Chanukah – Al Hanisim

If you compare the על הניסים that we say for Purim and for Chanukah, the basic structure is the same but there are a few differences that stick out. Both say “in the days of so-and-so when so-and-so stood up against us to destroy us. Hashem rescued us and destroyed our enemies. The details are obviously different as they are telling different stories, but there is one other difference that I think contains a deep message.

If you look at how Hashem came to our aid, each time is described differently. By Purim is says that Hashem הפרת את עצתו וקלקלת את מחשבתו והשבות לו גמולו בראשו. Hashem is directly fighting Haman. The Jews are out of the picture, it’s as if Hashem is on the battlefield fighting for us and we are standing by and watching. This is interesting since we know that Purim was a concealed נס, weaved out of a string of news headlines and political moves. But the way the tefilla of thanks is structured is with Hashem directly fighting Haman. By Chanukah is says עמדת להם בעת צרתם רבת את רבם דנת את דנם נקמת את נקמתם, מסרת גבורים ביד חלשים ורבים ביד מעטים ורשעים ביד צדיקים וזדים ביד עוסקי תורתך. Obviously, Hashem helped us, but the language says that we were still a part of the fight. It was our fight and our revenge, and Hashem helped us win. And then, whereas Purim’s tefilla ends here, Chanukah’s continues. It goes on to say what Hashem does for us, ולעמך ישראל עשית תשועה גדולה ופרקן כהיום הזה. And continues with what we did for Hashem, ואחר כך באו בניך לדביר ביתך ופנו את היכלך וטהרו את מקדשך והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך וקבעו שמונת ימי חנוכה אלו להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול.

I think these differences teach us the following: Purim was the last national נס with נביאים. Yes, it was disguised by nature, but it was meant to teach us that Hashem can exist Himself and with all His Glory hidden in nature. Chanukah was very different. נבואה was dead and wasn’t returning, Hashem’s Glory in this world was extremely diminished. And that’s why the Jews are included in the tefilla, Hashem fought for them, but it was their fight. They were in a lonely and scary world without a direct connection to Hashem. And the message here was, don’t think that just because you can’t openly see My Glory or connect to me as a prophet that I am gone. I am still holding your hand and walking you through life. I am fighting your fights.

Then we have the continuation, describing what Hashem does for us and what we do for Him. There are two aspects to every relationship and to every journey. There are the rules you must follow and the goals you must reach, and those are two completely separate things. An example: someone is wrapping up their last semester of medical school, and as per the university rules you can’t miss any classes unless you have a valid reason such as a family emergency, or an illness. This student misses 2 months of the semester due to a severe case of hepatitis in addition to his father passing away. Every member of the faculty agrees that he has valid excuses for missing classes. But when graduation day arrives they don’t print a diploma for him, since as valid as all his excuses are, he didn’t learn the material and engage in the lab projects that are necessary to be a doctor. He followed every rule, but he didn’t reach the goal. It’s always easy to get caught up in the rules and forget the goal. Like a truck driver so focused on driving inside the lines that he ignores the road signs and ends up going west instead of south. It sounds humorous but in real life it is very easy to fall prey to this trap.

Judaism has a goal; to discover your relationship with Hashem (not to create it, since it is already there you just need to uncover it) and cultivate it into a beautiful garden and orchard inside of you. There are 613 rules of how to achieve that goal, but our eyes must be on the goal. And as we discover each layer of our relationship with our Father, we see and feel something that He gives us, and it compels us to be thankful and to give back to Him, whether it is time, energy, or even holding back from doing something wrong. Which deepens the relationship and uncovers yet another dimension of what Hashem is giving us, and for that we are thankful, and the process revolves around and around like a beautiful game of catch.

Chanukah is teaching us that even in the darkest moments Hashem is there. he is fighting our fights, and holding our hand through life. We then can enter the בית המקדש within us and purify it, and then we get a new “other-worldly” energy that lasts 8 times as long as it should have, and for that we are thankful. But when we finish saying על הניסים we shouldn’t think that it’s the end. The thankfulness led to another gift from Hashem and another gift from us. And Father in heaven and His beautiful children remain locked in this loving embrace and give-and-take through a long and hard exile.

Chanukah was the beginning, and may we be the end, may we be able to watch the menorah being lit again on הר הבית.