There is a thought that when I see
someone else’s candle and it is not lit or its flickering, I have a
responsibility to light their candle. People sometimes fear that lighting
someone else’s candle will diminish my own, but in fact it’s just the opposite,
not only do I not diminish my own, but I am bringing more light to the world.
Yesterday our family had the unfortunate task to bury our cousin, Rhonda
Shoshana bat Frieda - Rhonda Tawil A'H 

Rhonda was someone who suffered for many
years, but she always had a smile and cared about everyone else bringing light
to all  

We don’t eulogize on Rosh Hodesh and
more so on Hanukkah, but these words of Torah I believe reveal some of her
essence and a lesson to all of us.  

Each month in Musaf of Rosh Hodesh we
have a Kavana or though to modify the permutation of the name of Havaya in the
blessing of the month. Each of these permutations relates to a verse from the
Tanachand helps us to understand what we hope to accomplish in the month. 

The verse for Tevet is a verse we
mention when we take the Torah from the Ark.  

גַּדְּל֣וּ לַהֹ’ אִתִּ֑י
וּנְרוֹמְמָ֖ה שְׁמ֣וֹ יַחְדָּֽו׃  

Exalt the LORD with me; let us extol His
name together. 

The Benai Yissaschar suggests that our
goal is to draw the ligh of Chanukah into the darkness of the month of Tevet.
We do this on Rosh Hodesh and also tonight when we complete the lighting with
Zot Chanukah. 

The Talmud
tells of Adam and this month of Tevet. Adam saw that from the time of creation through
winter each day became shorter and worried that the light of the world was
coming to an end. Once he saw that the season of Tevet, i.e., the winter
solstice, had arrived, and saw that the day was progressively lengthening after
the solstice, he said: Clearly, the days become shorter and then longer, and
this is the order of the world. He went and observed a festival for eight days.
Upon the next year, he observed both these eight days on which he had fasted on
the previous year which preceded the solstice and these eight days of his
celebration, as days of festivities. He, Adam, established these festivals for
the sake of Heaven, but they, the gentiles of later generations, established
them for the sake of idol worship.  

The fast of the
Tenth of Tevet (this year we will observe it on the 10th of January,
2025) commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which
led to the destruction of the First Temple. This day is the first—in terms of
the chronological order of the events it commemorates—of four fast days that
denote the stages of the destruction of the First Temple, as follows: 

 10 Tevet: Babylonian siege of
Jerusalem begins 

 17 Tammuz: The walls of Jerusalem are
breached two and a half years later 

 9 Av (Tisha B’Av): The destruction of
the First Temple by the Babylonians. Many years later, the Romans destroyed the
Second Temple on the very same date. 

 3 Tishrei: (the Fast of Gedalyah). The
murder of Gedalyah ben Achikam, who was the governor of the survivors who
remained in the Land of Israel after the exile to Babylon. His murder
symbolized the completion of the destruction and the beginning of the exile. 

In days o0f old, some fasted on the 8th,
9th and 10th of tevet. A three day Fast in this month of
darkness commemorating three tragic events as the Tallmud explains. 

The first event is the Torah’s
translation into Greek, known as the Septuagint. The completion of this
translation took place on the 8th day of Tevet, but the sources write that the
event darkened the world for three days, precisely until the Tenth of Tevet.
Indeed, the 8th and 9th of Tevet are defined as “fasts of tzaddikim”, and this
is why in previous eras, righteous individuals would fast all three days in a
row.  

The second event in close proximity to
the Tenth of Tevet is the birth of Yehoshua the Nazarene. There is a Jewish
tradition that identifies his birth with the 9th day of Tevet (and even claims
that the persecution of the Jews in his name is one of the reasons for setting
the fast on this day). 

Translating the Torah into Greek and think
one can understand it, waters down the Torah. I know of many non-Jews who can
quote chapter and verse, but without the oral tradition understand nothing. And
Christianity is an attempt to water down Jewry by replacing 613 misvot with one
directive. These are attempts to destroy the oral Torah.  

