Chanuka Gelt - Chanuka part 5

00:00 As we find ourselves in the Yemei Hanukkah, we'll discuss the Minag Yisrael of the Hanukkah, giving Hanukkah gelt to children, to talmidim, students, et cetera. Over the years, the Rebbe would from time to time would occasionally discuss the Inyan of Hanukkah gelt, its meaning, and also instruct Mechunchim and parents to give Hanukkah gelt to their children. We'll discuss a letter of the Rebbe from Tosfin Lamed Gimel, Hanukkah, late nineteen seventy-two. The letter was written in English and was then translated in Hebrew. The Rebbe discusses the Inyan of Hanukkah gelt, and the Rebbe says, "One of the basic directives and lessons from Hanukkah is to purify and to rededicate one's own Beis Hamikdash HaAtzmi, the personal Beis Hamikdash that is found in each person, since every Yid is a Mishkan, a sanctuary for the Shechinah, and to bring about that the light of Torah and Mitzvot should continue to remain lit and illuminate the person's life." So the Rebbe continues, how is all this related to money and Hanukkah gelt? The Rebbe begins explaining. Money is something which in a general format is considered a very important and demanding item. In Hebrew, the word "Kasef" means desire. It is something that everyone has a desire for it. Money makes a person rich, and without it, he's poor. But what is the reason that money is so important and in demand? The money on its own is not something that a person can benefit from it as a food or to make clothing from it or to

02:22 use it for construction for the house. What we do with the money, this is what makes it important because eventually with money we can buy and satisfy all our needs. And even more yet, with money we can fulfill many mitzvahs like tzedakah, helping needy people, helping children receive a Torah education. On the other hand, when the money is kept in a box, it is of no benefit. The Rebbe continues and introduces another concept. There is a sug, there's a category of richness. This refers to the big treasure of keichas, characteristics, talents which the Aibishter gives every child, intellect, emotions, and the potential of solidifying things. The Aibishter wants to see how we fulfill our keichas, our potential in a positive way and fulfilling it completely. A Jewish child should utilize his mind in order to learn and understand the godly Torah with all his might. He needs to express his feelings with a love to Hashem, to Torah, and to the Jewish nation, and with a love to everything that needs to be loved. And this is where we see the great importance of a Torah education. It gives the child the knowledge to know what is good, and it encourages the child to always do good things. And when a child uses all these gifts that were given to him from Hashem, he is then a true rich person, and every child has the potential for that. And that is the difference between a spiritual richness and a physical richness. When we're speaking about

04:38 regular money, person doesn't have the choice in that. By wanting to become rich, it is not in his hands. But when it comes to spiritual matters and to good deeds, every Jewish child without exception could be rich and very rich. This is given in his hands. If he fulfills the keichas that were given to him from Hashem, and b'meila, then he will be rich. This is also the lesson b'negia to Hanukkah gelt. When a boy or a girl receive Hanukkah gelt, there's a message that goes with it, that in the same sense that you will not keep the money in a locked place, but you will use it fully in order to be able to buy something good, in the same sense you should utilize and fulfill in a great measure the dmei Hanukkah, the keichas, and gift that Hashem has given to you, and use it with the spirit of Hanukkah to make sure and bring about that your Beis Hamikdash should remain pure and sacred, and that the light of Torah and Mitzvot should be illuminated in it, and that you should illuminate more and more light That will become greater from day to day and circulate this light in your entire environment and not to give up because of the darkness outside, because the Eibishter has given you the key to overcome all the difficulty. The Rebbe continues and begins concluding the letter that it's not necessary even to mention that this message is not only for the child, but also for

06:33 the one that gives the Chanukah gelt. The parents, they have a personal responsibility in regards to a Torah education of their children, and therefore they need to be a role model. Dugma chaya ume'ira, illuminating around them, that the children should be able to model after them with pride. And then the parents and the children can be assured that Meir Einei Shnei Hamavaya, that Eibishter will illuminate the eyes of both of them, and every one of them will be a mefes lorabin, an example to the masses. The hemsach to the earlier installment been a gear to Chanukah gelt. The Rebbe explains the inyan of Chanukah gelt al bichsidus in the fabringen of Shabbos Miketz Tofshin Tezai in late 1955. That Shabbos was Zeis Chanukah, and the Rebbe explains it with a midrash. The midrash says that the world was not worthy to use gold. What was the reason that gold was created was for the sake of the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash. And the Rebbe explains the reason that the midrash specifies in regards to gold is because silver and copper, the world could use it for a purpose. But gold, there is no necessity that the world needs it for any use, since they can use copper vessels and even silver vessels. The mele of the Zov was created for the purpose of the Beis Hamikdash, which in a spiritual sense is higher than world. The Rebbe continues, since gold is a level which reflects higher than world, so therefore, even after it descended

08:33 in world and it was created in world, it is on a level which is always beyond world, which expresses the idea of richness which is higher than the average. In the same sense that richness is more than the necessities, in the same sense, gold signifies this level which is higher than world. And the Rebbe says with this we can explain the concept of Chanukah gelt, that although it's physical, it has a shaychas to Chanukah, it's because the gashmius, the physical part, is not an inyan of world, it's an inyan of ashirus, richness, which is from a higher level, a higher standard than the structure of world in a spiritual sense. And therefore, it has a connection to Chanukah, because also Chanukah, we draw down a revelation that's higher than the worlds in general. This is drawn down in this physical world, in a physical state. And in money, it is symbolizing the inyan of ashirus, poshet rich bigashmius. And the Rebbe says in Aveda, the inyan of Chanukah symbolizes the inyan of light, which is the inyan of Torah. And Torah is also on a level which is higher than the standard of worlds. So it's similar to the inyan of gold ashirus that's higher than the regular standard. Therefore, davka through limad haTorah comes also the richness in a physical manner that we have not only fulfilling our necessities, but we have also beyond that and much more than that. In conclusion, we'll mention the heroes, the directors of the Rebbe, benigea to the

10:28 minhag of giving Chanukah gelt and when it is given in a greater measure. The Rebbe in his Sichah VaYeshev Tov Shenun, that's late 1989, says there is need to be me'erer benigea the minhag of giving Chanukah gelt to fulfill the minhag at least twice during the days of Chanukah. Or ma'ate even better yet every day of Yemei Chanukah with an increase on the fifth lichkul. As we see that it's stressed exclusively based on the minhag Yisrael that the fifth lichkul there's an increase in giving Chanukah gelt to sons and daughters, children and adults. And al derech zeh benigea the first lichkul and the eighth lichkul. And the Rebbe adds that it's also noteworthy that in the meistis chinuch in the institutions, schools, children should be gathered at least once over the days of Chanukah and to give each child Chanukah gelt and to explain to them that that is their personal allowance.