Hanukkah: Soul Union with YHWH

By Rabbi Levi bar Ido - B’nai Avraham

14 Be glad in the day of prosperity, but in the evil day take note that Elohim has also appointed the one as well
as the other, so that man should not uncover whatever shall be after him. Qoheleth 7:14

At the beginning of the creation of the universe is a system of opposites. We have day/night, good/evil, exile
(sin) and redemption. By allowing both extremes to exist in this creation, Elohim has established a system of
free will and choice. Mankind may choose to do good or evil, and to bring light or darkness into this world by
his actions.

• 19 “I have called the heavens and the earth as witnesses today against you: I have set before you life
and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore you shall choose life, so that you live, both you and
your seed…Devarim 30:19
• 7 Do not be led astray: Elohim is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap.
8Because he who sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the
Spirit shall reap everlasting life from the Spirit. 9And let us not lose heart in doing good, Gal.6:7-9

In this universe, it is our choices that give power to the darkness and hasatan. Whenever Yisrael has had to bear
the yoke of domination from a foreign power, it was because the Torah and its observance was broken.

• 15 “And it shall be, if you do not obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim, to guard to do all His
commands and His laws which I command you today, that all these curses shall come upon you and
overtake you: Devarim 28:15
• 18 “Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your evil, because it is bitter,
because it has reached into your heart.” Yirmeyahu 4:18

The Four Exiles

Historically there have been four powers that have subjugated the Yisraelite people. These were Babylon,
Persia, Greece, and Rome. According to tradition, Edom1 is represented by the Holy Roman Empire and her
children; Christianity. The Jewish scholar Ibn Ezra2 also includes the Islamic powers in the definition of Edom
based upon the fact that it was the influence of Rome that established the formation of the Arab and the Turkish
empires. Thus, Islam is actually an outgrowth of the Roman Empire and one of her children.
Maimonides taught that the tribulation that Yisrael would suffer from the hordes of Islam would increase until
they were ended by the coming of the Messiah. These periods of exile were punishment upon Yisrael for their
lack of Torah observance .But, in the Divine Plan; they are merely vehicles for bringing the Messiah and
revealing the Shekinah in this world.

Four Exiles Revealed in Bereshith 1:2

1 Zohar 2:6a-It says in the Book of R. Hamnuna the Elder, in connection with the words, “Now there arose a new king over Egypt”,
that all the nations of the world and all their kings become powerful only on account of Israel. Egypt, for instance, did not rule over
the whole world before Israel settled there. The same is true of Babylon, as well as of Edom (Rome). Before that all these nations were
utterly insignificant and contemptible: Egypt is described as a “house of slaves” (Ex. xx, 2), Babylon as “a people who was not” (Isa.
xx, II-13), and of Edom it says, “Behold, I have made thee small among the nations, thou art greatly despised” (Obad. 1, 2). It was
entirely due to Israel that they became great. As soon as Israel was subjected to any of these nations, it immediately became all-
powerful, since Israel singly are on a par with all the rest of the world. So when Israel went down to Egypt, straightway that country
rose to supreme power. And this is the meaning of “Now there arose a new king”, i.e. the supernal chieftain of Egypt rose up in
strength and gained predominance over the chieftains of the other nations.
2 Known as Abu Harun; c. 1055–after 1135
The second verse of Bereshith chapter one reveals the secret of the four exiles3.

• ‫תהום‬ ְ ‫ני‬ֵ ְ ‫פ‬-‫על‬ַ , ְ ‫שך‬ ֶ ‫ח‬ֹ ְ ‫ ו‬,‫בהו‬ֹ ָ ‫תהו ו‬ֹ ‫תה‬ ָ ְ ‫ הָי‬,‫רץ‬
ֶ ‫הא‬
ָ ְ ‫;ו‬
• ‫מים‬
ָ ַ‫ני ה‬
ֵ ְ ‫פ‬-‫על‬ַ ‫פת‬ֶ ‫ח‬ ֶ ַ ‫מר‬ְ ,‫הים‬ ִ ‫ל‬ֹ ֱ‫ח א‬
ַ ‫ְורו‬.
• 2 Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of
Elohim hovered over the face of the waters. Bereshith 1:2

“Without form” (Hebrew tohu4 ) refers to the Babylonian exile according to Yirmeyahu 4:23

• 23 I looked at the earth, and saw it was formless and empty. And the heavens, they had no light.

Bohu or empty refers to the exile of Persia based upon Esther chapter six verse 14:

• 14 While they were still speaking with him, the sovereign’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman
to the feast which Ester had prepared.

