6616 —הוספת אור וברכות בימי חנוכה

B"H, 28th of Kislev, 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[1], our teacher Reb Moshe HaKohen, may he live^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of Monday with its enclosure, and as you requested, enclosed herewith^[3] is the receipt from Maamad^[4].

Since we are in the days of Chanukah, in which the halachah follows Beis Hillel^[5], who steadily add from day to day in lamp and light^[6]; and the miracle was through Kohanim^[7], and the lights are never nullified^[8] — so may you bring good news^[9] and add, steadily increasing, in "the lamp of mitzvah and the Torah of light"^[10] and in the light that is in the Torah, for the miracle was with oil, the secret of secrets of the Torah^[11]; and in all that is needed for "the lamp of G‑d, the soul of man"^[12].

With blessing for a happy Chanukah and for good tidings^[13],

M. Schneerson

[Publisher's notes: Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 20, p. 642, and completed from a photocopy of the letter. Our teacher Reb Moshe: Shayevitch, Chicago. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5691, and in the references in the notes there; below, 6660.]

Notes

1. Engaged in communal needs (עוסק בצ"צ): עוסק בצרכי ציבור.

2. Reb Moshe HaKohen (מו"ה משה שי' הכהן): Shayevitch, of Chicago.

3. Enclosed herewith (מצו"פ): מצורף פה.

4. Maamad (מעמד): The "Maamad" fund at the Rebbe's side, to which Anash give money regularly, after the manner of the anshei maamad of the time of the Beis HaMikdash.

5. Beis Hillel (כב"ה): כבית הלל.

6. Who steadily add from day to day (דמוסיף והולך מיום ליום): Shabbos 21b: "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one, from then on one steadily adds"; and the halachah was decided according to Beis Hillel (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 671:2).

7. The miracle was through Kohanim (והנס הי' בכהנים): The miracle of Chanukah was brought about by the Hasmonean Kohanim (see the text of "Al HaNissim": "in the days of Mattisyahu son of Yochanan, the Kohen Gadol, the Hasmonean, and his sons"). So the blessing is directed especially to the recipient, who is a Kohen.

8. The lights are never nullified (והנרות אינם בטלים לעולם): See the Ramban on Bamidbar 8:2, citing Midrash Yelamdenu, that G‑d told Aharon: "the offerings are practiced as long as the Beis HaMikdash stands, but the lights — forever"; and the Ramban explains that this alludes to the lights of the Hasmonean Chanukah, "which is practiced even after the Destruction, in our exile."

9. May you bring good news (יבש"ט): יבשר טוב.

10. "The lamp of mitzvah and the Torah of light" (נר מצוה תורה אור): The words of the pasuk, Mishlei 6:23: "For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light."

11. Oil, the secret of secrets of the Torah (בשמן רזי דרזין דאורייתא): See Midrash Devarim Rabbah 7:3, that the Torah is compared to oil: "just as oil rises above all liquids"; and the inner Torah, "the secrets of the Torah", is called "oil" (see also the previous letter, 6615, and the note there).

12. "The lamp of G‑d, the soul of man" (נר ה' נשמת אדם): The words of the pasuk, Mishlei 20:27: "The soul of man is the lamp of G‑d, searching all the chambers of the belly." That is: that he add light in all matters of his soul as well.

13. Good tidings (לבשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

Summary

Acknowledging a letter and its enclosure and sending the Maamad receipt, the Rebbe writes to a Kohen during Chanukah: as the lights are added each day, the miracle came through Kohanim, and the lights endure forever, so may he keep adding in the lamp of mitzvah and the light of Torah — especially its inner light, the "oil" of the secrets of the Torah — and in all that the soul, "the lamp of G‑d", needs.