Chanukah: Eight days of Miracles Designed to Bring Mashiach

This year more than ever, we must connect with all the cosmic windows. And it can be as simple as a child’s dreidel, or the chocolate gelt. Four sides corresponding to the Tetragrammaton (YHVH), but 4 sides engraved with the Hebrew Letters G, H, N, and Sh. Four letters whose numerical value add to to 358, that of Mashiach, the Messiah.

From the games we play to candles we light, the entire Chanukah event is designed to help us bring Moshiach. And that’s where our consciousness should be. The eight days are a cosmic event, not a celebration of a miracle that happened because it occurred during this cosmic event. The light we ignite each night are to connect us to the special light of miracles available to us once a year for 8 days staring every 25th of Kislev (Sagittarius). It’s different light/energy than what’s available to us in the 8 days of Sukkot-Shemini Atzeret; and it’s different from the light available to us during the 8 days of Pesach (Passover); and it’s different from the energy available to us on the 8 other holidays throughout the year. In total there are 32 days of varying special Light/energy (besides the special light of Shabbat). These 32 days connects to the 32 Paths of Wisdom of the Tree-of-Life, through which these various lights shine unto us.

The oil lasted 8 days because the Light of Chanukah, Mashiach Light, lasted 8 days, not the other way around. As soon as the special Light of Moshiach (Or Ganuz) was revealed into our existence, it was hidden. I learned from my teacher that on the first Shabbat of Creation, it was brought out for 32 hours then hidden away for the time of the Messiah. But for 8 days every year we can taste of the Light.

The letters of Mashiach (MShYCh) spell out Madlikim Shmona Yemei Chanukah (“lighting up eight days of Chanukah.”)

Chanukah Meditations

How to Count the 8 Days

As tasty as the jelly donuts are, the purpose of Channukah is not the joy of the celebration, but the joy of bringing Moshiach.

Even the books of the Maccabees dates the first war as 3585 HC, which coincides with the numerical value of Moshiach, which is 358.  The fight was for liberation, and so is ours today, liberating ourselves from the clutches of physicality.

One of the key elements of Chanukah is based on the spiritual tenet that nothing can ever be lost; once it goes from a latent(potential) state to physical one it’s forever present in the universe, whether we can physically see it or not. So the light of the first night, is added to the second and so forth until the 8th day when we have the light of 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 = 36 days of light.

That explained, we can note that the sum of all the Torah occurrences of the words “first” through “eighth”—echad, sheni, shlishi, reve’i, chamishi, shishi, sheve’I, and shemeni—is (189+125+2+2+2+2+0+0) = 322 and since the sum of days (numbers) 1-8 representing all the summary Chanukah lights for the 8 days is 36 , and (322 + 36) = 358, the value of Moshiach yet again. And while 36 is just the result of rounding off the numerical term 35.8, the number 36 to the kabbalists represents the lamed-vav tzaddikim, or 36 righteous souls necessary at all times to maintain our existence in the universe.

The 44 Candles Sweeten the Judgment

How to count the candles

On a simple level, over the 8 nights, we’re lighting 44 candles in total including the shamesh every night, these corresponding to the ordinal value of the letters in Chanukah (ChNVCH), which is 44. It also corresponds to first letters of all 10 plagues, which also add up to 44. So you can see the power to create miracles is built into every aspect of these 8 days.

Moreover, the first plague was blood, dam, also of numerical value 44, and as the Arizal explains “the word “m’damei“, whose numerical value (89) equals that of the word “Chanukah“, is rooted in the letters dalet and mem, which spell the Hebrew word for “blood.” Blood represents the negative powers of judgment; our mission it is to sweeten that judgement and the lighting of the 44 candles are designed to help us. They nullify the kelipot before us.”

With every candle we light, we can sweeten the judgment in out lives and in the world.

As we’ll explore within the blessings, the 44 candles connect first and foremost to the regressive spelling of the higher name of G-d, Ehyeh, whose numerical value is 44, thus connecting us to Chochma and Binah;

(E – EH – EHY – EHYH)

Counting Candles:

If our actions of lighting the chanukiya each night rekindle the energy from the night before and culminate in completeness on Zot Chanukah (the final night) then: On the 1st night we light 1 candle and it stays lit metaphysically for (at least) 8 days; and on the second night we light 2 candles that stay lit, we have a total of 3 lit (rekindled) that second night. On the 3rd night we are lighting (rekindling) 1 + 2 + 3 or a total of six; and so on, until we have 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 28 + 36 = 120, a familiar mathematical progression that seems to be oft used in the deeper meditations and connections of the Torah, and that we first learned about from Abraham in the Sefer Yetzirah, The Book of Formation.