“Darkness” refers to Greece because the Greeks darkened the eyes of Yisrael with all their decrees against the
Torah. And “On the face of the depths” gives hints to Edom5 (Rome6 and her children), for no one can fathom
the depths of their cruelty to Yisrael.

The verse in Bereshith continues:

• And the Spirit of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters.

This verse hints at the Moshiach7 for as is written in Yeshayahu 11:2:

• 2 The Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon Him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding...

The Grecian Formula

3 Why does this not include the exile in Egypt? Egypt represents the root of all evil in Creation, and the four exiles are branches of
that tree whose roots are represented by Egypt. Roots of the tree are underground and cannot be seen. Also, see The Book of Daniel:
Translation & Commentary by Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm (Mesorah Pub.)
4 See Bereshith Rabbah 3:7, 9:2- the flaw in the world of tohu was deliberately formed in order to allow for the possibility of evil and
thus provide man with the possibility of choosing between good and evil. See also- Etz Chayim 11:6;Shaar HaHakdamot p.228
5 What, then, is the significance of the expression “cometh into Egypt”? Did He have to “come”? Yea, verily, He “came” for the sake
of the Matrona (Shekinah), to take Her, as it were, by the hand and raise Her in glory, as He will also do when Israel's captivity in
Edom (Rome) Will come to an end.’ R. Jose remarked: ‘If it was for the sake of the Matrona, why did He not “come” to Babylon,
where the Shekinah was also in exile with Israel?’ To this the Jew replied that according to tradition the reason why the Holy One did
not reveal Himself fully by signs and wonders in Babylon was because the Israelites took to themselves foreign wives and profaned
the sign of the holy Covenant. In Egypt, however, it was different: they entered it as pure sons of Israel, and left it as such. When the
Edomitic exile comes to an end He shall manifest His glory in fullness and raise up His Spouse from the dust, saying to her: “Shake
thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem, loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion” (Isa. LII, 2).
Zohar 2:7a
6 R. Eleazar further said: ‘King Solomon, when wisdom was given to him, saw all “in the time of his hebel”, i.e. in the time when the
moon (the Holy Spirit) ruled. He saw the Righteous (Tzaddik), the Pillar of the world, “perishing in his righteousness” in the time of
the exile, for when Israel is in exile He is with them, and the supernal blessings do not reach Him. Thus “there is a righteous that
perisheth in his righteousness” (Eccl. Vll, 15). On the other hand, he saw “a wicked person that prolongeth his life in his evil” (Ibid.),
namely Samael, who causes Edom (Rome) to continue in her prosperity through the help of his “Evil”, his spouse, the loathsome
Serpent. And the same applies to the prosperity of all the other kingdoms of this world; until the time when the Holy One, blessed be
He, shall raise up from the dust “the booth of David that is fallen” (Amos IX, 11).Zohar 2:11a
7 The Sovereignty of Elohim hovers over the surface of the waters- this is the spirit of Moshiach which hovers over the waters of
Torah, and this is immediately followed by the redemption…Hashmatot siman 29-Zohar Vol.1, 263a.
The Greek domination is hinted at by “darkness”. During the Greek domination, there was an intense
Hellenization8 of the Yehudim at that time. Secularization was rampant, and the observant Yehudim had to
leave Yerushalayim.
The ancient sages compare a blind a man to a dead man, and the people of Yisrael were as one dead due to their
spiritual blindness.

• 17 “And I shall bring distress on men, and they shall walk like blind men – because they have sinned
against HWHY, and their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.” Zeph.1:17
• 13 It was because of the sins of her prophets, The crookednesses of her priests, Who shed in her midst
the blood of the righteous. 14 They staggered, blind, in the streets; They have defiled themselves with
blood, So that no one was able to touch their garments. Ekah(Lam.) 4:13-14
• 10 His watchmen are blind, all of them, they have not known. All of them are dumb dogs, unable to
bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. Yeshayahu 56:10
• Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. And he who walks in darkness does not know
where he is going. 36 “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you become sons of light.”
Yochanan 12:35-36
• 45 “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.46 “I have come as a light into the world, so that no
one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. Yochanan 12:45-46

The Greek domination of Yisrael was different than the exiles of Babylon, Persia, and Rome9. These three
sought to kill, exile the Yisraelites, and destroy the Temple (Bayit HaMikdash). But under the Greeks, the
Yehudim were allowed to remain in the land of Yisrael, and the Temple remained standing.
Those who experienced the miracle of the Lights at Hanukkah had to prostrate themselves thirteen times to
thank YHWH for saving Yisrael and the Temple from the Greeks. The number thirteen is representative of the
thirteen cracks that the Greeks made in the Temple.

