The Inauguration of the Mishkan On each of the eight days of Chanukah we read from the Torah. The passage we read from deals with the gifts brought by the princes of each of the tribes on the occasion of the inauguration of the Mishkan. The Mishnah Berurah explains that the reason we read from the Korbonos Hanesi’im on Chanukah is because the building of the Mishkan was finished on the 25th of Kislev, the first night of Chanukah.
So, what is the connection between the Bais Hamikdash and Chanukah? A parallel is drawn between the inauguration of the Mishkan and the lighting of the menorah in the Chanukah story, which took place once the Bais Hamikdash had been recaptured and led to the inauguration of the second Bais Hamikdash.
This can be seen from the following: we see in the Torah reading on the last day of Chanukah that Hashem instructed Aaron exactly how to light the Menorah in the Mishkan. Rashi asks why this Parsha is juxtaposed to the previous parsha of the gifts to the Nesi’im. He explains that Aaron felt bad that neither he nor his tribe were involved in the inauguration of the Mishkan. Hashem consoled Aaron by explaining that his role was the lighting of the Menorah and that was greater than the avodah of all the other Nesi’im.
The Ramban explains why Hashem chose the simple avodah of the lighting of the Menorah to console Aaron, when the Menorah lighting could have been done by any of the Kohanim. Surely a more auspicious ritual would have been more appropriate for Aaron, such as the Yom Kippur ritual service which was exclusively done by the Kohen Gadol?
He explains that the kindling of the Menorah in this parsha alludes to a later Menorah, the Menorah of the miracle of Chanukah. Hashem was hinting to Aaron by giving him this mitzvah- there would be a time when the Greeks would overrun the Bais Hamikdash, and the Torah would be on the verge of being forgotten. It would be at that time, only through the Chashmenoim, who were descendants of Aaron, that the Greeks would be driven out, the Bais Hamikdash purified and the Menorah kindled once again.
This is how Hashem comforted Aaron; by telling him that his descendants would one day save the whole nation. The offerings of the Nesi’im were impressive but were only temporary whereas Aaron’s contribution would be continual.
This single act of lighting the menorah symbolized the miraculous saving of Klal Yisrael and the inauguration of the Bais Hamikdash. While the gifts of the Nesi’im were prior to the beginning of the service of the Mishkan, the lighting of the menorah was the actual beginning of the second Bais Hamikdash. In addition to this, both the gifts of the Nesi’im and the Ketores could only be offered up once the menorah was lit. They were therefore dependent on it. We can see clearly the importance of the lighting of the menorah to the inauguration of the Mishkan and through this understand the interrelation between the Torah reading for Chanukah and the festival itself. |