In the same way, the Shamesh would be 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 = 36. Thus 120 + 36 = 156 candles would be metaphysically lit, and 156 = 6 X 26 with 26 being the numerical value of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH). Moreover, the Arizal explains that 78 is the value of mazal (fortune), an integral part of the lighting meditations as will be explained below, and 156 = 2 X 78.

The Arizal further explains that the eight days of Chanukah are, or end up, at the level of hod, the same as a brit whose 8 days expire at hod before the brit can be performed at the level of yesod. Well, considering this, it’s noteworthy that if we assume that all our candles/oil last for 8 days, then in total, we are lighting 120 lights (which would correspond to the 120 permutations of Elohim) and the 120 years of Moses, whose soul is part and parcel with that of Moshiach in every generation. Then if we add the 36 lights for the 8 Shamesh (helper candle) that we light, totals 156, the numerical value for Yosef, who represents the level of Yesod. It’s also the value of Zion. And Yosef was born in 2198 HC, exactly 3580 years before the year 5778, when Moshiach (numerical value 358) is supposed to be manifest in our world.

The Blessings

The Ignition to all the Blessings

When we start the blessing with the word Baruch, we need to keep in mind that it has the numerical sofit value of 708, which is the same as that of the 42 letters of the upper Mem-Bet, which is the ineffable Name YHVH spelled out through 3 iterations. This is no coincidence as it is from this Name that the blessings flow downward through the 6 levels (dimensions) of zeir anpin and into our world. It is also for this reason that the first gate from the Holy of Holies into our world has the dimensions 6 x 7 (the Gate of 42):

YHVH

YVD HY VYV HY

YVD VYV DLT HY YVD VYV YVD VYV HY YVD

L’hadleek Ner Chanukah

Now regarding the Chanukah blessings on the words L’hadleek Ner Chanukah and the kavanot that we’ve learned from the Arizal, the 3 first letters Lamed, Nun and Chet, spell out in small gematria, 3,5,8 or 358, Mashiach.

The initials in L’hadleek Ner Chanukah (to light the Chanukah candle) spell the word Nachal (a holy Name that means stream or river, and also inheritance) and it has a numerical value of 88, which when aided by a kolel of 1 = 89, that of Chanukah itself.

Nevertheless, the concept of a stream is very important because by lighting the candles with the right consciousness we’re opening a stream of light (the energy of sustenance or shefa) from above into our lives and world. And the inheritance is the Messiah (the Moshiach).

As explained by the Arizal,the secret of 3 letters N, CH. L and Nachal comes  from the 3 words that comprise the 8th and 9th of the 13 Attributes of G-d : “Notzer Chesed L‘alefim.” The Ari further explains that the 8th sefira (level), which is Binah (Imma/Understanding) is where we are drawing this upper light from. Moreover, a key secret here is that once the 8th level is tapped into, all 3 upper levels (Binah, Chochma and Keter) are at once available to us. A river of divine light and blessing can flow into our world if we attune ourselves to it during the blessing and candle lighting.

So the first mediation is on opening up the flowing river (Nachal) from Binah, Chochma and Keter through Binah into Zeir Anpin (the heavenly ladder that connects our world to Binah (the upper world). Zeir Anpin is represented by the aspect of the spe;;ed-out Tetragrammaton (YVD HE VEV HE) at the level called (Mah) of numerical value 45.

This is very important

We are further told that Mah combines with Binah through the alef(E) in the letter vav (VEV) to the regressively spelled Name Ehyeh (E, EH EHY EHYH) which is associated with Binah and has a numerical value of 44, just like the 44 total Chanukah candles that we will physically light over the 8 days.

Together, these two intersecting Names of G-d total numerically 45 + 44 = 89, once again the value of Chanukah(ChNVCH). Please note that it’s the Names that are important, the numbers just help us understanding a little of what is going on energetically in the spiritual framework.

It’s very important we grasp this unification because as Rabbi Chaim Vital of blessed memory explains, it through this very union of the YHVH (26) and the regressive EHYH (44) that the 70 Minsters of the 70 Nations are governed and thus all that stems from it in the count of 70, such as the final 70 years from Israel becoming a nation until the advent of Moshiach consciousness throughout the world.  Through the proper lighting of the 44 candles this year we have the power to guide that process forward.

→

(E, EH EHY EHYH + YVD HE VEV HE)

45 + 44 = 89

(Shefa flowing from Binah into Zeir Anpin)

Second Meditation:

The value of the word L’hadleek plus the kolel (1) = (179 +1) = 180, and partially because of this the Arizal tells us at this point in the blessing to meditate on the 3 upper aspects of the Tetragrammaton (Av, Sag, Mah), which total numerically (72+63+45) = 180.

