Making Vessels Is The Main Thing

Although this is on the Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah it touches on the essence of  Chanukah.

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Making Vessels Is The Main Thing 

The Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah is about the vessels that king Shlomo and Chirom made for the first Temple. All communities read this Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah, but  Ashkenazic communities read this also for parshas Vayakhel and Sefardic communities read this also for parshas Pekudei.

The connection to Vayakhel and Pekudei is easy to understand, because they speak about the vessels that Betzalel and Elihav made for the Mishkan. But it's difficult to understand its connection to Chanukah.

The Haftora brings out the theme of the parsha or the holiday. Since everyone reads this on the second Shabbos of Chanukah it means that it's more related to the theme of Chanukah. And being that it's read on the second Shabbos of Chanukah, it's proof that it's more related to Chanukah than the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah, because we have the rule on Chanukah that "We add in holiness," meaning that the theme of Chanukah gets stronger and stronger as the holiday progresses and we light more and more candles. By explaining how it connects to Chanukah, we will get a deeper appreciation for Vayakhel and Pekudei.

It is difficult to understand how this Haftora connects to Chanukah, because it speaks about making the vessels of the first Temple. True it mentions the extra Menoras that Shlomo made to accompany the Menorah that Moshe made for the Mishkan, but that is only one verse at the end of the Haftora. And it only mentions that he made "five (to go) on the right and five (to go) on the left," and where they were to be placed. However it doesn't mention that they were brought into the Temple or that they were lit, which would make it more in line with the theme of Chanukah. There is even an opinion that the Menoras that Shlomo made weren't lit at all. And even more, there are no other details.

When it comes to the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah, the prophecy of Zechariah about the Menorah in the second Temple, it's a few verses and it gives details. It's a prophecy specifically about the Menorah and the olive oil, in sync with the Chanukah theme. It turns out that the prophecy of Zechariah is also about the third Temple in the time of Moshiach. 

However our Haftora doesn't seem to have any connection with Chanukah.

The question gets stronger, when you consider that the verses following this Haftora, speaks about how they completed all the work. brought the vessels into the Temple and the Chanukas Beis Hamikdash, the dedication of the Temple, which would be right in line with the story of Chanukah, the rededication of the Temple in the second Temple era, in the time of the Chashmonaim. It's not like they had nothing else to use as the Haftora that they had to use this.

Even more, according to the teaching that "We add in holiness," mentioned above, it would make sense for the Haftora of the first Shabbos of Chanukah to be read on the second Shabbos, because it seems to have more to do with Chanukah. 

Nevertheless the law is that we read this Haftora on the second Shabbos of Chanukah in every community, despite all the objections mentioned above. Therefore we must conclude that this Haftora brings out the theme of Chanukah even more than the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah. How does it do that?

And what important lesson are we meant to learn from this?

In order to understand this, we first need to understand what Chanukah is all about. It's about turning the darkness into light. First, "The Greeks entered the sanctuary," and "They defiled all of the oil," that was the darkness getting stronger. Then the miracle happened, "They didn't find but one cruise of oil that had the seal of the Kohen Gadol, and it didn't have oil but for one day, and a miracle happened that they lit from it eight days."

It's explained in Chassidus that the miracle is from such a high level, at that level, the darkness doesn't darken, not only does the light brighten the darkness but the darkness itself shines.

That is why they established that we commemorate this miracle with lighting candles, and "the mitzvah is from sunset, until the people finish coming from the market place... until the Tarmudai finish coming." Because the light of the Chanukah candles is about lighting up the darkest place, the market place, where the Tarmudai hang out. The Tarmudai were the lowest of people, they denied Hashem's existence.

In our service to Hashem, it means that we brighten the darkness of the world with "The candle which is the mitzvah and the Torah which is the flame," until we even turn the Tarmudai of existence to light.

In order to understand further, we have to understand why Hashem created this world, and our purpose in the scheme of things.

The Midrash tells us and the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that the reason that Hashem created this world is because "The Blessed One Be He had a desire that we make Him a home in the lowest realms," which is this lowly physical world.

We do this by the study of Torah, the performance of mitzvos and by making every aspect of our lives for Hashem.

The whole of existence including all of the higher realms, and all the spiritual worlds were created just so we can fulfill our purpose. The same is with our holidays, they are meant to help us with making a home for Hashem, every holiday brings out and accomplishes a different aspect of this, and they are meant to give us the strength to accomplish it throughout the year.

