Parshat Mikeitz 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Gemara in Shabbos 21B teaches that when the Greeks entered the Beis Hamikdash they defiled all the oils, Tim'u Kol Hashemanim She'BaHeichal. This event is referred to in the song Ma'oz Tzur when we sing U'Fartzu Chomos Migdalai V'Timu Kol Hashemanim. They breached the walls of my towers and they defiled the oils. This situation ultimately led to the miracle of the one jug of oil which lasted for eight days.
The Sfas Emes learns that when the Gemara teaches that the Greeks defiled the oils in the Heichal, there is a deeper meaning here as well as the simple meaning. The Shemanim She'BaHeichal represent the thoughts inside the head. The Greeks and the Hellenists defiled the thoughts of the Jewish people. They introduced foreign ideas and attempted to enforce a foreign culture on Clal Yisrael. They attempted to defile the belief of the Jews in Hashem. How did they do this? U'Fartzu Chomos Migdalai; the pasuk in Shir Hashirim (Chapter 8, Pasuk 9) says, Ani Chomah V'Shodai Migdalos. The term Chomah is a reference to Hashem. A Jew needs to have belief in Hashem and His Torah. This wall of belief in Hashem was breached and the pure oil of Jewish thought and belief was corrupted by the Greeks.
We say in "Al Hanissim" U'Leha'aviram M'Chukei Retzonecha; a goal of the Greeks was to cause the Jewish people to violate the statutes of Your will. Typically, the word Chok is a reference to a mitzvah whose reason is not readily understandable. If so, why does it only mention that the Greeks were interested in getting the Jews to violate chukim? The Greeks prohibited mitzvos other than chukim as well.
The word chok comes from the word chakuk. It is brought in the Sefarim that the word chok can also refer to mitzvos which are essential to and engraved within the hearts of the Jewish people. The statement U'Leha'aviram M'Chukei Retzonecha is referring to the fact that the Hellenists attempted to stop the Jews from performing basic fundamental mitzvos. These mitzvos, like Shabbos and Bris Milah, are paradigms of mitzvos which are fundamental to the Jewish religion; they are indeed chukim. This is further expression of this desire to defile the pure oil of Jewish thought by the Greeks and their followers.
The words in Al Hanissim are U'Leha'aviram M'Chukei Retzonecha, the statutes of your desire. The Greeks believed in asserting one's own belief system and ideas. But this is not true wisdom. Real wisdom is not doing what I feel like doing; the greatest wisdom is in nullifying my own ideas and following the ways of Hashem. The pasuk in Tehillim (Chapter 111, Pasuk 10) says, Reishis Chachmah Yiras Hashem. The fundamental wisdom is belief in Hashem. This is the basic Jewish belief system and this is what the Hellenists were trying to overrun. And by ruining their faith, they defiled their thoughts, Timu Kol Hashemanim.
The belief in Hashem must include believing in the Chachamim as well. The Medrash Tanchuma in parshat Naso (29) teaches, one should not say I will not listen to the mitzvah of the Zekainim, i.e. Chanukah, since it's not from the Torah. Hashem says, I agree to all that the sages command you, for Yaakov Avinu blessed Ephraim before Menashe and this was fulfilled when the Nesi'im brought their gifts for the Chanukas Hamishkan and Ephraim brought their sacrifice before Menashe.
Chanukah, which is the Chag of Torah Shebe'alpeh, celebrates the authority of the Chachamim as well. We learn in the Gemara Shabbos 23A that it is precisely by the mitzvah of Chanukah that the Gemara asks how is it that we are able to recite in the blessing on a mitzvah from the Rabbis V'Tzivanu, and He commanded us, if the mitzvah is from the Torah? And Rav Nechemiah answers that the pasuk says (Devarim, Chapter 32, Pasuk 7), She'al Avicha V'Yagedcha Zekainecha V'Yomru Lach. The fact that we are commanded to listen to our elders enables us to make a blessing on a mitzvah from the Rabbis as if it were from the Torah.
This is the message of Chanukah. We are enjoined as Ma'aminim Bnei Ma'aminim to believe in Hashem and also to believe in the sages, the Zekainim. As the Medrash Tanchuma teaches, Hashem bestows authority on them and agrees with their enactments. And when our belief is weakened, this is a breach in the walls of Emunah and brings about an impurity of thought on the part of Am Yisrael. This is what the Hellenists attempted to accomplish. In order to fight the Hellenists and their cohorts, we must build a wall around us to fortify our faith and these are the Chomos Migdalai. And when we do this, we are able to keep the thoughts in our heads pure and protect the Shemen She'BaHeichal.
Good Shabbos and Chanukah Sameach
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