Av: (YVD HY VYV HY) = 72

Sag: (YVD HY VEV HY) = 63

Mah: (YVD HE VEV HE) = 45

= 180

Any number times 10 indicates that number spreading throughout the 10 sefirot of the tree-of-life.  In this case, it’s 18 (Chai, life), and as Rabbi Chaim Vital of blessed memory explains “All Torah Light is spread by squaring,” so we see within the square root of  18: 4.2426. This is significant because 424 is the value for “Mashiach Ben David” and 26 is the value of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH).

Now, specific to the Channukah blessing is that the spelled-out (gematria milui) value of the letters nun (NVN) and that of the lamed (LMD) of L’hadleek Ner is also 180, thus giving us yet another connection to “Mashiach Ben David and the tree-of-life.”

From the 18 words of the 13 Attributes, the phrase “Notzer Chesed L‘alefim” means “He preserves kindness for 2000 years” which is a hint that our time of exile for the past 2000 years is coming to a close, and if we add the 18 to it, we get 2018 CE (5778 HC), the year the tzaddikim have prophesied for the coming of the messiah and the final redemption (geula). It is also the year (2018 HC) that G-d made His Covenant with Abraham, our inheritance (Nachal).

Indeed, the word candle, Ner, has a numerical value of 250 and thus the 8 candles have a collective value of 250 x 8 = 2000.

And so when we add the 180 of Av, Sag. Mah aspects of the YHVH to the 180 of L’hadleek Ner plus the kolel of 3 for said 3 aspects, we get 180 + 180 + 3 = 363, the numerical value of H’Mashiach, (“the Messiah”), which is what we should be mediating on when we recite L’hadleek Ner:

(Receiving H’Mashiach)

L’Hadleek

Ner

Regarding Ner, the Arizal tells us to combine the Names Ehyeh, Elohim, and Adonai with YHVH on the 3 different levels (Av, Sag, and Mah)  to draw down the light properly from Binah to Malchut:

(EHYH, ELHYM, EDNY).

If we take the first two letters of each Name (EH, EL, ED), they add up to 6 + 31+ 5 = 42, as in the 42-Letter Name of G-d, (the Shem Mem-Bet, known as the Ana B’koach).

Then if we take the third letter (EHYH, ELHYM, EDNY) in each (YHN) they add up to 10 + 5 + 50 = 65 the numerical value of Adonai (EDNY), which leaves (H,YM, Y) which sum to 5 + 50 + 10 = 65, Adonai (EDNY) again.

The main point, though, is that the 3 Names represent the 42-letter Name and 130, which is the numerical value of the two synonyms, Sinai and Sulam (ladder). Now the total numerical value of the 3 Names (EHYH, ELHYM, EDNY) is 172, and when we add 1 for the kolel, it’s 173, as in the small gematria numerical value for the 42-letter Name.

The Ari further explains that at the word Ner in the blessing we should concentrate on combining the 3 Names (EHYH, ELHYM, EDNY) with the 3 simple (YHVH)’s. These 3 YHVH’s add up to 26 + 26 + 26 = 78, the gematria of Mazla, aramaic for mazal, fortune, which we want to draw into our lives when lighting the Chanukah candles. This process mimics the flow of the shefa, (life-giving light) that emanates from the 3 YHVH’s and flows from the Holy of Holies through the Gate of 42 into the Holy Temple and then our world.

Now the main point of the Arizal was that the 6 Names (YHVH–EHYH, YHVH–ELHYM, YHVH–EDNY)-add up to 250, the value of Ner, candle, but if we add 6 as the kolel, we get 256, which is the value for both H’Aron (Ark of the Covenant) and for Aaron who lit the Menorah as channel for us all.

 Ner

So when we recite Ner, we want to meditate on the 42-Letter name (the Ana B’koach), receiving mazal, letting  Aaron, the high priest and the only person in the Torah assigned the title Mashiach, be our channel to light the Menorah in our lives and world.

אבג יתץ

קרע שטן

נגד יכש

בטר צתג

חקב טנע

יגל פזק

שקו צית

together with the 6 Names merging together as follows.

YHVH – EHYH (Chochma – Ehyeh)

YHVH – ELHYM (Binah – Elohim)

YHVH – EDNY (Malchut – Adonai)

We draw the light of blessing down from Chochma to Binah to our world, Malchut.

Now for the full understanding, we take the 3 Names Ehyeh, Elohim and Adonai plus the 3 Names Av, Sag, Mah from the L’hadleek Ner kavanot and numerically add them  (172 + 180) + 6 (kolel for the 6 Names) and get 358, Mashiach

So completing the recitation of Baruch though Ner, we want to have in mind drawing down the light from the Upper 42-Letter Name to the Lower 42-Letter Name though the 3 YHVH’s and into the 3 Names (Ehyeh, Elohim and Adonai) and thus igniting the spark of  Moshiach consciousness in all of us and spreading it throughout the 70 nations.

