This document discusses the Kabbalistic meaning and spiritual significance of the holiday of Chanukah. It explains that from a Kabbalistic perspective, Chanukah is not merely a celebration of historical events but an opportunity to access cosmic energies and manifest miracles in one's life. The lighting of the Chanukiah candles combined with meditations allows one to connect to these spiritual energies and draw down blessings. The document provides historical context on the origins of Chanukah and explains its symbolic connections to concepts like sharing and the feminine divine.

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According to Kabbalah, in this story Channah represents our physical world of Malchut
– the feminine aspect and desire to receive. When we add the two Aramaic letters of
Kaf and Vav to the name Channah, we create the word Chanukah. These two letters
have a combined numerical value of 26, connecting us to the tetragrammaton of God.
When Channah transformed her Desire To Receive for the Self Alone into a natural
concept of sharing, she formed a connection to the Light of the Creator.
WhenweperformthelightingoftheChanukahcandles,combinedwiththeconsciousness
of sharing and the kabbalistic meditations, we too can connect to the Light of the
Creator in its most powerful form, just as Channah did many centuries ago. During
Chanukah, that very same cosmic window that Channah used to triumph over the
Desire To Receive for the Self Alone is open to all of us.
Connecting to the Energy of Miracles
A miracle is defined as any event that does not follow the course of nature. Only a
miracle can turn chaos into Light, thereby restoring order and harmony. During
Chanukah we celebrate neither the miracle of the oil jar nor the victory over the
Greek Empire, but rather the connection to the Sfirot of Hod and Binah and the
consciousness of Zier Anpin – the desire to share. Here, we unite with the cause of all
miracles in our world.
The connection with the Sfirot of Binah and Hod strengthens our physical and spiritual
DNA, as well as that of the world around us – our relationship with others, forces of
nature, and so on. The Rav reminds us that the holiday of Sukkot, like Chanukah, also
lasts for eight days. The consciousness of an eight-day holiday indicates our opportunity
to elevate from the framework of the seven lower Sfirot, connecting us to the cosmic
energy reservoir of the upper worlds. As with Sukkot, we do not have to apply any
physical restrictions in order to benefit from the holiday of Chanukah, and the commu-
nication required to connect with this Light may be performed in our own homes.
Before lighting the candles of the Chanukiah, we must first be in a state of giving and
sharing, just as one flame lights another flame without diminishing. As each candle is
lit, we are reminded of how to give and share with abundance. This is why the oil jar
was discovered and the menorah lit – to teach us how to have similar form with the
Light. The candles also provide a channel for the transfer of energy by virtue of an inner
structure that forms a connection between our world and the upper words.
The Ari writes, “The secret of the eight days of Chanukah: Malchut receives the light
from Sfirah Hod itself, not through Zier Anpin.” Without the framework and circuitry
of the candles and meditations, it would be impossible to connect directly to the raw
energy in Binah. The candles, or oil wicks, are a means of attracting the Light of Binah
of Netzach, Binah of Hod, and Binah of Yesod to us. The miracle of Chanukah is the re-
sultofthisconnectiontoHod,makingitpossible,duringtheeightdaysofChanukah,to
achievemindovermatterusingthepowerofthought. Wemustintegratethemeditations
into the act of lighting the candles, as they create channels for the Light to flow to us
and nourish every part of our world, vaccinating us against negativity for the year ahead.
This knowledge in itself forms part of our connection.
Kabbalists also reveal that Chanukah can be considered as a mini Rosh Hashanah,
allowing us to redeem any spiritual debts we might have overlooked – knowingly or
unknowingly – during Rosh Hashanah. On Chanukah we can increase our life force
and complete that which may be lacking.
The precise channels for connecting with the miracles of Chanukah were not revealed
until the revelations of Rav Isaac Luria’s Gates of Meditation. While these teachings
have been available for the past 400 years, it was not until the writings were structured
by Rav Brandwein and subsequently disseminated worldwide by The Rav and Karen
through The Kabbalah Centre that our generation has begun to recognize what
Chanukah truly stands for – not simply a traditional religious celebration, but rather a
time to manifest the awesome power of miracles in our lives.
Each one of us can use this time to bring about a cosmic revolution and reveal this Light
for the world.

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“Inplaceofcommemoration,akabbalist
focuses on connection – that is, the
opportunity to tap into the unique
energies that exist at that specific point
in time. The holidays are literally power
sourcesthatwecanaccessusingthetools
and teachings of Kabbalah.”
-The Rav, Days of Power, Vol. 2
The Holiday of Chanukah
Chanukah is traditionally thought of as a time in December when families come
together to celebrate the historic Maccabean victory, commemorated by the lighting of
candles and exchanging of gifts.
Through the eyes of the kabbalists, Holidays (holy days), such as Chanukah, are
seen not merely as celebrations that signify religious traditions, but rather, these are
universal blueprints, cosmic timetables used to draw down the energy available to us
all to improve our physical and spiritual well-being on a very practical level.
As the Rav reminds us in Days of Power, the annual Holidays such as Rosh Hashanah,
Pesach, Sukkot, and Chanukah belong to all mankind.
“The energies of the various holidays are neither Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, nor Hindu.
They are simply basic aspects of the way the universe works, and they are beyond identifica-
tion with any nation or religion.”
From a kabbalistic perspective, we understand that Chanukah is the time of year
when the spiritual energy of miracles is released into the universe. This energy can be
harnessed to produce miracles in our own lives. Therefore, we are not simply celebrating
the success of people who lived thousands of years ago but are utilizing the same cosmic
window they did.
By lighting candles during this time, using kabbalistic meditations, and injecting the
consciousness of sharing, we connect our souls to the energies prevalent in the cosmos
during the eight days of Chanukah and plant the seed for miracles, big and small, to fill
our entire year.
The History & Origin of Chanukah
During the time when the Greek empire reigned, the Holy Temple was desecrated,
and the Israelites were forbidden to study spirituality. On the 25th day of Kislev
(Sagittarius), the prolonged war reached a sudden end, with a victory by the Israelites,
led by the Maccabim. On that day, a small vial of pure oil from the high priest was
found and used to light the menorah. The oil that flowed, which was supposed to last
for one day, burned for eight days.
The kabbalists of the time discovered that during these eight days the universe was
infused with the power of miracles, enabling a connection with the upper worlds.
Through Kabbalah, we understand that the unlikely defeat of an army was not a result of
the military power of the Israelites, but rather a result of the revelation of the Creator’s
power – a burst of Light that freed the Israelites from the oppression on this profound
date in the calendar.
Embedded within the history of Chanukah is the story of Channah. In short, Channah
refused to submit to the idolatry of the Greek dominators, preferring to sacrifice herself
and her seven sons in the name of God rather than face spiritual subjugation.

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First printing: 2000
Second printing: 2005
Third printing: 2008

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