*** H-A-P-P-Y   C-H-A-N-U-K-A-H ***  2016/5777

Believe in Miracles!

It was a great story about how the few raised their prayers to a higher level and the light lasted 8 days and nights......With today's fast pace and schedules to adhere to it's sometimes hard to make room for that kind of faith and hope. 

May we all be blessed with the "magic" of this season and let it's light from centuries before us and our ancestors fill our homes and lives with renewed blessings that are palpable to us. Please enjoy story below.

Below are excepts condensed from a wonderful book called THE DREAM ASSEMBLY tales of Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi collected & retold by Howard Schwartz.   I have posted to share with you a story about Reb Zalman's customs on Chanukah.

"Reb Zalman would light two menorahs - one in the window downstairs and one upstairs.  He would say the blessing and light the lights downstairs and then repeat them in a whisper upstairs. His Hasidim were always speculating and talking amongst themselves as to what his intentions were. 

On the last night of Chanukah Reb Hayim Elya sat down with Reb Zalman as they silently watched the flames burning for over an hour.  Then a strange thing occurred and Reb Elya began thinking about his own departed father, Reb Nussan.  He began to weep and through his tears it seemed he could see the face of his father peering out of the flames of the Shammash. Soon afterwards Reb Elya found himself thinking about his father's father Reb Yehezkel and as he stared into the flames he could swear he saw the face of Reb Yehezkel there in the flame of one of the candles. He felt a chill run down his spine and began to see in each of the remaining candles a departed soul whom he had been close to in this life and that he was surrounded by these beloved spirits and that they were present with him at this time! Reb Zalman explained the mystery of the menorah, and he said "The menorah downstairs represents the world while the menorah that burns on the 2nd floor represents the world on high.  Therefore when we peer into the flames of these candles we are able to invoke spirits from the world to come." Reb Zalman revealed this custom to all of the Hasidim and it became their custom to sit with them all together to peer into the flames of the 2nd floor menorah."

Wishing you and your loved ones light to last a year long!

Pinina & Yaakov