• “In front of the women’s court was a partition measuring ten handbreadths, and it was marked with
thirteen cracks that the Greek rulers made in it.” Tractate Midot 2:3 Talmud

This partition was the division between the Temple courtyards and no uncircumcised could go beyond this
point in the Temple. The cracks represented the Greeks resentment to this barrier. The edict to bow down at this
point applied only to the Second Temple. There was no such edict issued for the Babylonian, Persian, or Roman
exiles.
The Greeks prohibited the Yehudim from sanctifying the New Moon, performing circumcision, and keeping
the Shabbat. The Greeks ordered the Yehudim to, “Carve upon the horn of the ox that you are not connected to
the Elohim of Yisrael.” What does that statement mean? Why did they claim Yisrael was not connected to their
Elohim? How does this decree connect to the forbidden mitzvot of that exile?

Separation from the Light

We are taught that Creation came in five stages referred to the “heavenly universes.” At each stage there was a
greater contraction of the Light, culminating in the physical world and almost a concealment of the Divine
Light.
According to the Ari, when creation of the world began, all the souls of Yisrael were already made, attached
to the Foundation from where all Divine Energy flows. In order for these souls to have free will, the Creator had
to disconnect himself from them.
There are five levels to the human soul. Three reside in the body-the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah. Two exist
beyond the physical world- the chayah/Living essence (in which our life force is still within the realm of the
Divine) and the yechidah/Unique Essence (where our level of existence is still in the will of Elohim).
8 The Hellenization of the Jews, both in Palestine and the Diaspora, consists in the substitution of the Greek language for Hebrew and
Aramaic, the adoption of Greek personal names, the adoption of Greek educational institutions, the growth of a Jewish Hellenistic
literature and philosophy, and religious deviation and syncretism as seen in legal institutions and in art.
9 and “wherein is no blemish” indicates the Kingdom of Greece (who were near the true faith). “Upon which never came yoke”
alludes to the Kingdom of Edom, [Tr. note: i.e. Rome.] which was never under the yoke of any other power. It is written: “Who can
bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one” (Job. XIV, 4). Zohar 2:237a
 These five levels of the human soul are the inner dimension of Creation, and are steps of the ladder leading to
the face to face relationship with YHWH.
Just Adam walked with Yahweh Elohim in the Gan Eden, so the human soul longs for that face to face
relationship with the Creator. Living the Torah and knowing the Messiah here in this world of Malkut is
preparing the soul for the double provisions it needs in the Gan Eden to impregnate itself with the two gifts
promised- to know YHWH (the Divine Light) and to walk in it10. The Gan Eden is not so much a place but a
state of being or a situation that we may compare to the soul’s communication with the Divine. This contact
with the Divine Light calls for a transformation or a new birth from above as taught by our Master Yahshua
HaMoshiach11.

• 5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that Elohim is light and
in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie
and are not doing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Yahshua Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin.1 Yochanan 1:5-7

Hence, the soul-root remains attached to the Creator, but on the physical plane YHWH had to conceal His
Presence to allow man to accomplish his purpose. Without freedom of will and choice, man could not convert
the evil into good. The purpose of creation is for man to reconnect with their Source while living in the physical
world. This action infuses holiness into this world through the Torah, while they cleave to YHWH in the face to
face relationship their inner man longs for through the Messiah.
The Greeks believed that “god” created the world, and selected as His people the nation of Yisrael12.But, they
denied that there was a special bond or connection between YHWH and Yisrael.
Elohim brought about the nesirah (separation) as a means to an end; to create even a stronger bond between
Him and Yisrael while the Greeks regarded the nesirah as the end in itself. According to the Greeks, “god”
created souls and gave them independent existence, determined only by cause and effect laws of nature. This
was manifested in the Greeks love for the science of mathematics, and their idolatry of beauty as an end in
itself.
The Forbidden Mitzvot

There were three mitzvot the Greek forbade the Yehudim to observe: New Moons 13, circumcision, and
Shabbat. Remember, this world is characterized by the concealment of the Divine Light almost so it appears as
a disconnection from YHWH. However, despite what appears to be a disconnection, this world continues to be
connected by the Foundation Coronet or the Ateret HaYesod. The Ateret HaYesod is the Divine Source of all
blessings. It is the meeting place of the soul-union between YHWH and Yisrael’s soul-root takes place. This
applies to all Yisrael.

• 11 ‘For as the girdle clings to the loins of a man, so I have caused all the house of Yisrael and all the
house of Yehudah to cling to Me,’ declares YHWH , ‘to become Mine – for a people, and for a name,
and for a praise, and for an adorning. But they did not listen.’ Yirmeyahu 13:11

Because of this connection to YHWH, Yisrael does not have an independent existence. They are like branches
of a tree that would wither and die without the constant flow of living sustenance from the roots. The foundation
of that connection is found in the three forbidden mitzvot.

