32
VICTORY OF LIGHT
the Greeks is (in this aspect) more grievous than their defilement of the Sanctuary35-even though the holiness of the
Sanctuary ranks highly in the ten levels of holiness.36
This is evidenced also by the fact that even after "Your
children came.. .and purified Your Templev3' they needed a
miracle in order to light the Menorah-beginning with the
miracle38of "they found one pure jug sealed with the seal of
the High Prie~t."~'This [miracle] was [an expression ofl the
In the presInfinite Light,4O which transcends hishtukhel~t.~~
ence of such light, even the darkness does not darken.42T o the
contrary, this light illuminates the darkness so that even the
44 H a ~ a y a(with
~ ~ the added "and'46)
darkness shine~~~-and
will illuminate my d~rkners.~'
35. [The deeper implication of the
Greeks defiling the Sanctuary "oil" is
that they had tainted an extremely
lofty dimension of spirituality, a level
that is utterly transcendent, "holy."]
36. The holiness of the Sanctuary
ranks only one level below the holiness of the Holy of Holies (Kelim
1:9; Rambam, Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:21). met, in the context of
what the Greeks wished to achieve,
the defilement of the oil was more severe than the general defilement of
the Sanctuary.
The ten levels of holiness are: 1)
Walled cities within the Land of Israel; 2) Jerusalem; 3) The Temple
Mount; 4) The Chayil (outer limits of
the actual Beit Hamikdash); 5) The
Women's Courtyard; 6) The Israelites' Courtyard; 7) The Kohanimi
Courtyard; 8) Between the Alter and
the Antechamber; 9) The Sanctuary;
10) The Holy of Holies (Rambam
ibid.) .]
37. From the "Val Hanissim" liturgy
recited on Chanukah.
38. See Meiri, Shabbat 21b; Prz' Cha-
dash on Shulchan Anrch, Orach
Chaim, Hilchot Chanukah, ch. 670.
Shadrei Orah, Shaar Hachanukah, discourse beginning B 'chaf Hq B 'kislev,
ch. 42 (17b), ch. 53 (22a), discourse
beginning Ki Atah Neiri ch. 16 and
beg. of 17 (42a). See beginning of
Ve'e'atah Berachmecha Harabim 5684
(S4er Hamaamarim 5684, p. 157).
39. Shabbat ibid. The version in the
Talmud is: "[they found one jug]
placed [with the seal of the High
Priest]. However, the version in our
text in also found in Tur Orach
Chaim, Hilchot Chanukah ch. 670.
See Bach there, S.V. "hachigarsinan."
40. [OR EIN SOF, in the Hebrew.
The Kabbalists use the term Ein
Sof to refer to the most absolute Infinite force of G-d, totally beyond
description, knowledge, and comprehension, completely beyond any
boundaries-the Essence of G-d Himself. G-d's infinite expression and revelation-the Injnite light-is termed,
in Hebrew, Or Ein So$