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Teachings
and Writings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach
Hanauka
5753
Dear
Hevra,
People
wonder sometimes how after two thousand years Yerushalayim
is still the center of our hearts and the Beis Hamikdash is
still our address. The answer is very simple: because on Chanuka,
wherever we are it is Yerushalayim; our house is the Holy
Temple and every Jew is the High Priest. Why don't we confess
our mistakes on Chanuka? The answer is that on Yom Kippur,
only the High Priest walks into the Holy of the Holiest. On
Chanuka when we light the candles every Jew is the Holy of
the Holiest.
On
Yom Kippur only the High Priest walks into the Holy of the
Holiest but when I see what the Greeks do to my children,
how they destroy the holiness of their fires, how they defile
the soul of their souls, then I have no other way but to take
my wife and my children into the Holy of Holiest. And everybody
knows that in the Holy of Holiest you don't talk about mistakes.
You don't say bad things - even about yourself. You don't
even say bad things about the world. You just want G-d's light
to reach the four corners of the world. So, our holy rabbis
tell us that Chanuka is the light of the Messiah; the deepest,
deepest, most hidden light in the world... a light that reaches
the most hidden place in our hearts. We kindle the lights
by the door or window of the house because on Chanuka all
the doors and the windows of hearts are open to each other.
G-d's Oneness, the Oneness of all of Israel and the Oneness
of all the world is revealed to us in the most glorius way.
While
we look at the Chanuka candles, I bless us to be together
with all the people we love as the light of Chanuka is shining
into our eyes.
Love
you and bless you,
Shlomo
Copyright
© by the Shlomo Carlebach Foundation
Teachings
and Writings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach
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