05 Dec CHANUKKAH- WHEN BUILDING A FOUNDATION

After vanquishing
the Greeks from
Yerushalayim, the
Hashmonaim set
out to cleanse the
Bet Ha’mikdash, which had been defiled
by the Greeks, and they dedicated the Bet
Ha’mikdash anew. As the Gemara famously
relates, all the oil had been defiled, with the
exception of one small flask which was found
untouched, still bearing the Kohen Gadol’s
seal. The Hashmonaim used this oil to kindle
the Menorah, and it miraculously sufficed for
eight nights, until new oil could be produced
and delivered to the Bet Ha’mikdash.
Many commentators raise the question of why
the Hashmonaim insisted on using specifically
pure oil. The Halachic provision of “Tum’a
Hutra Be’sibur” allows performing the service
in a state of impurity when the majority of
the nation is impure. Seemingly, this should
apply to the kindling of the Menorah with
impure oil when the Bet Ha’mikdash was
overrun by impurity. Moreover, it is unclear
how the oil had become Tameh (impure) as
a result of the Greeks’ intrusion into the Bet
Ha’mikdash. A non-Jew touching something
does not bring Tum’a (impurity) upon that
item. And thus many scholars maintained
that the oil in the Bet Ha’mikdash was
acceptable for the lighting of the Menorah
according to Torah law, despite having been

handled by the Greeks, and it was disqualified
only Mi’de’rabbanan (by force of Rabbinic
enactment). We must therefore ask, couldn’t
this Rabbinic edict have been suspended
under the extenuating circumstances in which
the Hashmonaim found themselves? Why did
they insist on using only pure oil, if the impure
oil was fit for use on the level of Torah law?
One answer given is that the Greeks had used
the oil they found in the Bet Ha’mikdash for
idol worship. This indeed disqualified the oil
for use even under the circumstances, since
the oil had been defiled through its having
been used for pagan rituals.
Some commentators, however, explain that
the Hashmonaim did not want to rely on
any leniencies, or to compromise standards
even one iota, because this marked the
dedication of the Bet Ha’mikdash. When
starting something new, nothing short of the
very best is acceptable. Only the strongest
foundations can support a large building.
The Hashmonaim understood that they were
building the foundations of the renewed
Bet Ha’mikdash, and so they insisted on
maintaining the highest standards of purity
and Kedusha, without any compromises or
leniencies.
A story is told of the Aderet (Rav Eliyahu
David Rabinowitz-Teomim, 1845-1905), a
towering Lithuanian sage who was brought to
Jerusalem to serve as the city’s Chief Rabbi.

Immediately upon arriving in the city, he
was invited to officiate at a wedding as his
first role in his new position. Already at the
beginning of the ceremony, he made a mistake
– when reciting the Beracha over the wine, he
accidentally recited, “She’ha’kol” instead of
“Bori Peri Ha’gefen.” He then immediately
recited “Bore Peri Ha’gefen,” the correct
Beracha.
The people were astounded – and very
disappointed. There is a well-known Halacha
that if one mistakenly recited “She’ha’kol”
over a food or beverage which requires a
different Beracha, the Beracha is valid after
the fact. The people could not believe that the
Rabbi chosen as the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem
forgot this simple Halacha, and recited a
Beracha unnecessarily.
When he was later asked about the incident,
the Aderet explained why he recited a new
Beracha. He said that when the Rabbi recites
the Beracha under the Hupa at a wedding,
he does so on behalf of the groom. He is the
groom’s “Shaliah” (“agent”), in a sense, with
regard to the Beracha. Hence, he must recite
only the Beracha which the groom wants him
to recite and thus authorizes him to recite.
Unquestionably, a couple at their wedding
want to begin their marriage with a strong
foundation. They want things done optimally,
in the best possible manner, and not on the
level of “Be’di’abad” – in a way which is

acceptable only after the fact. Therefore, even
though generally one who mistakenly recites
“She’ha’kol” has fulfilled his obligation
and does not recite a new Beracha, in this
particular instance, the Rabbi needed to recite
a new Beracha – because the Hatan expected
him to recite the optimal Beracha, and not a
Beracha which is valid only after the fact.
This might also explain why we light not just
a single candle each night of Chanukkah,
which suffices to fulfill the basic obligation,
but an additional candle each night, following
the “Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin” – the
highest standard, as the Gemara teaches.
As we celebrate the rededication of the Bet
Ha’mikdash, the building of the foundation
for the renewed Mikdash, we follow the
Hashmonaim’s example and strive for the
highest standard of performance, seeking to
fulfill the Misvot in the best way possible,
without any shortcuts or compromises.