Posted on 12/14/23
One of my family members recently posted a picture on our family chat that I thought was hilarious. It was a picture of the tracking information from a recent Target order. It said: "In transit: Arriving Yesterday."
Now obviously this makes no sense. Something that already arrived yesterday is no longer in transit. This was clearly some type of glitch in Target's system. But, it occurred to me that perhaps they are on "target" in terms of a message in which we, the Jewish people, believe in. That is, the importance of always being "in transit", even when you already "arrived yesterday."
A Jew is always on the move, growing and reaching greater heights in his service of Hashem. Even when we arrive at a destination, we believe that is merely a stepping stone for further growth and development. Even when a Jew arrives, he is still meant to be "in transit."
The ספר מעינה של תורה brings an idea from the Rebbe of Rymanov on the Passuk in the Torah (37:2): אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף - These are the children of Yaakov. Yosef.
The Rebbe explains that when it comes to a person's Avodas Hashem, a person should never become satisfied and complacent with what he already achieved. A person should not stay put, במקום אחד.
Rather, a Jew is supposed to constantly strive and yearn for more and more, to reach loftier, holier, and greater heights on the סולם היהדות - the ladder of yiddishkeit. A Jew is meant to live in the realm of מוסיף והולך - adding more, doing more. This idea is alluded to in the words אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף. The תולדות - the offspring, i.e., the מעשים טובים - of a Jew is supposed to be יוסף, a life of constant growth and spiritual attainment, a life of מוסיף והולך.
If you think about it, when it comes to Neiros Chanukah, we paskin like the opinion of Bais Hillel that we start with one, and each night, increase the amount of candles to reflect the specific night of Chanukah. This is the opinion that holds the lighting is in the realm of מוסיף והולך.
Chanukah teaches us this lesson of אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף. A Jew is supposed to constantly produce things, to create things, to become more, to be more.
We are not supposed to remain in one place.
When Yaakov Avinu went back and forth across the river to bring over his possessions, Rashi tells us that he made himself into a bridge, עשה עצמו כגשר. Rav Teichtal (in his Sefer Eim Habanim Semeicha) points out an unbelievable message, namely, that Yaakov Avinu had one foot in Chutz La'aretz and one foot in Eretz Yisroel. Hence, he made himself into a bridge. He never got too comfortable in galus. He always had one metaphorical foot in front of him, situated in Eretz Yisroel, in the land of holiness.
Using this imagery, we see that Yaakov Avinu, always had his two feet apart from each other. He was a מוסף והולך. He was always looking for more in his Avodas Hashem. He never had two feet in one place; rather, he always had one foot in front of him, constantly walking and moving along to greater heights in his service of Hashem. In fact, he was the one who dreamed of the first סולם, thus providing us with the imagery of Heavenly angels walking up and down the ladder. They didn't remain fixed to one rung. They were constantly moving up and down.
A flame is something that jumps. Look at it and you'll know what I mean. It is constantly looking to grow and move higher up. A flame is a מוסיף והוליך. A flame constantly jumps up and tries to become more. In fact, what happens when you touch a flame to another wick? That's right, it produces a new flame. A flame, just like Yaakov, is in the realm of אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף. It's always seeking to become more and more.
My friends, based on this, we can now understand a peculiar piece from the Ben Yehoyada in Shabbos (21b) who explains why the holiday of Chanukah is called Chanukah. The Ben Yehoyada says an astounding thing. One of the reasons why the holiday of Chanukah is called Chanukah, as opposed to חנוך, is because the ה"א at the end of the word turns it from זכר to נקבה, from masculine to feminine. A male cannot become pregnant or give birth. A woman can. Chazal chose the לשון of חנוכה specifically, in the feministic linguistic approach, to teach us that just like a woman (and ONLY a woman) can become pregnant and give birth, so too the holiday of Chanukah מתעברת ויולדת - is impregnated and gives birth. It's illumination and enlightenment is born each year.
Based on what we've been saying, this explanation for the name Chanukah makes so much sense. Chanukah teaches us to be אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף. It teaches us to be מוסיף והולך. It teaches us to be like that flame which constantly jumps and seeks fore more. It teaches us to not stay in one place, but rather, to constantly climb the "ladder of yiddishkeit" and achieve greater and holier levels of spiritual achievement and development each moment of each day of our lives. It teaches us to produce more and "give birth" to more spiritual light, each day of our lives.
My favorite two words in the prayer of בימי מתתיהו that we recite over the holiday of Chanukah is the words ואחר כן - afterwards. You see, we just finished saying all the amazing things that Hashem did for the Jewish people: "You in Your great mercy, stood up for them in the time of their distress, You fought their battle, You judged their claim, and You avenged their wrong. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the malicious into the hands of the diligent students of Your Torah. You made a great and holy Name in Your world for Yourself, and for Your people Israel You worked a great victory and salvation as this very day."
How incredible! How amazing! Look how much we were able to accomplish with the help of Hashem. Enough, right? Take a break now, maybe? We arrived at our destination. Stop and breath!
But no! We are told: ואחר כן - "Afterwards, Your children came to the Holy of Holies of Your House, cleansed your Temple, purified the state of Your Holiness, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary…"
The Jewish people lived in the realm of מוסיף והולך. They could have stopped. They could have relaxed. They could have unpacked. But that's not what happened. We are told that they didn't stop! There was a ואחר כן. You accomplished something? Great. Wonderful. Celebrate, but move on. ואחר כן. There has to always be a ואחר כן, an afterwards, a what's next, an on-to-the-next thing.
I was blown away when I started to rearrange the letters of ואחר כן, as it spells אור חנך, perhaps an allusion to the "Light of Chanukah."
My friends, the light of Chanukah teaches us to not live our lives like the rest of the world that buries itself in cathartic negative complacency.
Let us be like the light of Chanukah that constantly increases and that perpetually gives birth to more illumination.
Let us be like the flame that constantly seeks and jumps for more holiness.
Have a lichtege rest of your Chanukah!