5th Day of Chanukah

It is a well known Chanukah concept that the 5^th day of Chanukah can never fall on a Shabbos. All the other days can be on Shabbos but the 5^th day cannot. The Chabad Rebbes all said that therefore it’s imperative on us, Klal Yisroel, each to bring a lechtikeit, a special light of our own, into the 5^th day of Chanukah. We should begin by understanding why the 5^th day can’t fall on Shabbos.

I would like to posit the following seminal concept. The Hebrew letter “heh” often has been noted to connote the concept of Olam Hazeh, while the letter “yud” connotes Olam Haboh.  It would seem appropriate that Shabbos, a day which is noted as being an Olam Haboh day, would not have a 5^th day, a “heh” day fall out on this day.

We can add to this the following. Chazal say that Chanukah was not an accepted holiday to have its own Tanach sefer, lo nitan lichteiv, it wasn’t given to be written. In fact according to Chasidic teachings it’s because Chanukah is not Torah she’biksav but rather Torah she’baal pe, Oral Torah. Written Torah is a constant. It can’t be changed or added to in any way. Chanukah, as an Oral tradition is open to the constant interpretation of our holy sages. Therefore, Chanukah, which has an Olam Hazeh concept, has a day, the 5^th day, through which each individual can bring his own light, his own spiritual Olam Hazeh effort to bring light and kedusha into this 5^th day.

This spiritual effort included in the mitzvah of Chanukah lights completed in a material gashmi world will bring down a spiritual “levush”, clothing for our neshomos. We light up the 5^th day of Chanukah with both the Ner Mitzva, light of the Mitzva being done, and the Eternal Light that we merit through our Mitzvos, which consists of the holy spiritual “clothing” for our neshomos.  In turn, we have corrected the situation of the 5^th day not falling on Shabbos. We have given the 5^th day its own Olam Haboh spiritual clothing, the same type of clothing that Shabbos observance brings to us.

The Coin of Avrohom Avinu

The first Rashi in parshas Lech Lecho says that Hashem told Avram to go out into the world and that Hashem would publicize Avram's character to the world. Rashi uses the word "tivacho", your nature, your character. Chazal tell us that Avrohom minted and circulated a coin which had the image of an old man and old woman on one side and a young man and young woman on the other. This symbolized that he wanted everybody to be part of his quest to teach monotheism to the world.

I would like to posit that Rashi's usage of the word "tivacho" can also mean that Hashem would publicize Avrohom's coin to the world, as in "matbeah", a coin. Avrohom's goal was to unite all the members of a society as one community. Further I think that homiletically we can view the coin as being the strength of youth and its ability to constantly renew itself. Mechadesh b'chol yom maasei bereishis. To renew each day ideals of a new world. Unite this faculty of "hischadshus", the renewal ability of youth, with the wisdom and experience of the maturity of elders and you can really grow intellectually and constantly, every day.

Chazal say that when Eliyahu Hanovi will herald the advent of Moshiach, he will reunite the parents and the children. I think this can connote what Avrohom was trying to do by showing the two images on his coin. The union and conciliation of the concept and faculties of youth with that of the mature members of society. As the Torah states in Haazinu "ask your father and he will relate to you, your grandparents and they will tell you".  And as Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishelei, "al titeish Toras imecho". Do not forsake the teachings of your mother.

Klal Yisroel was given a mitzva of making a lunar calendar that begins with the month of Nissan. The language the Torah uses is "hachodesh hazeh lochem", this month is yours to begin the year. We can express this idea homiletically as the concept of "chodosh" renewal, is being given to you. Nissan always comes out at the onset of spring, an occuring renewal of nature. Just as the corporeal, gashmiyus, world renews itself, so too can the ruchniyos, spiritual world renew itself. And as stated earlier, mechadesh b'chol yom, we can constantly renew ourselves each day. How? By listening to our fathers, mothers and elders and following in their footsteps and Yiddishkeit path. Uniting the renewal ability of youth with the wisdom and experience of the mature.