Changing Nature

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

We light candles on each of the eight nights of Chanuka commemorating the one day supply of oil that the Chashmonaim found after they regained control of the Beis Hamikdash. This small supply of oil stayed lit for eight days until new oil (which had not been defiled by the Greeks) could reach the Beis Hamikdash, which was clearly a miracle.

There were other miracles in the Beis Hamikdash – some of them occurred every day (see Avos 5:4). If so, why is this  the only miracle which is commemorated?

Before we explain, we will address another anomaly. The Rama (O.C. 682:1) rules that if one forgot the Al HaNissim prayer during Birkas HaMazon, he can insert it later on, as part of the list of requests that we say at the end of Birkas HaMazon. In that case, Al HaNissim is introduced with the words, “May the Merciful One perform miracles for us as he did in the times of Mattisyahu…”

How can we ask for a miracle? The Sages explicitly state (Brachos 54a) that one may not ask Hashem to change nature for him, which is why, for example, a husband may not pray to Hashem that his pregnant wife give birth to a boy after the fetus has already developed into a girl.

Rav Yerucham Olshin explains that Chanuka was an exceptional miracle. The Exodus, the Splitting of the Red Sea, and those in the Beis Hamikdash, were all miracles that Hashem had decreed at the beginning of creation (see Bereishis Rabba 8:5). In contrast, the Chanuka miracles were not decreed in advance. They came about only in response to the mesiras nefesh, the sacrifice, of the Jews at that time (Bach, Siman 670:1). Indeed, Rav Shlomo Kluger infers this fact from the text of Al HaNissim, which states that Hashem brought us “salvation as of this day.” He explains: only at that time—as the Chashmonaim were risking their lives to bring back the Beis Hamikdash service—did Hashem make miracles for them.

Thus, on Chanuka we are commemorating that our mesiras nefesh can cause Hashem to change the forces of nature on our behalf. This is why the miracle of the oil is commemorated, and not other miracles that occurred in the Beis Hamikdash. We had a hand in bringing about this miracle.

The Chanuka miracle teaches us that we truly can ask Hashem to do miracles for us like He did in the times of the Chashmonaim. However, we must first be willing to display mesiras nefesh. If we show that we can change our nature, leaving our comfort zone for Him, He can change nature for us.

We tend to view mesiras nefesh in the strict sense of giving up our lives for God. However, this does not have to be the case (see Brachos 20a). Mesiras nefesh entails overcoming our nature to serve Hashem. It is getting up for Shacharis even when we are tired, going to learn Torah for our regular session even when we get an important phone call, or holding ourselves back from anger because we know it is a sin. Particularly on Chanuka, we can and should pray that Hashem give us the ability to be moser nefesh for Him.

Indeed, the true definition of mesiras nefesh appropriately deserves miracles. A natural rule of physics is that all matter automatically settles into its most comfortable state. The same is true of our bodies. Thus, leaving our comfort zone can be said to be defying the rule of physics, and so, it is appropriate that Hashem create miracles when we do so, measure for measure.

Even if we do not see any immediate need for miracles, we should still pray for them.  Rav Yaakov Emden notes that the miracle of the Jewish nation’s existence in exile is even greater than the miracles that occurred during the Exodus. If that is so, we must all do our part to earn Hashem’s supernatural guidance of the universe for the nation’s good. The way to do this is by trying to rise above our nature.

When people came to Rav Shach with problems that seemed to have no solution within the boundaries of nature, he would advise them to take on more than what they were naturally capable of. Indeed, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky would often encourage people in learning who were facing difficulties to author sefarim. If a Jew in the working world had a problem which seemed without a solution, he advised him to undertake the financial support of a poor person or family. Attempting to rise above nature can arouse a commensurate response from on high, and Hashem would relate to them in a supernatural way in turn.

Rav Shabsi Yudelevitch once spoke with a Jew who was living in Hungary when Soviet troops took control of the region. He was well aware of the Soviets’ attitude toward religion, and knew that he would be unable to keep mitzvos. Thus, he looked for ways to flee from Hungary.

Eventually, he joined up with a group of people who were planning an night escape. The scheduled departure fell out on the fourth night of Chanuka. He felt that he could not simply forego lighting Chanuka candles, as keeping mitzvos was the very reason that he wanted to leave. So, he approached the man in charge and asked permission to light Chanuka candles.

“Are you out of your mind?” the leader snapped. “That’s the last thing we need—candlelight to give us away!”

After many hours, they reached an encampment in the woods. As the others lied down, exhausted, this Jew walked far to the side and lit candles, trying to conceal them with his body. Others in the group noticed this and were upset, but felt that they could not stop him, since he was willing to risk his life for this.

Suddenly, a tough-looking Soviet officer and his crew appeared, and the officer strode over to this man. He demanded, “You are lighting Chanuka candles?”

Paralyzed with fear, the Jew stood helpless, staring at the officer. The others in the group fell silent as they listened, terrified.

“You should know, it wasn’t the candles that gave your group away. I spotted you over an hour ago. I wasn’t in a hurry, though, because you didn’t stand a chance of reaching the border. Still, when I saw the Chanuka candles…”

At this point, the officer paused.

“When I saw the Chanuka candles, I realized that it has been twenty-five years since I left my parents to join the communist revolution. My father used to light Chanuka candles. When I saw these candles, I felt drawn to them.” The officer paused again, and took out a bottle of Vodka from his overcoat.

“Come, let us make a lechaim (toast), and you can go on your way. I’ll see to it that no one stops your group at the border.”

Earlier, the others in the group had been upset that this Jew had endangered them by lighting Chanuka candles. Now, though, they recognized that it was his mesiras nefesh that was gaining them their freedom!

May we be zocheh to be moser nefesh for Torah!