10 Yirmeyahu 31:31-34
11 Yochanan 3:3,Matt.19:28
12 According to Aristotle, the Greeks saw Elohim as the “unmoved and First Mover”. He was considered the eternal source of life and
movement of the universe, but totally unaware of the world which He moved-The Philosophy of Aristotle by Renford Bambrough
(New American Library 1963)
13 ‘At the time when the Messiah shall arise, there will be great wonders in the world. See now, in the lower Paradise there is a secret
and unknown spot, broidered with many colors, in which a thousand palaces of longing are concealed. No one may enter it, except the
Messiah, whose abode is in Paradise. The Garden is encompassed with multitudes of saints who look to the Messiah as their leader,
along with many hosts and bands of the souls of the righteous there. On New Moons, festivals, and Sabbaths, he enters that place, in
order to find joyous delight in those secret palaces. Behind those palaces there is another place, entirely hidden and undiscoverable. It
is called “Eden”, and no one may enter to behold it. Zohar 2:8a
 On the Shabbat (the seventh day)14, the heavenly worlds return to their Source15, and the Divine concealment is
lifted. The root word for Shabbat is Shivah, or to return.
On the Shabbat we receive nourishment and energy for rest of the week, for the blessings of the whole week
stems from the Shabbat. By preventing the observance of the Shabbat, the Greeks would affect the soul union of
the Ateret HaYesod from taking place, for this intimate union is the goal of the Shabbat. On the Menorah, the
center stem16 (the Shamesh) is called the Shabbat as all the six other days receive their light from it.
This is also related to the mitzvot of circumcision (brit milah).The male organ, the tool which makes man a
partner in the creation of a soul, is covered at birth by a thin membrane. This represents the occluding power of
the physical and potential to distance ourselves from Elohim though sin .The first step of brit milah involves the
excision of the entire foreskin so that the entire glans, including the corona, is visible. Whatever skin remains is
folded back to expose the glans and remains behind the corona as a reminder of YHWH’s Kingship over our
desires and passions.
This is why circumcision is done according to rabbinical tradition. When the foreskin is surgically removed as
a measure of hygiene, the circumcision precludes the second step-the forming of the crown (corona)-which
underlies the essence of the mitzvah.17
The sixth day of the week represents the removal of the foreskin that sensitizes us to spiritual perception and
the seventh day (Shabbat) brings the revelation of the King and Foundation Coronet. During Shabbat, YHWH
makes Himself perceivable and responds to the longing of the soul for union with her Source. This is what the
Greeks wanted to avoid for Yisraelite secret is found in the account of our Father Avraham.
After Avraham circumcised himself, it is written he was sitting at the entrance to his tent when Elohim
appeared to him. The sages of the Kabbalah18 say that this is when Avraham received a revelation of his bond to
YHWH at the Foundation Coronet. This devekut vision gave rise to the revelation of the Divine Name YHWH.
The Talmud indicates that the Name (YHWH) is hinted at the Divine Presence. Avraham and his Maker became
ONE at this point in time.
The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is important for setting the dates for the Feasts of YHWH. Each Feast manifests
a special form of union between YHWH and Yisrael. This union allows Yisrael to absorb spiritual nourishment
from their Source.
The main objection of the Greeks was the Feast of Sukkot which signifies the face to face relationship of
Yisrael and YHWH. When we wave the four species on Sukkot, three branches are bound together as one, while
the etrog is held separately. The etrog represents this world, which is separate from the heavenly realms.
The etrog has a small crown on its end, although it is very fragile, is very important because the mitzvah of the
four species can only be performed when it is intact. The crown of the etrog is the world’s attachment to the
Source of all blessings, while the independence of the etrog represents the disassociation of Yisrael with Elohim
while in our daily lives or state of awareness of this world.

