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was discovered and the menorah lit – to teach us how to have similar form with the According to Kabbalah, in this story Channah represents our physical world of Malchut
Light. The candles also provide a channel for the transfer of energy by virtue of an inner – the feminine aspect and desire to receive. When we add the two Aramaic letters of
structure that forms a connection between our world and the upper words. Kaf and Vav to the name Channah, we create the word Chanukah. These two letters
have a combined numerical value of 26, connecting us to the tetragrammaton of God.
The Ari writes, “The secret of the eight days of Chanukah: Malchut receives the light When Channah transformed her Desire To Receive for the Self Alone into a natural
from Sfirah Hod itself, not through Zier Anpin.” Without the framework and circuitry concept of sharing, she formed a connection to the Light of the Creator.
of the candles and meditations, it would be impossible to connect directly to the raw
energy in Binah. The candles, or oil wicks, are a means of attracting the Light of Binah When we perform the lighting of the Chanukah candles, combined with the consciousness
of Netzach, Binah of Hod, and Binah of Yesod to us. The miracle of Chanukah is the re- of sharing and the kabbalistic meditations, we too can connect to the Light of the
sult of this connection to Hod, making it possible, during the eight days of Chanukah, to Creator in its most powerful form, just as Channah did many centuries ago. During
achieve mind over matter using the power of thought. We must integrate the meditations Chanukah, that very same cosmic window that Channah used to triumph over the
into the act of lighting the candles, as they create channels for the Light to flow to us Desire To Receive for the Self Alone is open to all of us.
and nourish every part of our world, vaccinating us against negativity for the year ahead.
This knowledge in itself forms part of our connection.
Kabbalists also reveal that Chanukah can be considered as a mini Rosh Hashanah, Connecting to the Energy of Miracles
allowing us to redeem any spiritual debts we might have overlooked – knowingly or
unknowingly – during Rosh Hashanah. On Chanukah we can increase our life force A miracle is defined as any event that does not follow the course of nature. Only a
and complete that which may be lacking. miracle can turn chaos into Light, thereby restoring order and harmony. During
Chanukah we celebrate neither the miracle of the oil jar nor the victory over the
The precise channels for connecting with the miracles of Chanukah were not revealed Greek Empire, but rather the connection to the Sfirot of Hod and Binah and the
until the revelations of Rav Isaac Luria’s Gates of Meditation. While these teachings consciousness of Zier Anpin – the desire to share. Here, we unite with the cause of all
have been available for the past 400 years, it was not until the writings were structured miracles in our world.
by Rav Brandwein and subsequently disseminated worldwide by The Rav and Karen
through The Kabbalah Centre that our generation has begun to recognize what The connection with the Sfirot of Binah and Hod strengthens our physical and spiritual
Chanukah truly stands for – not simply a traditional religious celebration, but rather a DNA, as well as that of the world around us – our relationship with others, forces of
time to manifest the awesome power of miracles in our lives. nature, and so on. The Rav reminds us that the holiday of Sukkot, like Chanukah, also
lasts for eight days. The consciousness of an eight-day holiday indicates our opportunity
Each one of us can use this time to bring about a cosmic revolution and reveal this Light to elevate from the framework of the seven lower Sfirot, connecting us to the cosmic
for the world. energy reservoir of the upper worlds. As with Sukkot, we do not have to apply any
physical restrictions in order to benefit from the holiday of Chanukah, and the commu-
nication required to connect with this Light may be performed in our own homes.
Before lighting the candles of the Chanukiah, we must first be in a state of giving and
sharing, just as one flame lights another flame without diminishing. As each candle is
lit, we are reminded of how to give and share with abundance. This is why the oil jar
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“The energies of the various holidays are neither Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, nor Hindu.
They are simply basic aspects of the way the universe works, and they are beyond identifica-
“In place of commemoration, a kabbalist
tion with any nation or religion.”
focuses on connection – that is, the
From a kabbalistic perspective, we understand that Chanukah is the time of year
when the spiritual energy of miracles is released into the universe. This energy can be
opportunity to tap into the unique
harnessed to produce miracles in our own lives. Therefore, we are not simply celebrating
the success of people who lived thousands of years ago but are utilizing the same cosmic
energies that exist at that specific point
window they did. in time. The holidays are literally power
By lighting candles during this time, using kabbalistic meditations, and injecting the sources that we can access using the tools
consciousness of sharing, we connect our souls to the energies prevalent in the cosmos
during the eight days of Chanukah and plant the seed for miracles, big and small, to fill and teachings of Kabbalah.”
our entire year.
-The Rav, Days of Power, Vol. 2
The History & Origin of Chanukah
During the time when the Greek empire reigned, the Holy Temple was desecrated,
and the Israelites were forbidden to study spirituality. On the 25th day of Kislev
(Sagittarius), the prolonged war reached a sudden end, with a victory by the Israelites,
led by the Maccabim. On that day, a small vial of pure oil from the high priest was
found and used to light the menorah. The oil that flowed, which was supposed to last The Holiday of Chanukah
for one day, burned for eight days.
Chanukah is traditionally thought of as a time in December when families come
The kabbalists of the time discovered that during these eight days the universe was together to celebrate the historic Maccabean victory, commemorated by the lighting of
infused with the power of miracles, enabling a connection with the upper worlds. candles and exchanging of gifts.
Through Kabbalah, we understand that the unlikely defeat of an army was not a result of
the military power of the Israelites, but rather a result of the revelation of the Creator’s Through the eyes of the kabbalists, Holidays (holy days), such as Chanukah, are
power – a burst of Light that freed the Israelites from the oppression on this profound seen not merely as celebrations that signify religious traditions, but rather, these are
date in the calendar. universal blueprints, cosmic timetables used to draw down the energy available to us
all to improve our physical and spiritual well-being on a very practical level.
Embedded within the history of Chanukah is the story of Channah. In short, Channah
refused to submit to the idolatry of the Greek dominators, preferring to sacrifice herself As the Rav reminds us in Days of Power, the annual Holidays such as Rosh Hashanah,
and her seven sons in the name of God rather than face spiritual subjugation. Pesach, Sukkot, and Chanukah belong to all mankind.
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For further information:
The Kabbalah Centre
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First printing: 2000
Second printing: 2005
Third printing: 2008
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the
miracle of
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