Renewal Through Miracles For תרל”ו 2
שם חנוכה.
The name “Chanuka.”
The Sefat Emet begins by framing the teaching around the very name of the festival.
כי כל נס מביא התעוררות מחדש לעבודת הבורא
For every miracle brings a renewed awakening for the service of the Creator.
Miracles are not merely wonders; they are catalysts for spiritual renewal.
וכן היה נוהג תמיד שהשי”ת עשה נסים לאבותינו להוסיף להם כח
And so it was always: the Holy One, blessed be He, performed miracles for our ancestors to increase their strength.
Each miracle provided added spiritual capacity to those who experienced it.
וכשכבר פעלו רצונו ית’ בזה הנס פי’ שנתקרבו אליו כי כן הי’ רצונו בזה.
And when they had already fulfilled His will through that miracle—meaning, they had drawn closer to Him, for this was His desire in it—
Miracles were meant to draw Israel closer; once that purpose was achieved, a new stage began.
אז עשה להם שוב נסים אחרים וכן לעולם.
Then He performed other miracles for them, and so it continues forever.
Divine assistance is an ongoing cycle, renewed each time Israel responds.
ואנחנו בעוה”ר לא היה לנו נסים מנס דחנוכה
But we, in our many transgressions, have had no miracles since the miracle of Chanuka.
In the Sefat Emet’s time, Chanuka stands as the last openly manifest miracle.
לכן עדיין צריכין לקחת התחדשות מזה הנס
Therefore we must still take renewal from this miracle.
Because no new miracles have occurred, Chanuka’s renewal remains available.
ואם יעזור לנו השם ית’ שנתעורר בטוב בזה הנס אז יחזור לעשות לנו נסים ויגאלנו במהרה.
And if God, blessed be He, helps us to awaken properly through this miracle, then He will again perform miracles for us and redeem us speedily.
Our awakening to the miracle of Chanuka can itself reopen the channel for future redemption.
וזה ראיה שעדיין לא עשינו בזה ההארה כפי רצונו ית’
And this is proof that we have not yet actualized this illumination as He desires.
The absence of new miracles shows that the inner work of Chanuka is still incomplete.
לכן נקרא חנוכה שזה ההתחדשות יש עוד אתנו:
Therefore it is called Chanuka, for this renewal is still with us.
The name itself signals that the power of renewal remains available in every generation.
Summary: Chanuka embodies a continuing source of spiritual renewal. Miracles are meant to awaken and draw us closer to God; when this happens, new miracles follow. Since no new miracles have appeared, we must still draw from the light of Chanuka, which remains present and capable of awakening redemption.