14 Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 75b The gate of the inner court that looketh towards the east shall be shut the six
working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened (Ezek. XLVI, 1). He said:
‘If this verse is attentively considered, it is found to contain an allusion with which we are familiar. The reason why the gate is to be
shut on the six working days is in order that the profane should not make use of the sacred; “but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened
and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened”, since in this case the sacred makes use of the sacred, and so the moon comes then
to form a junction with the sun. The reason why that gate is not to be opened on the six working days is because from them this lower
world draws sustenance, and they have control of the whole world with the exception of the Land of Israel: that land cannot be
touched by them because the gate is shut. But on the Sabbath day and on the day of the new moon they are removed from control
because the gate is open, and the world is in festivity and derives its sustenance from there, and is not under any other power. But
think not that the six days have the sole dominion, even when they are in control, for we are told that that gate “looketh towards the
east”, i.e. the Eternal; for the Eternal, even before they assumed control, had the world under His observation, only the gate is not to be
opened, so that the world should not receive sustenance from the sacred source save on Sabbath and new moons. Indeed, all the days
are attached to the Sabbath day, from which they draw their sustenance, and on which all the gates are opened, and rest is vouchsafed
to all on high and below.
15 Now the spirit (ruach) of a righteous man is adorned with. its own form in the lower Paradise; and on Sabbaths, festivals, and new-
moons the spirits are crowned with. New crowns, and ascend to the higher realms of Heaven. And as the Holy One deals with the
supernal holy. Soul (neshamah) in the upper Paradise, so also He deals with this spirit in the lower Paradise: He brings it. up before
Him and says, “This spirit belongs to such and such a body.” Then He crowns it with many. crowns and finds His joy therein Zohar
2:97b
16 Rev.1:12-13
17 The third step is drawing blood from the wound. See Brit Milah by Rabbis N.Scherman/M.Zlotwitz (New York 1985).Islam also
practices circumcision but only require the first step without the crown being revealed.
18 Meaning in Hebrew “to Receive”
 Like the Feast of Sukkot, Hanukkah is eight days in length. This hints to us that the Light that shines at Sukkot
when we wave the four species is the same Light that enlightens us during Hanukkah. The miracle of the oil
parallels the joy of the face to face union of Sukkot. Both of these Feasts reveal our link to the Foundation
Coronet, and the revelation at Hanukkah is stronger than the revelation at Sukkot. This is because during the
rebellion against the Greeks, the Yehudim went to war and risked their lives to regain the connection to their
Maker.
The Greeks were hoping to destroy the bond that made Yisrael a reflection of Elohim’s Essence in this world.
By forcing them to carve the saying in the horn of the ox19, the Yehudim were forced to deny their connection to
YHWH. The ox is a type of for power, and the strength of the ox is in his horns. Also, the horn of the ox is
evocative of the shofar we blow on Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah). Thus it is also related to the
nesirah/separation Elohim reenacts during Yom Teruah to bring about the face to face reunion on Yom
HaKippurim.
In their desire to stop the Yehudim’s spiritual power, the Greeks kept saying to the Yehudim, “At the time you
blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah which you believe marks a separation, be aware that what you are doing is a
meaningless ritual. There will never be a reunion, as you inscribed; you are not connected to the Elohim of
Yisrael at the Foundation Coronet. The original separation enacted at creation is complete and irrevocable.”

The Greeks Knowledge of Truth

Although the Greeks allowed the Yehudim physical freedom, they sought to enslave them spiritually. They
wanted to break the connection of Yisrael and the Light of the Creator. YHWH Elohim created the world and
rules over it.
The Greeks agreed to that truth. They also admitted that He selected Yisrael to be His chosen nation. What they
sought was to prevent the face to face connection between YHWH and Yisraelite. They knew that this bond was
made possible by the Temple and the Torah. If they could coerce Yisrael to break the covenant of Torah, then
they believed their personal relationship to YHWH would end forever.
The sages tell us that of all the powers that were opposed to Yisrael, Greece was the hardest to defeat because
they had embraced part of the truth. The Greeks knew that YHWH had chosen Yisrael since Creation. The
Greeks did not seek to destroy or even convert Yisrael; rather they allowed them to teach and study but only as
a cultural tradition rather than a way of life. Thus, their relationship to the mitzvot and the Feasts changed. The
Feasts and mitzvot would become relics of the past rather than their times to draw closer to YHWH as we see
today among most of Yisrael.
Long after their political influence in Yisrael ceased, they continued to influence the Yehudim spiritually. It
wormed its way into Yisrael society like a worm virus in a computer. The virus worm digs into the inner
workings and becomes hard to remove. The next generation of Yisrael was taught that Torah study was a study
of ancient history, and would not require them to actually do the mitzvot, customs, and rites. These were ancient
relics of a past culture and no longer needed by an enlightened people.
The miracle of the oil at Hanukkah proved that YHWH’s Presence was still in their midst, bringing holiness to
this world. This was the purpose of the Temple, the foot of Yaakov’s Ladder: to draw Divine Emanations of
holiness into their lives until they were filled with Divine Energy that makes Yisrael impervious to all evil.
Although Yisrael overcame the Greeks, their victory was not complete. The objectives of the Greeks were
spiritual not physical or political. Greece wanted Yisrael to conform to their way of thinking, which excluding
any concept of holiness. If the Kohenim had not found the pure oil to light the menorah, they could have still lit
the menorah. This is because the need of the Temple service overrules any prohibition of the use of polluted oil.
However, the point here was one of purity. During the Greek exile, Yisrael had lived without the holiness and
purity that undergirded their relationship with YHWH. Total liberation required the lighting of the menorah
with pure oil that had never been touched by the impure hands of the Greeks.
Because of the desire of Yisrael to rebel and overcome their domination by the Greeks20, YHWH responded by
showing them that He had hid one flask of pure oil from the enemy’s hands, waiting the time when his Chosen
People would make the first step to overthrow the darkness from their lives.

