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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Will Chanuka be Around When Moshiach Comes?

There is a famous quote from the Midrash that "All holidays will expire when moshiach comes except for Chanukah and Purim." The common reference for this is מדרש משלי ט, ב.
Taking a look in the source, one will find that the Midrash only mentions Purim (bringing the passuk from the Megillah "וימי הפורים האלו לא יעברו מתוך היהודים" as proof). Where did this common extension to Chanukah come from?
In his mystical work "Maggid Meisharim," the Beis Yosef writes (פ' ויקהל) "Friday night, 26 Adar II, 1546: ...this is what our Rabbis meant when they said that Chanukah and Purim will never cease..."
Apparently, the angelic Maggid knew, or had a different version of, what the Rabbis said.
Although this may seem odd, Rabbi Yerucham Leiner, following in the footsteps of R. Dovid Luria (famous defender of the authenticity of the Zohar and other Kabbilistic works) goes to great lengths to prove that this is indeed what transpired on that Friday night between the Maggid and the Beis Yosef...
מאמר "זוהר הרקיע" (לר' ליינער, בסוף סםר "קדמות ספר הזוהר לרד"ל) סוף סי' י"ד
ועי' עוד בשו"ת ציץ אליעזר חי"ג סי' ע
For the Beis Yosef's writings, see here
For Rabbi Leiner's writings, see here

1 comment:

  1. Ramban on the Torah in the beginning of Bhaaloscha understand Hashems comforting Aharon that "his candles will not cease" to mean the candles of Chanukah, literally in the time of exile. But when Mashiach will come the Menorah will be restored hence the candles will not cease.
    וראה לקו"ש ח"ה עמוד 172 הערה 4 שמציין לאגרת הטיול דרוש אות מ וספר החיים ח"ג ריש פ"ז ולפי דבריו מוסיף ביאור ברמב"ן הנ"ל
    ורבינו בכ"מ מבאר דברי רמב"ן אלה וראה כאן דיוק אודות לימוד התורה בכלל
    http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=15868&hilite=aaa24556-3486-41de-8461-8e6a32a3ba20&st=%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%94+W/15++%D7%91%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D+

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