The Dark Light of Kislev

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
- "To Know the Dark" by Wendell Berry

תהילים קל״ט:י״ב

גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹא־יַחְשִׁ֢יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃

Psalms 139:12

darkness is not dark for You;
night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same.

Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 8a
When Adam–who was created in the beginning of the year, on the first day of Tishrei–noticed that during the first three months of his life, the days were getting gradually shorter, he said, ‘Woe is to me! Because I’ve sinned, the world around me is being darkened and is returning to its state of chaos and confusion; this must be the kind of death which has been sentenced to me from Heaven!’ He took upon himself to pray, fast, and look within. After eight days, he noticed the Winter Equinox (the Tekufat Tevet, the season of the month of Tevet), and saw that indeed the days were beginning to lengthen again. “So this is the way of the world!” he exclaimed, and he celebrated for eight days.

בראשית א׳:א׳-ה׳

(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃ (ד) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ה) וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ {פ}

Genesis 1:1-5

(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light Day and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.*Others “one day.”

חגיגה י״ב א:ט׳

כדר' אלעזר דא"ר אלעזר אור שברא הקב"ה ביום ראשון אדם צופה בו מסוף העולם ועד סופו כיון שנסתכל הקב"ה בדור המבול ובדור הפלגה וראה שמעשיהם מקולקלים עמד וגנזו מהן שנאמר (איוב לח, טו) וימנע מרשעים אורם

ולמי גנזו לצדיקים לעתיד לבא

Chagigah 12a:9

... The light that the Holy One, Blessed be G-d, created on the first day was not that of the sun but a different kind of light, through which Adam could see from one end of the world to the other. But when the Holy One, Blessed be G-d, saw that this divine light would fall into the hands of people who would misuse it for evil, G-d hid it away for the righteous people (Tzaddikim) in the future who could reveal the light through their luminous nature and righteous actions.

סוכה מ״ה ב:ו׳

אמר אביי לא פחות עלמא מתלתין ושיתא צדיקי דמקבלי אפי שכינה בכל יום שנאמר (ישעיהו ל, יח) אשרי כל חוכי לו ל"ו בגימטריא תלתין ושיתא

Sukkah 45b:6

Abaye said: The world has no fewer than thirty-six righteous people (Tzaddikim) in each generation who greet the Divine Presence every day, as it is stated: “Happy are all they that wait for Him [lo]” (Isaiah 30:18)? The numerological value of lo, spelled lamed vav, is thirty-six, alluding to the fact that there are at least thirty-six full-fledged righteous individuals (Tzaddikim) in each generation.

בני יששכר, כסלו-טבת א׳:ו׳:א׳

כסל"ו. עיין להלן במאמרים הבאים הגם של או"ר המנור"ה אשר בחדש הזה הי' מבחי' אור הגנו"ז שנגנז בתורה ועיין שם מ"ש בשם הרוקח שע"כ ניתקנו ל"ו נרות כנגד ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורו"ת שנזכרו בתורה הוא רמיזת אור הגנוז ששימש ל"ו שעות לאדה"ר ואח"כ נגנז ונתכסה בתורה ולדעתי ע"כ שם החדש (שהאיר בו הארה מן האור הגנוז ומכסה בתורה נקרא כסל"ו כ"ס ל"ו כיסו"ו ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורות נתגלה הארה בחדש הזה ומצורף לאור הזה טב"ת. או"ר כי טו"ב:

Bnei Yissaschar, Kislev and Tevet 1:6:1

Kislev: The miracle of the light of the menorah in this month is derived [midrashically] from the Or HaGanuz that was hidden in the Torah. As mentioned by the Rokeach HaGadol, Lamed Vav (36) candles were established [for Hanukkah because they] correspond to the Lamed Vav (36) times the words Or (light), Ner (candle) and M'orot (Illuminating lights) are mentioned in the Torah, which hints at the 36 hours that Or HaGanuz (hidden light) shined for Adam HaRishon. After these 36 hours, the treasured light was hidden and concealed within the Torah. That is why, in my opinion, the name of the month, in which there is an illumination of the hidden and concealed light within the Torah, is Kislev, Kisui Lamed Vav—the concealed 36 times that light, candles and luminaries [are mentioned in Torah]. This illuminating light is revealed in this month [Kislev]. This also connects to Tevet, Or Ki Tov, the light that is Tov/good.

“There is a teaching in Kabbalah that tells of the original “vessels” created by God “in the beginning,” which God filled to the brim with Divine light. The full force of light was too much for these vessels and they shattered, showering shards of vessel and sparks of light everywhere. Eventually, shells formed on the outside of these sparks of light, hiding the sparks within them; this is the basis of the material world we live in today. The Hasidic masters taught that these sparks of divinity reside in everything, animate and inanimate, and that each of us has it in our power to redeem the imprisoned sparks and send them back up to their divine Source, to rejoin Divinity. [They also teach]… that this release and reunion of sparks is accomplished by every holy act.”
— Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi: Essential Teachings (Modern Spiritual Masters) by Or N. Rose, Netanel Miles-Yepez

As Rabbi Shalom Noach Berezovsky, the Slonimer Rebbe (1911-2000) teaches, the Greeks of the Hanukkah story sought to destroy our access to wonder and gratitude by distorting our capacity to perceive spiritually. He teaches, “the essence of the Greek war to destroy the Jews was by means of darkening the eyes of Israel. The Greeks knew that they would not be able to successfully defeat the Jews by military means--rather only by darkening their eyes… There are people who, despite the fact that they involve themselves with Torah and the service of God, walk in darkness. These people do not perceive light and are considered [spiritually] dead. The purpose of human beings is to see with a clear lens the Divine light which shines within all Creation.”

תהילים צ״ז:י״א

(יא) א֭וֹר זָרֻ֣עַ לַצַּדִּ֑יק וּֽלְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵ֥ב שִׂמְחָֽה׃

Psalms 97:11

(11) Light is sown for the Tzaddikim

happiness for the sincere of heart.

A light that knows no limits or bounds is sown in our hearts at this time.

Or Zarua LaTzaddik ul’Yishrei Lev Simcha.