19 Interestingly, the symbol for Ephraim is the OX or Bull.

20 If a person does not martyr his soul, life, or possessions out of love for his Master, it is as if he reverted the entire world to an
inconceivable void state...Tikkunei Zohar , Intro.10b
 The Secret of the Servant Branch21

• 5 “See, the days are coming,” declares YHWH, “when I shall raise for David a Branch of
righteousness, and a Sovereign shall reign and act wisely, and shall do right-ruling and righteousness
in the earth. 6 “In His days Yehudah shall be saved, and Yisrael dwell safely. And this is His Name
whereby He shall be called: ‘YHWH our Righteousness.’ Yirmeyahu 23:5-6
• 15 ‘In those days and at that time I cause a Branch of righteousness to spring forth for David. And He
shall do right-ruling and righteousness in the earth. 16‘In those days Yehudah shall be saved, and
Yerushalayim dwell in safety. And this is that which shall be proclaimed to her: Yirmeyahu 33:15-16

Why didn’t the Greeks destroy the Temple? The Temple was the source of Yisrael’s strength, the place on
earth where their souls could experience the union with the Source. The Greeks understood this truth very well.
The Greeks wanted the temple to stand and draw this Divine Energy into the world BUT, their objective was to
draw it to themselves rather than to Yisrael. The only way to achieve that goal was to stop the Yehudim from
achieving the soul-union of the Feasts and Torah.
This soul union was the instrument in directing the Divine Light exclusively to Yisrael, as expressed in this
verse from Amos 3:2:

• 2 “You alone have I known (yada’ti) of all the clans of the earth, therefore I punish you for all your
crookednesses.”

Once da’at (knowledge) is involved in a relationship, the thought of any other nation is impossible. As soon as
da’at begins to glow, there is no room for any other thought.
The Greeks had to use their power in two ways. One was directed at Yisrael themselves, as their captors sought
to have them transgress the covenant on their own. The other was to pollute the purity of the Beit HaMikdash
(Temple) and its vessels, each one having an energy or Light of their own.
Such a vessel was the menorah. Each evening the Cohen would trim and light the menorah22. He would pour
oil23 into all the golden bulbs. When he entered the Temple the next morning, the lights would all have burnt
out, except the center stem (the Shamesh-Servant24).The Cohen would then rekindle the lights, and by evening,
he would find them all burnt out except for the center stem. The center Servant flame (the Shamesh) was the
unshakable proof from YHWH of the union of Yisrael and her Maker, and affirmed the separation from the
souls of Yisrael was only in appearance and not the reality. The inner connection remained burning forever.
In the daily lighting of the lights, the Cohen brought down the Divine Light and soul-union that took place
above. His goal was that the union should not just occur in the heavenly realms, but also within each Yisraelite
known in the soul-union of Yerushalayim Below.

• 7 “And I shall make My set-apart Name known in the midst of My people Yisrael, and not let My set-
apart Name be profaned any more. And the gentiles shall know that I am YHWH, the Set-apart One in
Yisrael. Yechezqel 39:7

