Who Was the First to Light Chanukah Candles? • The Daily Lesson from Rabbi

Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Tuesday night, the 7th of MarCheshvan 5786, Parshas Lech-Lecha:

1. "Someone moved the sun," therefore Chatzos (midnight) is in another two hours. There are only two hours to sleep. By the first candle of Chanukah, it will go back up.
2. Adam HaRishon (the first man) celebrated Chanukah twice; he fasted from the 1st of Tishrei until the middle of Chanukah, the 1st of Teves. Because according to Rabbi Eliezer, he saw that the sun was steadily diminishing and thought the world was coming to an end.
3. Julius Caesar arranged the Gregorian calendar but erred by 11 minutes a year. After 1600 years, they realized they had an error of twelve days, so they moved it by 12 days; therefore, there is Nittel Katan (the small Nittel night—December 24th) and Nittel Gadol (the large Nittel night—January 6th).
4. The Tzaddikim (righteous ones) see the light all at once and contract it for the weak. According to Beis Shammai, on the first day of Chanukah, we receive all the light. Therefore, they light eight candles on the first day. This is the secret of "Av or Ach" (Father or Brother) regarding the order of lighting—whether it is like Beis Hillel, where on the first day we light one, and then two according to the order, or like Beis Shammai, where on the first day we light eight.
5. It is written that David is in the middle with Avraham and Yaakov on both sides, and if Yitzchak were also there, he would have conquered the entire world.
6. Midrash Rabbah on Tehillim (Psalms): It is written, "Who will lead me to the besieged city, who will lead me to Edom." And once it is written "fortified city." David said, "Let me conquer Rome." Hashem said to him, "It is impossible, otherwise they will commit sins and there will be nothing left to destroy."
7. Every day we go at seven to the municipality with three large signs that say "We want a synagogue." They will say The Tikkun HaKlali (The General Rectification) and selected chapters of Psalms.
8. One must study 8 pages of Gemara (Talmud) every day. Everyone used to hide games under the table; I used to hide a Gemara under the table.
9. Einstein would study everything during the break; in the end, he was bored during the lessons, so he acted out. Eventually, they sent him to Switzerland, saying he had a lung disease.
10. Everyone needs to know the distances of the sun and the moon. The sun is 148 thousand kilometers, which is the gematria (numerical value) of Nachman. And the moon approaches us now in the winter by about 4000 km.
11. Therefore, Adam HaRishon celebrated Chanukah twice until Enosh came and turned it into a holiday where candles are lit—the gentiles turned it into the holiday of Saturnalia.