The Candle

The candle we’re lighting is the light of the Torah itself as evidenced by the spelled out, gematria milui of the letters (nun-resh) of Ner (candle): (NVN RShY) = (106 + 510) = 616, which is the numerical value of H’Torah, which helps explain Proverb 6:23:

“A mitzvah is a candle, and the Torah is light.”

The Shamesh

The Shamesh, or 9th candle is much more than a simple helper candle. The 9th sefira is that of Chochma, Wisdom. and the unification from above that is associated with the 9th sefira is YHVH x EHYH or in numerical terms 26 x 21 = 546, which is the sum of the initials of all 10 sefirot, a clue that this unification helps us draw the energy down through all 10 sefirot.

The value 546 is also the total value of the Names of the 3 Patriarchs whose names began with the letter Yud, which connects them to Chochma (wisdom), the 9th sefira: Isaac (208), Jacob(182), and Jospeh(156).  It’s likewise a connection to Israel, which has a value of 546 when the kolel for the 5 letters is included, and whose name is found 546 times in the Torah.

So as we light the Shamesh we should meditate to draw down the light through the 10 sefirot and to put joy in our hearts.

The 25th of Kislev

Yet another connection between the kavanot and the words of the blessing is found between the 25 letters of the union of the 6 Names and the value of Ner, 250, since 250/10 = 25, but most important these would be the 25 letters that the Zohar says is missing for the completion of the Mishkan and the 25 words that we know are missing from the completion of the Torah, which is exactly (80,000 – 25 words). It’s also a connection between the 25 letters of the Shma Israel phrase and the 25^th of Kislev, as explained by the Zohar.

The next obvious further connection is between the 80,000 words and the 8 lights and nights of Chanukah, since the 4^th root of the sum of all the words, letters, and verses of the Torah = 25 exactly. There are also 25 letters in lamed-vav (36) milui.

So note that the 25 letters in the verse “Shma Israel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad” (Hear O Israel, G-d our Lord is One) is found at Devarim 6:4 and the word Chanukah (ChNV-CH) can be broken down to the two numerical values 64 (ChNV) and 25 (CH), and moreover that the numerical value of the first and last words in that verse, Shma (ShMY) and Echad (EChD) plus the kolel (1) = 410 + 13 + 1 = 424, the numerical value of Mashiach Ben David.

Further to this line of reasoning, and as connected by the Zohar, are the 24 days of Kislev that proceed Chanukah and the 24 letters in the Baruch Shem phrase that follows the Shma Israel phrase.

So on the first night before lighting we should connect to the Shma Israel and mediate that we are completing the Torah as in the days of Moshiach, B”H soon.

 The OiI

The word for eight (8) in Hebrew is shemonah, and a simple permutation of the letters in shemonah (ShMNH) gives us hashemen. “the oil” (HShMN), and also neshama (soul, NShMH), all of which have the numerical value of 395, that of the 5th word in the Torah, H’Shama’im (the Heavens).

And when we spell out the Shin-Mem-Nun root letters of the Oil they add up to 546, so we must keep in mind (Proverbs 27:9): “Oil and incense rejoice the heart,” and be joyful as we light the oil for that joy will spread through the 10 sefirot and be contagious throughout the world.

Proverbs 27:9 “Oil and incense rejoice the heart”

The 8 Nights of Lights

Now know this for every candle we light below, one is lit above. So for all the 156 metaphysical candles we light below plus 1 collective one (the kolel), another 157 are lit above, making 314 in total, and 314 is the numerical value of the Name of G-d Shadai (ShDY) and also of Mettatron.  As for the 156 candles , it’s the numerical value of Zion and as we said previously, Joseph, who represents Yesod of Malchut, where the light of Binah ends up on the 8th day. It’s is also the point where all the divine sustenance funnels into out lives and our world. Incidentally, Zion, of numerical value 156, is found 107 times in Tanakh and the sum of all the positive integers from 1 to 107 is 5778.

Moreover, if we consider all the cumulative lit Chanukah lights as a multiple of 8 days: 1 x 3 x 6 x 10 x 15 x 21 x 28 x 36 = 1008 then add 1 for the kolel, and double them for above and below, they total 2018 candles in all.  So in essence, each and every year, by fulfilling the mitzvot of lighting the Channukah candles we’re preparing for the arrival of Moshiach in the year 2018 CE (5778 HC), our inheritance.

Chanukah Gelt

Even the parve chocolate gelt we give to our children on Chanukah connects to Mashiach, as the Aramaic word for gelt is Dami (DMY) of numerical value 54, and since 5778 is the sum of all the integers from 1 to 107 and 5778 = 107 x 54, then 54, and thus Dami (Gelt), plays yet another role in connecting all of us to the coming of H’Mashiach, B’H very soon.

So bring joy to your heart and joy to the world this Chanukah and help bring the gift of Mashiach into our lives.