But With This • A Collection of Prayers from Rabbi Berland shlit"a for Zot

Today is Zot Chanukah (the eighth and final day of Chanukah), a day auspicious for all salvations. We present before you a collection of prayers from the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) for the day of Zot Chanukah:

To merit now, through the eighth candle of Chanukah, the forgiveness of sins; and may the Light of the Seven Days always shine for us, and may we raise the Shechinah (Divine Presence) from her dust, and return the entire world to Hashem, blessed be He, for everyone desires to be included in the Light of the Seven Days—the "Eighth Candle."

Master of the Universe, Almighty One, it is now the eighth candle, which is the greatest day of the year, containing the secret of the forgiveness of sins. Please, "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your kindness, and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt until now" (Numbers 14:19). The initial letters of this verse [in Hebrew] spell "Chanukah," for Chanukah has the numerical value of 89, [which multiplied by two is] 178—the numerical value of Gan Eden (Paradise) plus one. For the days of Chanukah are the days of Gan Eden, which return the Light of the Seven Days to its original state. From now on, may the Light of the Seven Days shine upon us all year long, and may we walk in its light every hour, moment, and second. In this merit, may we raise the Shechinah (Divine Presence) from her dust and merit to be included in Adam Kadmon (the Primordial Man) of Adam Kadmon, and merit to be "the first of His produce," "holy to Hashem." May we merit, through the lights of Chanukah and specifically the eighth candle, to return the entire world to Hashem, blessed be He, for almost all the nations light Chanukah candles with the Jews, as everyone wants to be included in the Light of the Seven Days that is drawn from the Seven Tzaddikim (Righteous Ones), from the Seven Shepherds.

To merit, in the merit of the eighth candle which includes all the lights of the seven days, to subdue all the eight kings of Edom who correspond to the eight creeping creatures (sheratzim); and may the verse be fulfilled: "And the house of Jacob shall be fire and the house of Joseph a flame"—the "Eighth Candle."

Master of the Universe, Almighty One, from Whom no purpose can be withheld, in the merit of the eighth candle—which includes all the lights of the seven days of Creation, which include all four chariots that go out "from between the two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of copper" (Zechariah 6:1). In the first chariot were red horses, in the second chariot black horses, in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot dappled, strong horses. "Then I answered and said to the angel who spoke with me, 'What are these, my lord?' And the angel answered and said to me, 'These are the four winds of heaven, going out from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going out to the north country, and the white ones went out after them, and the dappled ones went out to the south country'" (Zechariah 6:4-6). With these, we subdue the eight kings of Edom, who correspond to the impurity of the eight creeping creatures (sheratzim). Then, "And those of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the lowland the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead" (Obadiah 1:19). This is the secret of Gal-Ed (the heap of witness), when the Will that Hashem had before the creation of the world is revealed, in the aspect of "the end of the action was first in thought." For through the eight candles of Chanukah, we subdue the eight kings of Edom: "Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah; Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah; Husham of the land of the Temanites; Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab; Samlah of Masrekah; Shaul of Rehoboth by the River; Baal-hanan the son of Achbor; Hadar, and the name of his city was Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab" (Genesis 36:32-39). Then, through the eighth candle of Chanukah, which includes all eight candles, may the verse be fulfilled in me: "And the house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for Hashem has spoken" (Obadiah 1:18).

The Fifth Seal

Today, at the time of lighting the 8 Chanukah candles, is the secret of the fifth seal, "a seal within a seal." The jar of oil was sealed with "a seal within a seal" (Tosafot, Shabbat 21a), which is the secret of the fifth seal. For the first seal is on the eve of Rosh Hashanah during the Selichos (prayers of forgiveness). The second seal is on Rosh Hashanah on the first night, when the true Tzaddikim (righteous ones) are immediately sealed for a good life and peace—they, their wives, their children, and their grandchildren until the end of all generations. The third seal is made on Yom Kippur during the Neilah (closing prayer), and Zot Chanukah is the secret of Yom Kippur. Hoshana Rabbah is the secret of the fourth seal, when everyone is sealed immediately for a good life and peace. And the fifth seal is made on the night of Zot Chanukah at the time when we light the eight candles. Then, even the completely wicked who perform Teshuvah (repentance) are sealed—they, their wives, and their offspring forever. In the merit of "the Intellect hidden from every thought, the expanses of the river, the streams of faith," everyone and all generations are immediately sealed for a good life and peace, for years of salvation and mercy, and for revealed miracles and wonders, just as in the time of Mattathias the High Priest and his sons, who were all sealed for a good life and for eternal generations. The offspring of Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, and his other four brothers never went into exile; rather, they always merited an abundance of good life, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren until the end of all generations. They all walk in the way of Hashem, on the highway that ascends to Beit-El (the House of God), and they merit the "One Eye of Mercy," as it is written: "For eye to eye they shall see when Hashem returns to Zion" (Isaiah 52:8)—the Eye of Atika (the Ancient One), the One Eye of Mercy.