21 The Hanukkah Menorah is represented on the modern shield of Yisrael, two Olive Branches (the Two Houses?) and a menorah.
The Olive branches make the 7 branch menorah into a 9 branched Hanukkah menorah. Each Olive Branch has 12 leaves and 12 olives.
Benyamin Netanyahu says of the shield, “it represents the revival of the Jewish people and its return to the Land.” The Apostolic
Scriptures contains 27 books or 3 Hanukkah menorot.
22 Soncino Zohar, Vayikra, Section 3, Page 34bR. Isaac said that the words refer to the High Priest above who corresponds to the high
priest below. Therefore this Priest causes the supernal holy oil to flow down and kindle the lamps above. And just as the High Priest
above is consummated with seven Days to be exalted above all, so there were seven days of consecration for the priest below, that
lower might correspond to upper. The word for consecration (miluim, lit. filling) implies that they are completed by the priest, through
being united with seven other days, for when the priest below bestirs himself, all above is stimulated through him, and blessings are
spread above and below.
23 Then comes “oil for the candlestick”, symbolizing the Holy Spirit Zohar 2:139a
24 Turn unto me and have mercy upon me (Ps. LXXXVI, 16). He said: ‘This verse deserves careful study, for although we have
already explained it more than once, yet it has still an inner meaning. How could David say to YHWH, “Turn to me “? The truth is
that he was referring to the grade with which he was endowed. Similarly he said Give thy strength to thy servant (Ibid.). The word
“strength” refers to the supernal Force (Geburah), as in the verse “And he gave strength to his king” (Is. II, 19). The word “king”, used
thus without qualification, refers to the Messiah, as also does the word “servant” in this passage. Zohar 1:84a
 The Greeks knew that the veil of the holy of Holies hid from the world the soul-union of Yisrael and YHWH.
The menorah was placed outside the veil, in the Holy Place. Only the Kohenim were allowed at the altar where
the menorah stood, but the doors to the altar were kept open so the onlookers could see the glow of the Lights
from a distance. Consequently, everyone could see the miraculous eternal flame of the Shamesh, revealing the
bond between Yisrael and the Holy One of Yisrael. Thus the Greeks knew as long as the Shamesh was burning,
they could not harm Yisrael. Hence, they had to defile the oil in order to break that soul-union .They sought to
extinguish the Center Stem (Shamesh) which was the evidence that Yisrael’s soul-roots were in direct contact
with YHWH, the Source of all.

• 13 See, My Servant25 shall work wisely, He shall be exalted and lifted up and very high. 14 As many
were astonished at You – so the disfigurement beyond any man’s and His form beyond the sons of men –
Yeshayahu 52:13
• 23 “And I shall raise up over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he shall feed them. He shall
feed them and be their shepherd. 24“And I, YHWH, shall be their Elohim, and My servant David a
prince in their midst. I, YHWH, have spoken. Yechezqel 34:23-24

We have seen that in order to experience YHWH on a deeper level, He restricts the Light by clothing IT with
His divine Thirteen Attributes.

• 6 And YHWH passed before him and proclaimed, “YHWH, YHWH, an El compassionate and showing
favor, patient, and great in kindness and truth, 7watching over kindness for thousands, forgiving
crookedness and transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished, visiting the crookedness of
the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
Shemot 33:6
• 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it…. 9 He was the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming into the
world. Yochanan 1:4-5,9
• 18 No one has ever seen Elohim. The only brought-forth Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He did
declare. Yochanan 1:18
• 22 At that time the Hanukkah came to be in Yerushalayim, and it was winter. 23 And Yahshua was
walking in the Set apart Place, in the porch of Shelomoh. 24So the Yehudim surrounded Him and said to
Him, “How long do You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, say to us plainly.” 25 Yahshua
answered them, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s Name, they
bear witness concerning Me. 26“But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to
you. 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 “And I give them
everlasting life, and they shall by no means ever perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of
My Father’s hand. 30 “I and My Father are one.” Yochanan 10:22-30

On the 25th of Kislev (Hanukkah-Dedication), Yisrael began to divest themselves of their impurity, and as the
eight days of Hanukkah continued, the Almighty enclosed Himself in His attributes. The soul relationship could
now revert to the spiritual union of Companions of the Soul. On this day the Yisraelites cleave to their Maker in
a total soul-union, whose intensity is similar to Shemini Atseret (the closing Fall Feast after Sukkot).
On Hanukkah we commemorate the lighting of the Temple menorah by kindling our own lights of Hanukkah
(Dedication of the Dwelling Place).We are personally drawing down the Light so that the soul-union energy
may infuse our souls form the primordial Light of the Messiah.
Light is an object and the means of vision. Light can be seen by the eye. I can identify light and discern
between it and the darkness.

25 This Servant is Yahshua the Moshiach, not Yisrael! The Hebrew words rum and nasa are intransitive and refer to the same subject.
This is only found in this verse and Yeshayahu 33:10.The verbs represent a stative force, with a modifying adverb, thus pointing to a
final stage of exaltation. See Phil.2:9-11.See Yeshayahu 7:14; 9:6-7; 42:1; 53:11; 65:8.The prophecies concerning Yahshua as the
suffering Servant was written about 780 years before His birth. According to the law of compound probability the chances of these
prophecies being fulfilled by one Man is 1 in 68,719,476,736.
 • 4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness.
Bereshith 1:4

Since light allows us to discover the world around us, to differentiate shapes, colors, etc.; in short, it is
symbolic of the intellectual and communicative functions of light. Without light the world is meaningless and
void. LIGHT alone allows us to understand it. The world is born in light and emerges from the Light of day.
Thus, everything is born of the Light. We do not see things, we see their Light. Correspondingly, we do not see
the Infinite Light (Ein Sof), but only what emanates from its Light. OR EIN SOF is both the principle and
essence of all reality. We cannot see Ein Sof, only His Emanation.

