For תר”ס 7
אמו”ז ז”ל הגיד בשם הקדושים על הגמ’ פתילות ושמנים שאין מדליקין בשבת מדליקין בחנוכה.
My grandfather of blessed memory said in the name of the holy ones regarding the Gemara: “Wicks and oils that may not be used on Shabbat may be used on Chanuka.”
He explains that this hints that those souls unable to ascend on Shabbat nevertheless have an ascent on Chanuka.
שהוא רמז שאותן הנפשות שאין יכולין לעלות בש”ק מ”מ יש להם עלי’ בחנוכה.
This is a hint that the souls unable to rise on Shabbat nevertheless have elevation on Chanuka.
Chanuka grants spiritual access even to souls blocked during the sanctity of Shabbat.
ואמר כי נפש נוטריקון נר פתילה שמן.
And he said that the word nefesh is an acronym for ner, petilah, shemen.
The soul itself is structured like a candle: flame, wick, and oil.
ומצאתי רמז לזה מן הפסוק סבוני כדבורים דועכו כאש קוצים.
And I found a hint to this in the verse: “They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a thorn-fire.”
The imagery of a fire that sputters reflects imperfect flame and incomplete spiritual illumination.
ואיתא כי שלש כי אמילם רמז לג’ מלכיות בבל מדי יון.
And it is taught that the three times the word “ki” appears allude to the three kingdoms: Babylonia, Media, and Greece.
The repetition hints at three oppressive spiritual forces.
א”כ דועכו כאש קוצים רומז על יונים.
Therefore “they were extinguished like a thorn-fire” hints at the Greeks.
The Greeks caused Israel’s light to flicker and weaken.
וכ”כ רש”י דחה דחיתני לנפול על יון ע”ש.
And so Rashi writes: “You pushed me to fall,” referring to Greece.
Rashi associates the verse directly with Greek oppression.
ופי’ דועכו כאש קוצים שלא הניחו אורן של ישראל להאיר בשלימות רק קופץ ממקום למקום כן פרש”י שם.
And he explained that “extinguished like a thorn-fire” means they did not allow Israel’s light to shine fully, but it jumped from place to place, as Rashi explains there.
The light flickering from place to place reflects instability caused by Greek decrees.
וזה עצמו פסול הפתילות שהאור מסכסכת בהם.
And this itself is the defect of wicks in which the flame sputters.
Such a wick cannot hold light steadily, just as the soul is impaired when its faculties are disrupted.
לכן הגם שביהמ”ק הי’ קיים מ”מ לא הי’ האור מאיר בשלימות ע”י גזירות אותן הרשעים.
Therefore, although the Temple still stood, nevertheless the light did not shine perfectly because of the decrees of those wicked ones.
Greek oppression dimmed the sanctity even while the Temple stood.
וכן הוא בפרט כל נפש.
And so it is with each individual soul.
Every person’s inner light can be affected in the same manner.
שנצרך נר פתילה שמן שיחול עליהם אור הקדושה.
For it requires a flame, wick, and oil in order for the holy light to rest upon it.
Only when all three aspects of the soul are aligned can divine light dwell within.
והם בחי’ מעשה דיבור ומחשבה.
And these correspond to action, speech, and thought.
These three human faculties mirror the candle’s three components.
וכשאין המדו”מ מתוקן אין השמן נמשך והאור מסכסך.
And when action, speech, and thought are not rectified, the oil does not draw and the flame sputters.
Spiritual disorder prevents the light from being steady.
וכן הי’ בימי חשמונאי.
And so it was in the days of the Hasmoneans.
Their era too suffered from disrupted spiritual light.
אעפ”כ כתיב כי אמילם וזכו לגבור על חושך של יון.
Nevertheless, it is written “for I have weakened them,” and they merited to overcome the darkness of Greece.
Despite spiritual weakness, divine aid enabled victory over Greek darkness.
ולכן הימים הללו מסייעים לכל הנפשות אפילו פתילות שאור מסכסך בהם יכולין להתתקן ולהאיר.
Therefore these days assist all souls—even wicks in which the flame sputters—to become repaired and shine.
Chanuka brings rectification even to those whose spiritual light is unstable.
Summary: Chanuka enables spiritual ascent even for impaired souls. The Sefat Emet links the soul to the candle’s components, showing how Greek oppression caused Israel’s light to sputter. Yet Chanuka renews the ability of every soul to draw holy light and shine.
