16 Dec ZOS CHANUKA

The Rebbe of Ruzhin
zt’l said, “What
tzaddikim are able to
accomplish on Rosh
Hashanah and on Yom
Kippur, a simple Yid
can accomplish on
Zos Chanukah.” The
explanation may be
that Chanukah is a time
of miracles.
Therefore, a drop of
tefillah, even from a
simple Yid, can bring forth the miracles.
Another explanation for the miracles of
Chanukah is because this is a day that’s
beyond the laws of nature. The Maharal
(Ner Mitzvah 2) teaches that the number
seven represents nature and the number eight
represents above nature. Chanukah is eight
days, therefore all days of Chanukah is a time
for miracles. This uniqueness is enhanced
on Zos Chanukah, which is the eighth day
of the eight days of Chanukah. It is doubly
eight, doubly beyond the rules of nature of
this world. The Maharal writes, “The world
of nature is subjected to the number seven, as
the physical world was created in seven days.
Therefore, whatever is beyond nature is in
the realm of eight… it’s beyond nature, since

according to nature, a person was born with a
foreskin… Therefore the milah is on the eight
day… The Torah was also given after seven,
as it states (Devarim 16:9) count seven weeks,
and after the seven weeks, on the fiftieth day,
the Torah was given… We already explained
that a small jug of oil remained with the cohen
gadol’s seal, and it’s known that the cohen
gadol served with eight clothes. All of this
is because of his level, that he had the level
of eight [beyond nature]…. Therefore the
miracle was eight days.” Chanukah is eight
days, as they are days beyond nature. This is
more pronounced on Zos Chanukah, because
then it is doubly eight, and miracles beyond
nature can occur. A hint to the specialness of
Zos Chanukah is found in the brachah that
we say each morning. This brachah has a list
of eight praises. Mekubalim say that these
eight praises correspond, respectively, to the
eight days of Chanukah. The eighth praise
is Adon Haniflaos, which means Hashem
performs miracles. It’s appropriate that this
praise corresponds to Zos Chanukah, a day
of wonders and miracles. Rebbe Shlomo
(the first Rebbe) of Bobov zt’l said that
the miracles are alluded to in the passuk.
wonders, happen because of Zos Chanukah.
Yet another explanation for the uniqueness
of Zos Chanukah, and for the miracles that
are bestowed on this day is because this day
corresponds to Shimi Atzeres, which is also a

day for tefillah and salvations.
To explain this we will have to make a few
introductions: The end of parashas Emor lists
all the yomim tovim. Then the Torah writes
“Take for yourself pure olive oil to light
[the menorah]” (Vayikra 24:2). What is the
connection between the yomim tovim and
lighting the menorah? The Rokeiach teaches
that the passuk is hinting to the mitzvah of
Chanukah licht. The passuk that discusses
the menorah is very much related to the
previous pesukim, because it is discussing
a holiday – the holiday of Chanukah. With
this information, the Rokeiach answers the
renowned question of the Beis Yosef. Why is
Chanukah eight days? There was enough oil
for one day, so the miracle was really only for
seven days!
The Rokeiach explains that since Chanu-kah
is stated in the Torah after Succos and Shemini
Atzeres, which are eight days, therefore the
chachamim established Chanukah for eight
days. Being that the eight days of Chanukah
correspond to the eight days of Succos, we
can assume that the eighth day of Chanukah
represents the eighth day of Succos – Shemini
Atzeres. (See also Sfas Emes, Chanukah
4640, who states other reasons to compare
Zos Chanukah with Shemini Atzeres.)
Shemi-ni Atzeres is a day of immense love
between Hashem and the Jewish nation. As
Rashi (Vayikra 23:36) writes, “It can
be compared to a king who invited his
children for a meal for several days. When
the time came for them to return home,
he said, ‘My children, please, remain
with me one more day. It’s hard for me
when you leave.’ Similarly, on its parallel
day Zos Chanukah, Hashem apparently
says, “Remain with me, and celebrate
one more day. It’s hard for me when you
leave.” This is the reason Zos Chanukah
is a time for miracles. The Zohar states,
“At this time of joy [of Shemini Atzeres]
only the Jewish nation is with the King.
And when one is alone with the King,
he will receive whatever he requests…”
Zos Chanukah is therefore also a special
time for tefillah. Hashem requests that
we celebrate Chanukah for just one more
day, and on this day, the Jewish nation
can request whatever they want, and
Hashem will fulfill their requests. It’s
taught in the name of the Vilna Gaon
zt’l, that Zos Chanukah corresponds to
Yom Kippur. The Vilna Gaon teaches
that the Hallels we say on the eight days
of Chanukah complete the eight Hallels
that we didn’t complete during the year.
These are the six days of Pesach (when
we only say parts of Hallel) one day of
Rosh Hashanah (from the Torah, Rosh
Hashanah is only one day) and one day
of Yom Kippur. During the final days
of Pesach we don’t say the complete
Hallel, as Chazal say, “My creations are
drowning in the sea [on the seventh day
of Pesach] and you are saying Hallel?”
And since we don’t say Hallel on the
seventh day, we don’t say Hallel on Chol

Hamoed Pesach, either.
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we
also don’t say Hallel, because Chazal say,
“How could it be that the King is sitting on
the throne of judgment, the books of life and
the books of death are opened before Him,
and Yisrael are saying shirah..” This means
that these days are technically days when
we should say the entire Hallel, but there is
something that prevents us. The Vilna Gaon
taught that the complete Hallel that we say
on the eight days of Chanukah corresponds to
those eight days when we only say a partial
Hallel. The order of the holidays begins with
Pesach. Therefore it is logical to assume that
the first six days of Chanukah complement
the Hallel of Pesach. On the seventh day
of Chanukah, we complement the Hallel of
Rosh Hashanah. And on the eighth day, Zos
Chanukah, we say the Hallel that should have
been said on Yom Kippur. Accord-ing to this
calculation, Zos Chanukah corresponds to
Yom Kippur. We can therefore add that just as
Yom Kippur is a day when the Jewish people
are signed and sealed for a good year, so too,
on Chanukah, the Jewish people are sealed
for goodness and miracles. The Beis Ahron
zt’l encourages people to say Tehillim on
Chanukah. He said that during Chanukah, “a
person must believe that by saying Tehillim
one can leave his foolishness, his problems,
and his difficulties. He can overcome
thoughts of yeush, of despair, of losing hope,
which the yetzer hara brings onto a person.”
In particular, Tehillim should be recited to
request all your heart’s desires, because on
this day, Hashem is bestowing His kindness,
and it is a day that’s mesugal for miracles and
yeshuos. Someone came to the Chazon Ish
zt’l, complaining about his poverty. The man
said, “I need a miracle, and àîåé ìëá åàì àñéð
ùéçøúî, miracles don’t happen every day.”
The Chazon Ish corrected him, and said that
this phrase should be read as follows, åàì, it
isn’t so! Everyday miracles occur!” And this
is for sure true on Zos Chanu-kah, a day
that’s beyond nature. The Yismach Yisrael
(Chanukah 53) explains since you gave us
Zos Chanukah, I know that you desire me,
and that you want to grant me goodness.
The Rebbe of Ruzhin zt’l came into the
beis medresh on Zos Chanukah and saw the
chassidim playing dreidel. The Rebbe said,
“What a person earns during Chanukah, he
still might lose it [because when he plays
dreidel on the next day of Chanukah, he
might lose what he earned on the first day].
But what one gains on Zos Chanukah, he
won’t lose.” It will remain with him forever.