Chanukah also brings out this idea. Chanukah is about transforming darkness into light, to transform the Tarmudai, the opposing forces to Hashem, in this lowly physical world, of which there is no lower.

When it comes to making this world into a home for Hashem, there are two parts that seem to be equal. First there is making vessels to receive G-dliness, then there is filling those vessels with G-dliness.

For example, there is turning a horn into a shofar and then there is using it on Rosh Hashanah for the mitzvah of shofar. There is making the parchment and the ink and then there is writing the mezzuza and affixing it to your doorpost.

But in truth they are not equal, because making a vessel is much more difficult than filling the vessels with G-dliness. Especially when it comes to things or people who are indifferent or opposed to G-dliness. The hardest part is getting them to be open to G-dliness, once they are open to G-dliness, doing a mitzvah with them or filling them with G-dliness is easier to do. To make a vessel, you have to break the resistance of the negative forces, and that is the hardest part.

Especially because this lowly physical world was created to cover over and hide G-dliness. Even more, this world is full of darkness and negative forces that fight the work of making this world into a home for Hashem, making it even harder to make vessels. 

And this is brought out by the Haftora, because it speaks about making the vessels, not using them, not even bringing them into the Temple. And the Haftora is telling us that this is the essence of Chanukah, because in order to turn darkness into light, the main thing is to make the vessels. 

Vayakhel and Pekudei speak about making the vessels of the Mishkan and the Mishkan itself, which was meant to be a home for Hashem. And the Haftora is stressing that the main thing is making the vessels, not using them.

Of course using them is important, but it's the easier part, and therefore less significant.

Once the effort is put in, to break through the darkness and make the vessels, then they could be used for their intended purpose, to be filled with G-dliness.

And this is seen in the miracle of Chanukah, first they had to find the cruise of oil with the seal of the Kohen Gadol, which is the vessel, and only then could they have the miracle of the oil burning for eight days.

The Haftora brings this out in several ways.

The first word of the Haftora, "Vayaas," means and he made, stressing the point that the main work to make a home for Hashem, is action, making the vessels.

Why is action most important to make a home for Hashem? Because action is the lowest ability of a person. Even an animal has the ability to do action. Being that this lowly physical realm, is the world of action, it takes action to make a home for Hashem, making vessels for G-dliness.

The second word is Chirom, Chirom's mother was from the tribe of Dan, the lowest tribe. And the Haftora tells us that he made them out of copper, the lowest metal used in the Temple.

It was through action, Chirom and copper, the lowest, of which the vessels were made for the home for Hashem, the Temple.

And then it says, "And Shlomo made all the vessels," referring to the gold vessels. Because even the king of all of Israel, Shlomo, who was from the tribe of Yehuda, the greatest of all the tribes, had to be involved in making vessels. To teach us that no one is exempt from doing the work of making vessels for the light of Hashem.

The same is true about the vessels of the Mishkan, mentioned in Vayakhel and Pekudei. They were made by Betzalel, who was from the tribe of Yehuda, the greatest of all the tribes, and Elihav, who was from the tribe of Dan, the lowest. From the highest to the lowest, everyone should be involved in making vessels for Hashem.

The lesson we are meant to learn from this, is that we all have to make an effort to make a vessel out of a Jew who perhaps is not a vessel yet, because the darkness of the world is covering his or her neshama. And the main thing is to make them into vessels, to be receptive to Hashem, His Torah and Judaism.

Sure we want our brothers and sisters to study Torah and do mitzvos, but that is the easier part, the hardest and most important part is making the vessels. After that the rest is a lot easier.

What does it take to make a vessel? It's done by saying, good morning, good Shabbos and by being accepting of them. By being friendly, loving and caring, you tear down the walls of division and open their hearts and minds to hear and be receptive to Hashem and Torah.

Once they are open to Hashem and Torah, they will want to learn more. However if they don't become a vessel, if they are not receptive, they have no chance for anything else.

Recently in Israel there has been an amazing togetherness between Jewish people from all walks of life. And because of this, so many people are open to Hashem, His Torah and Judaism. It's truly a blessing. Those who are not open to accepting Jewish people who are less observant than them, have no part in this and they should rethink their mode of service to Hashem, because it's not Jewish to be unaccepting of their brothers and sisters. And it's possible that they are pushing them further away from Hashem.

May we merit to see how it was our efforts to make vessels that brought us the coming of Moshiach. The time has come.