)  And the Kozhnitzer Maggid, for him, the most, most precious thing he had 
was his Chanukah--candelabra--Chanukah menorah.  He gave everything away, but this was 
one thing he really didn't give away because it was too precious.
 
      So here Rebbe Levi Yitzhak Berditchever came, a few weeks before Chanukah, and so, 
the the daughter of the Kozhnitzer Maggid comes in, and she says to Reb Levi Yitzhak, 
"Can you please, please, please bless me with children? So Reb Levi Yitzhak Berditchever 
says to the Kozhnitzer Maggid, "I'll tell you what.  I'll bless your daughter with children if 
you'll give me your Chanukah menorah."
 
      Look, what can you do? For my daughter I'll do anything in the world, right? So he says, 
"Sure, I'll give it to you very gladly."  So he gave him the Chanukah menorah, and then Reb 
Levi Yitzhak took the menorah and gave it to the daughter of the Kozhnitzer Maggid and says, 
"Here is my present for your little baby."  Gevalt.  Then he says to the Kozhnitzer Maggid, 
"But you know what? Until he'll be Bar Mitzvah, you can kindle on his menorah."  I want you 
to know, this little boy later on was Reb Chaim Meir'l of Margolinska, was like--mamesh, 
a great light.
 
      Everybody knows that Chanukah--Chanukah is the time to pray to find your soul-mate.  
You know what it takes to find your soul-mate? Good eyes.  Good eyes.  On Chanukah, 
when the light is shining--the inner light, the inside light--and you know what you need, in order 
to be blessed by G-d with children? Also Chanukah light.  And you know, G-d forbid, sometimes, 
G-d doesn't trust us with children 'cause we don't know how to look at them.
 
      You know, I don't want to say anything bad--I'm sure this yeshival'l here is the best...
but the rest of the day schools I'm not so sure.  Or every one is good.  Most of them are good.  
You  know what it takes to be a good teacher? The world thinks a good teacher is someone who 
disciplines the kids--they're afraid to move, nebich; he takes away their last ounce of joy.  A good 
teacher is someone who has good eyes.  Good eyes.  Good eyes.  And here I want to share 
something awesome, deep, with you.
 
      You know, beautiful friends, on Yom Kippur we're asking for forgiveness.  But you know 
how many scars we have on our soul? So many scars.  Imagine I love this girl very much, we 
had a big fight, and we ask each other for forgiveness.  And so we forgive each other.  But 
there's so many scars left.  So many scars left.  And you know what it takes to take away the 
scars? Mamesh, you need one person to look at you with so much love that it would take away 
the scars.  And you know, if we would x-ray each other--ourselves--we would see so many scars.  
So many scars.
 
      You know, children, everyday when they come home from school--I could swear they are 
full of scars.  And you know, if parents have Chanukah eyes, they take away all the scars.  
And they're so glad to be home.  And sometimes, nebich, parents don't have it.  And I'm 
not judging them--because *they* are full of scars.
 
      Anyway, I want to bless you and me and all of us.  You know, Chanukah--it's our big chance 
to see each other again--not only our chance to see each other again, it's our chance to heal each 
other again, to heal each other again.
 
      And one more thing--forgive me for saying it; I'll make it fast because a lot of people are 
saying that I tell them too many Torahs.  You know why? I'll tell you.  I don't want to say 
anything bad, but they don't like it, so, mazel tov.  Nothing I can do.
 
      You know, the Kotzker Rebbe, someone told the Kotzker Rebbe, "This person doesn't 
like you."  He said, "I'm so glad.  I was so afraid he would."  You know, those people who 
don't like my stories? I'm so glad they don't, you know? 'Cause it's not for them.
 
      You know, one of the biggest gaonim of the last generation--there [are] no more like 
him--a giant!--came out with a sefer--a book--an earth-shaking book.  I mean, not from 
our generation.  He walked down the street, and a man says to him, "You know, I wrote 
you three letters about your book, and you didn't answer me."  So he says, "You know, 
I'll tell you the truth.  My book is not meant for everyone.  And you are one of them for 
whom it's not meant."