• “Elohim hid the Light and concealed it for the righteous in the end of days”. Talmud , Tractate
Hagigah 12a
• 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, 15 who is the likeness of the
invisible Elohim, the first-born of all creation. 16 Because in Him were created all that are in the
heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulerships or principalities or
authorities – all have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all, and in Him all
hold together. 18 And He is the Head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, that He might become the One who is first in all. 19 Because in Him all the completeness was
well pleased to dwell...Col.1:14-19
• 3 And indeed, if our Good News has been veiled, it has been veiled in those who are perishing, 4in
whom the mighty one of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that the enlightening of the
Good News of the esteem of Messiah, who is the likeness of Elohim, does not shine on them. 5 For we do
not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yahshua the Master, and ourselves your servants for the sake of
Yahshua. 6For Elohim, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our
hearts for the enlightening of the knowledge of the esteem of Elohim in the face of Yahshua Messiah.2
Cor.4:3-5

The word image should be taken seriously. According to the laws of optics, when a broad ray of light goes
through a small aperture, it preserves the shape of its luminous Source. Similarly, the Divine Light, is reflected
through the small aperture of the soul, and remains Divine Light. The function of the Light is to reflect or reveal
Ein Sof in the physicality of this world, so by lighting the light of the Menorah, man reveals on earth the Infinite
Light in all things and restitutes the Image above.
The optimum time to kindle the Hanukkah lights is twilight, the time when YHWH showed Ya’akov the foot
of the Ladder, the soul union of the Yerushalayim Below.

• And there was a man of the Pharisees; Nakdimon was his name, a ruler of the Yehudim. 2This one
came to Yahshua by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from Elohim,
for no one is able to do these signs You do if Elohim is not with him.” 3 Yahshua answered and said to
him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he is unable to see the reign of Elohim.”
Yochanan 3:1-3

The time of candle-lighting is infused with Divine favor.

• 14 And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an
only brought forth of a father, complete in favor and truth. 15 Yochanan bore witness of Him and cried
receive, and favor upon favor, 17 for the Torah was given through Mosheh – the favor and the truth
came through Yahshua Messiah. Yochanan 1:14-17

We stare at the Hanukkah lights renewing the face to face bond with our Beloved of the Soul. This is the
moment of total intimacy in which all prayers are propitious, especially the prayer of asking YHWH to bring us
close to Him.

• 6 For Elohim, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts for
the enlightening of the knowledge of the esteem of Elohim in the face of Yahshua Messiah.2 Cor.4:6
 • 18 And we all, as with unveiled face we see as in a mirror the esteem of YHWH, are being transformed
into the same likeness from esteem to esteem, as from YHWH, the Spirit. 2 Cor.3:18
• 4 And they shall see His face, and His Name shall be upon their foreheads. Revelation 22:4
• 16 And in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and
His face was as the sun shining in its strength. Revelation 1:16
• 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know,
as I also have been known. 1 Cor.13:12
• 12 Therefore Yahshua spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me
shall by no means walk in darkness, but possess the light of life.” Yochanan 8:12
• 9 Yahshua answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not
stumble, because he sees the light of this world. Yochanan 11:9

Hanukkah is a time of devekut when we become ONE with His Essence.

• 17 And he who is joined to the Master is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6:17

It is on the Shabbat within Hanukkah that we read from Zekaryah 2:10:

• 10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Tzion! For look, I am coming, and shall dwell in your midst,”
declares YHWH.
• 3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall
dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their
Elohim. Revelation 21:3.
• 19 “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather
than the light, for their works were wicked. 20 “For everyone who is practicing evil matters hates the
light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21“But the one doing the truth
comes to the light, so that his works are clearly seen, that they have been wrought in Elohim.”
Yochanan 3:19-21

Hanukkah in the Navi Haggai

18 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the
foundation of the Hekal of YHWH was laid, consider it: 19 ‘Is the seed yet in the storehouse? And until now the
vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit! From this day on I shall
bless you!’ ” 20 And a second time the word of YHWH came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month,
saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Yehudah, saying, ‘I am shaking the heavens and earth. 22
‘And I shall overturn the throne of reigns. And I shall destroy the might of the gentile reigns, and overturn the
chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall come down, each by the sword of his brother. 23
‘In that day,’ declares YHWH of hosts, ‘I shall take you, Zerubbabel My servant, son of She’alti’el,’ declares
YHWH, ‘and shall make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ declares YHWH of hosts.” Haggai 2:18-23

YHWH promised to bless Yisrael from Kislev 24 onward. The overthrow of the Greeks was prophesied by
Haggai.