The rabbis explain that the laws
relating to Hanukah are in essence revealing the light of the oral Torah.
(Rabbi Farhi has a great class called Chanukah: Generating Miracles which
explains this idea – Thanks Jonah for sharing).   

In megilat Esther, we read: So Esther
was taken to king Aĥashverosh into his royal house in the tenth month, which is
the month Tevet, in the seventh year of his reign.  

This was tragic. Taking a Jewish girl to
the King could not be good. But the seed was planted for saving the Jewish
people, in the darkest moth of Tevet.  

Tevet is about taking a seed, which
appears bad, which appears tragic, which is dark and decayed and then growing
something beautiful from it.  

I would like to close with a story  

Once upon a time, there lived a humble
watercarrier named Moshe. Despite his modest means, Moshe was a devout man who
performed his daily tasks with great dedication. Each year he saved his pennies
to allow him to make his annual trek to Lublin for Rosh Hashana to see his
Rebbe. And so it was this year that a
few days before the holiday, he made his way to seek the counsel of the Chozeh,
the Seer of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak. 

Moshe made the journey to the Seer,
hoping to find solace and guidance. When he arrived, the Seer listened
patiently to Moshe's concerns. However, instead of providing immediate comfort,
the Seer instructed Moshe to return home, saying, 'You cannot remain. Go
home! You must leave immediately and return.” There was no explanation. 

Though confused by the Seer's
instructions, Moshe obeyed and set off for home, stopping at inn for the night.
He went to a corner and still jumbled in spirit and depressed, he waited for
the night to pass. No sooner did he find his place when a group of Chasidim of
the Chozeh arrived. There joy in anticipation of seeing their Rebbe and
celebrating with him was palatable and contrasted with his own sadness. They
began to sind and then to dance and then they students noticed Moshe's
despondent demeanor and inquired about his troubles. Moshe shared his story,
including the Seer's peculiar directive. 

Moved by Moshe's plight, the students
decided to offer him words of encouragement. They blessed him with heartfelt
prayers, hoping to uplift his spirits. Each lifted a glass, offered a LeChaim
to Moshe and a beracha for a healthy and happy year. Their kindness and
compassion had a profound effect on Moshe, and he began to feel a renewed sense
of hope and purpose. They lifted his spirits and in turn he lifted his feet. He
danced with them, sang with them and forgetting his troubles laughed with them 

When morning arrived that insisted Moshe
return with them. He refused, but they would not take no for an answer and
tossed him into the wagon. Upon their return to Lublin, the students brought
Moshe before the Seer. 

Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak looked at Moshe
and hugged him telling him how pleased he was that moshe would remain with them
for the Holiday. Moshe was even more confused. And then the Rebbe explained,
'When you first arrived, I saw the Angel of Death following you. I wanted
you with your precious few days to return home and be with your family. But
when these righteous students blessed you and wished you 'L'chaim,' they lifted
the decree of death.' 

The Seer then bestowed his own blessing
upon Moshe, ensuring him that his efforts and dedication were valued and
appreciated by both God and his community. 

What would have happened had the Rebbe
explained to Moshe before he left what he saw?  

This theme of Tevet of drawing light
from the darkness is an opportunity to change things, reverse things, and draw
the month back from Esav. 

Rhonda was a person who created light
within darkness. May we all learn from her to do the same. Tehi Nafsha Serurah
beSro HaChaim.   

Next Friday, as we noted, we will fast
for Asara BaTevet. Its unusual to fast on a Friday. What’s even stranger is
that some Rabbis suggest that had the calendar allowed it, and the 10th
of Tevet fell on Shabbat, we might fast on Shabbat itself. How can that be?  

The destruction began with the 10th
of Tevet, but that was the seed, that was the beginning. The people had two and
a half years to utilize that seed and turn it into something great. The 10th
Of Tevet was hashem knocking on the door and saying wake up. We didn’t!  

B’H, perhaps now we can know better and turn
darkness into light. Let us not miss the gift. Let us not squander the opportunity.
Take the light of Hannukah with you.  

Shabbat Shalom, 

David Bibi