173 —שמן חנוכה, חותם של כהן גדול, ותמיכה בקדושה

B"H, 15 Kislev, 5705.

Brooklyn.

Kavod Yedidi HaNe'elah vavac"h iy"a askan nimratz v'rav pe'alim etc. Meir Shlomo Palmer, Chicago.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita, is thank G-d feeling better. May Hashem send him a complete recovery very soon.

In response to your letter from Nov. 28: In general it is difficult to obtain a larger quantity of Chanukah lamps, and if they can be obtained, the lowest price is 27–35 cents per lamp. If you agree to this price, please let us know as soon as possible, as well as whether you are willing to take fewer than 200 if it turns out that it is not possible to get the full amount of lamps.

We find something remarkable regarding the miracle of Chanukah. The Gemara (Shabbat 21b) relates that the pure flask of oil they found was sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol. To prove that it remained untouched, it would have been enough to know it was sealed; why does the Beraita tell us it was specifically sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol? From this we learn that when among Jews there is darkness—G-d forbid—both physically and spiritually, and there are those who wish to make them forget Your Torah and violate Your will, how can one ensure that a pure flask of oil remains from which a whole Menorah will later be kindled? It is through guarding this flask with the seal of the Kohen Gadol—a Jew who, according to Rambam's wording (Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 5:7), "sits in the Mikdash all day and only leaves for his home at night or for an hour or two during the day."

Another remarkable thing we find regarding the Kohen Gadol: The Gemara (Yoma 18a) says: "And the Kohen Gadol from among his brothers... his brothers the Kohanim support him." Seemingly, if he needs funds and should also be wealthy, why specifically from his fellow Kohanim? Because for an ordinary Jew there is no need for Torah to command. If you approach an ordinary Jew and say: Listen here—the Kohen Gadol needs support; do you want to participate? Do you want all your acquaintances to participate? It would never occur to him to run to ask a rabbi what Shulchan Aruch says about this. He would also fear missing out on participating in something connected with the Kohen Gadol. For "I have never seen a righteous man forsaken," surely Hashem will provide everything needed for the Kohen Gadol—even if not through this Jew as well. So he will hurry not to miss out on this merit—doing all he can himself and encouraging others so that his support comes through him specifically.

But when approaching a Kohen himself, it could happen that he starts saying: a) Why come to me? I am holy anyway; I know myself what I need to do—go give others merit. b) You want me to deal with supporting the Kohen Gadol and also get others involved? Don't you know I am responsible for Temple service? Ask the Kohen Gadol himself; he'll tell you what's more important! If I get involved with supporting him maybe my own Temple service will be neglected! Are you telling me to do this? And what do halachic authorities say about such things? With your words alone you're destroying the Temple—I won't allow this under any circumstances! Therefore Torah warns: "Support him from among his brothers—the Kohanim" (and even this safeguard doesn't always help!).

And precisely from Chanukah's story we learn: The Greeks reached into the Beit HaMikdash—they could damage its altar and defile its Menorah—but that small jar of oil hidden away and guarded by the Kohen Gadol remained whole and lit candles whose light shines for thousands of years.

Immediate teshuvah brings immediate redemption.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that true spiritual endurance comes from safeguarding purity through dedicated leadership and communal support. Even in times of darkness or challenge, every individual has a vital role in sustaining holiness so its light endures across generations.