My Chanukah Miracle: Thank You Rabbi Weinberger3 min read

The following letter was written to Rabbi Moshe Weinberger shlita by a well-known posek, author, and teacher who discovered Rabbi Weinberger’s shiurim a number of years ago and experienced a paradigm shift in his avodas Hashem. I received permission to share this letter publicly (all details have been changed) as I feel that it powerfully expresses the impact Chassidus can have when its teachings are applied in our lives as well as because it conveys an important message relevant to the challenge of our current circumstances. That’s enough from me. I’ll let the letter speak for itself.

Y.K

Lichvod Rav Weinberger shlita,

I know it isn’t Chanukah, but here goes, nonetheless. The story began with a shiur the Rav gave where he spoke about how on a certain level, when a poshuter Yid runs into shul at the last minute before the zman and davens to Hashem, Hashem loves this tefillah and avodah more than anything else.

Now, I don’t do that. I just don’t. My behavior is very punctual, I plan my day around my minyanim, and if I’m not early to shul, I’m late. But the shiur spoke to me, and I felt I was missing out on something by not having that “opportunity” to throw a tefillah up to Hashem at the last minute. But a punctual person can’t plan on being late, it just doesn’t go. So the desire I had to connect to Hashem in a way that is clearly halachically b’dieved, this last minute rush to Hashem, just sat there. I knew I would never have that opportunity. It simply isn’t the avodas Hashem that Hashem wants from me.

Then Kislev arrived. I teach Halacha in a number of different yeshivos. As Chanukah approached, we obviously learn the relevant dinim. For many of the boys this is their first time away, so I encourage them to benefit from this opportunity and sit by the lights. We discuss the Ohr HaGunuz, the inyan of Shiros v’Tishbachos, and the practical dinim. These practical dinim include how to light, and of course when to light. We explain that each person lights according to his family minhag, be it at shekiya or at tzeis and about not doing melacha beforehand as well as lighting on time. Fine. I give this class to hundreds of students. And that is my plan, to light on time. I mean, I’ve been lighting menorah on time for 30 years, so why should this year be any different?

My last class on erev Chanukah is in Ramat Beit Shemesh, and I ask it to be scheduled a little earlier than usual, just to be certain I’ll make it home on time. On time for me, in Yerushalayim, was 4:40 and 30 seconds. Ok, so it’s a half-hour drive home in normal conditions, and I’m set to leave RBS at 3:15. Plenty of time.

3:15 arrives, and I check Waze. It says it will be an hour drive home. I run out of the yeshiva, jump into the car, and set off. And there is traffic. Not normal traffic – traffic like nobody in RBS has ever seen. As every minute passes, the Waze says it is still taking an hour to get home. There was heavy roadwork along the route and all the avreichim and other morning visitors were making their way out of RBS. It took an hour to leave Ramat Beit Shemesh, a drive that usually takes me 5 minutes.

It did not take me long to realize that I would not be at home for shekiya. Ordinarily, this would send me into an anxious sweat. But I’m sitting in the car not going anywhere, listening to a shiur and answering Chanukah shailos on the phone. When to light, where to light, the usual. That’s what I’m here for. And I was overcome by a certain calm. I can’t describe it.

Calm.

It took 2 hours to get home. The family was waiting patiently, they knew I was running late. And everyone was ready. And I take the candle. I can’t describe it – I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I make berachos nicely at the best of times – you can’t teach that berachos should be made nicely if you don’t make them nicely yourself. I don’t know what it feels like to have all the malachim in shamayim watching you make berachos and light menorah, but it must feel something like I felt then. I made the berachos like I never made in my life and a Shecheyanu with tears streaming down my face, just like they are now. It was a Chanukah experience I have you to thank for.

Rabbi Weinberger, thank you for sharing with me a different approach in avodas Hashem.

B’vracha,

M.L