Miracles and Gratitude For תרל”ו 6

(ליל ה) לשנה אחרת קבעום ועשאום י”ט בהלל והודאה.

“On the next year they established them and made them a festival with Hallel and thanksgiving.”

The Sefat Emet begins by explaining why only a year later the Sages formalized Chanuka as a time of Hallel and gratitude.

דבמה שהקב”ה עושה לנו נסים יש לתת הודאה על גוף הנס היינו הצלה מאומה הרשעה.

For when the Holy One performs miracles for us, one must give thanksgiving for the essence of the miracle, meaning the rescue from the wicked nation.

He teaches that gratitude is first directed toward the simple fact of being saved from danger.

וגם להלל לפניו על כל המעשה כי הרבה רווח והצלה לפניו ית’ שלא הי’ מסבב להצטרך לעשיות הנס רק הוא חיבה יתירה שהשי”ת חפץ לעשות נסים לעמו בנ”י.

And also to offer Hallel for the entire process, for there is much relief and salvation before Him, and He need not arrange events to require a miracle—rather it is an extra affection, that God desires to perform miracles for His people Israel.

The Sefat Emet adds that Hallel praises God not only for the rescue itself but for the divine love expressed in creating the opportunity for miracles.

ובע”ת שנעשה להם הנס שהי’ עת צרה ונושעו מהצרה לא היה להם כ”כ ישוב הדעת והודו להשי”ת על ההצלה.

And at the time the miracle occurred, when it was a moment of distress and they were saved, they did not have the calmness of mind to properly thank God for the rescue.

In the crisis moment, they could only express basic gratitude, not deep contemplation.

ואח”כ לשנה אחרת הבינו כ”ז שיש להלל על כל המעשה שסיבב הקב”ה המלחמות כדי לעשות להם נס וקבעוהו בהלל והודאה כי הודאה בעת צרה. והלל בעת הרווח.

And afterward, the next year, they understood all this—that one must offer Hallel for the entire divine orchestration, that God arranged the wars in order to perform the miracle. Thus they established the holiday with Hallel and thanksgiving: thanksgiving for the moment of distress, and Hallel for the time of relief.

Only with hindsight did they perceive the full arc of the miracle—both the crisis and the divine arrangement behind it.

לכן בנוסח על הנסים מספרין כ”ז כשעמדה כו’ להשכיחם כו’ פי’ שמשבחין על כל הכח וממשלה שנתן להם הקב”ה בכדי שיגמור הדבר לטובתינו.

Therefore, in Al Ha‑Nisim we recount all this: “When the kingdom arose… to make them forget…” meaning we praise God for all the power and dominion He granted them so that the matter would conclude for our benefit.

The wording of the prayer reflects praise for the entire divine process, not merely the moment of salvation.

וכן יש ללמוד זה כל פרט איש ישראל שבא בעת צרה ונושע ממנו צריך לתת הודאה על ההצלה. והלל ושבח על כל המעשה.

And so every individual of Israel should learn: when one encounters distress and is rescued, one must give thanks for the rescue, and Hallel and praise for the whole process.

Chanuka becomes a template for personal spiritual response to salvation.

והנה בנ”י היו מוכרחין לתקן זאת המלחמה עם מלכות יון והביא הקב”ה המלחמה בעת שהי’ בבנ”י צדיקים טהורים שיוכל לעשות בימיהם נסים.

And behold, Israel needed to rectify this war with the Greek empire, and God brought the war at a time when there were righteous and pure people in Israel, so that He could perform miracles in their days.

The timing of the war itself was an act of divine kindness, arranged so that miracles could be revealed through worthy people.

וזהו שמברכין שעשה נסים לאבותינו כי אם הי’ ח”ו בימינו לא היה לנו כח לגבור נגדם.

And this is why we bless, “Who performed miracles for our fathers,” for if it had occurred in our days, Heaven forbid, we would not have had the strength to overcome them.

The Sefat Emet emphasizes humility: the miracle occurred in another generation because only they were spiritually suited to it.

והקדים הקב”ה המלחמה הכל לטובתינו כנ”ל.

And God brought the war earlier—all for our benefit, as explained above.

Even the timing of hardship is reframed as divine benevolence.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that Chanuka reveals two layers of praise—thanksgiving for the rescue and Hallel for the divine orchestration behind it. Only with time could the Sages perceive the full process and establish the festival accordingly. This pattern applies to every individual: salvation requires gratitude both for the outcome and for the hidden divine guidance that shaped the entire journey.