Kedushat Levi: Depth of Hanukkah

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

The dedication [chinuch] of the Tabernacle was on the first day of Nissan. The dedication of the First Temple was on Tishrei, the dedication of the Second Temple was on Kislev, each of them according to its aspect. The miracles that happened in the Tabernacle were connected to Nissan, and that is why the dedication happened on Nissan. And in the Second Remple the Hasmonean miracle was in Kislev, and therefore the dedication was on Kislev, and the dedication of the First Temple was on Tishrei. The general rule of the Tabernacle was that the body understands that there is a Creator of the World, Blessed! And the Temple is that the soul (neshamah) understands that there is a Creator of the World. And this, that the soul understands the that there is a Creator of the World happens on Tishrei because of the pardoning of sins, and then the soul comprehends the Creator of the World; and in Nissan the body understands that there is a Creator of the World because through all the miracles and wonders the body understands. And therefore the Temple is called "Eternal Place" [Beit Olamim see I Kings 8:13] because the soul is [complete] existence, and the body is not [complete] existence. And this is the hint of what our sages z"l said: "From where do we know that the Temple is called Tabernacle, and Tabernacle is called Temple?" (Eruvin 2a) because in truth this, that the body experiences enjoyment, it is also that the soul experiences enjoyment, since the existence of the body is also the existence of the soul in this world, to serve the Creator, Blessed, and Blessed the Name, and this, that the soul does, that the soul serves the Blessed Creator is also enjoyment for the body. And this is the hint in Tabernacle, that is the body, that is called Temple, and Temple, that is called Tabernacle. And sit with this thought.