Monday, November 2, 2009

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."

2 comments:

  1. Make sure to get Reb Shlomo Katz's latest book The Soul of Chanuakah - Teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Calrebach http://mosaicapress.com/?p=857

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where is this passage from? Is it from The Soul of Chanukah -- Teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach book?

    Thank you,
    Valeria

    ReplyDelete

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