God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3).
The 36 candles of the menorah correspond to the 36 hours in which Adam and Eve were bathed in The Primordial Light of creation. Today, as we turn on our own lights, we call forth a revelation of this now hidden and intense light. (12th century Kabbalist, R. Eliezer of Worms)
The Primordial Light of Creation is hidden in the 36 Chanukah candles. (B’nei Yissachar, Kislev)
Introduction
The mood of Winter shares with us the tender gift of returning to our inner womb, where our wisdom resides and from where our destiny will shine once more in Divine Timing.
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, invites us to turn our senses inward to find, cultivate, and rededicate our inner sanctuary. It is time to empty the accumulated garbage, to create an open and receptive space, and to cultivate an intimate relationship with our emotions as the sensory system of our soul. As we become more peaceful within, we take back our power, one candle at a time. The more supportive and nurturing our inner container is, the more Ohr HaGanuz, the Primordial Light of Creation will be available to us during this time of the year.
Spiritually, the eight nights of Chanukah are a cumulative and progressive process through which the light of the menorah grows to reveal the inherent light of Creation. The total number of Chanukah lights during the eight days is 36 (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8). As Rabbi Eliezer writes, these 36 lights awaken that same Primordial Light that illuminated Adam and Eve at the dawn of their creation, the first 36 hours of their existence. The Talmud teaches: “36 hours the Light served… and Adam HaRishon (Primordial Man) saw with it from one end of this world to the Other.” (Yerushalmi, Brochot 8:5)
The Midrash teaches that this intense light needed to be removed from the universe, hidden for a time yet to be realized. All this so that duality could exist and the evolution and purpose of the universe could unfold.
Since the obscuration of that Primordial Light, we yearn for it, we seek it and we pursue it, in our prayers, studies and meditation. Yet even in our darkest hours, we can access this memory born from the 36 hours that we, humanity as a whole, were bathed in this light. “Where was this Light going to hide?” asks the Midrash. He answers, “in the Torah.” When we immerse ourselves in the truth and wisdom of the Torah, in its inner radiance, we can experience this primordial Light of wisdom, purpose, and intent of creation.
The meaning of number 36 will lead us to a deeper understanding.
the name of god
The name of God in Hebrew is Elo-him (language of Moses)
The name of God in Arabic is Allah (language of Muhammad)
The name of God in Aramaic is Elahh (language of Jesus)
They all share a common root of three letters in Hebrew: Aleph, Lamed, and Heh. The gematria sum, or numerical value of the three letters, is 36 (Aleph – 1, Lamed – 30, Heh – 5).
Torah
Concept of light (one way or another), it appears exactly
36 times throughout the entire Torah (Rokayach).
Moses
It took Moses 36 days to explain the Torah to Israel (Seder
Olam Rabba 10).
Moses himself was born exactly 36 years after the oppression began in Egypt.
When Moses was born, it is said that the house was filled with light.
It is written there, “And she saw it, that it was GOOD”
(Exodus 2:2) and there (in Genesis 1:4) it is also written, “God saw the light, that it was GOOD” (Talmud; Sotah 12a)
Previous comment: “She saw him, that (he) was good” — “it” is the Ohr HaGanuz – Hidden Light of Creation, as a Presence that came into the world with Moses. (Sha’arei Leshem, p. 130)
The word in the Torah that is used to describe the Hidden or Primordial Light is “tov” which means GOOD. When it first appears in the Torah, the first letter “Tet” of “tov” (good) has a very unusual feature. The letter “tet”, like many other letters in a Torah scroll, has little “crowns” extending from it (what kabbalists teach to be an occult language of their own). What’s unusual about this card here is that it has four “crowns” instead of the usual three. According to the Kabbalist, the B’nei Yissachar, when the four is multiplied by the number nine (the value of “tet”) itself, the total is 36.
the patriarch isaac
Abraham was a righteous person whose life embodied the Hidden Light values of creation. But when Isaac was born, he was the first in history to be circumcised on the eighth day. Since eight represents transcending the physical, he became infused with all that “eight” (transcendence) represents, forever elevating him above the natural world. This is why he, at such a young age, guaranteed to see the Divine Presence as his father. Contrary to popular legend, Isaac was 37 years old when he was “sacrificed.” According to mystical lore, Isaac was a very willing and enthusiastic participant in offering himself as a sacrifice to G-d, and although there was no killing, Isaac left his body behind.
The event took place when Isaac was 37 years old, as he had already reached his spiritual climax at the end of a full 36-year life cycle. According to the Midrash, although Isaac had not physically died, a part of him transcended even beyond his earthly identity, causing him to be compared to an angel. The text says that he became blind after the Akeidah (binding, sacrifice). It was not physical blindness that he suffered from, but being “blind” to the garments of this existence, especially to the aspect of duality (this is why he was “blind” to the characteristics of his own twins, Esau and Jacob). The energy of 36 facilitates a non-dualistic consciousness since it is a light in which the Primordial Man bathed, before the “Fall”.
Rachel and Leah
The total number of years it took for Jacob to transform on his life’s journey was 36 (since he left home and then returned to his new family). (Rashi, Beresheet 28:9)
Jacob then meets his soul mate Rachel (archetype of free will), but is tricked into marrying Rachel’s sister Leah (archetype of destiny).
The gematria of the Hebrew name Leah (lamed-aleph-heh) is also 36.
The letters are also a rearrangement of the holy Name of God as mentioned above (Alef, Lamed, Heh).
According to Kabbalah, Leah is the biblical archetype of unexpected fate. It may not be what we choose to have happen to us in life, it is not even desirable, but when it is accepted and embraced (Jacob accepted her as part of her family) it is through her that her transformation occurs. It is through the influence of Leah that the tribes of Israel are born and Destiny is fulfilled. It is through Leah that the seed of the Messiah is produced (through Judah, House of David, etc.) who will eventually come to initiate humanity into an Era where the Ohr HaGanuz, the Hidden Light, will be revealed.
Now we look at Raquel who gives birth to only two children. Her first son is Joseph, and the youngest, Benjamin. However, Raquel dies in Bethlehem while she is giving birth to Benjamin, at the age of 36. It was at this age that Heaven felt that she had fulfilled her life path. Like Isaac, her grandfather, the legend tells of her absolute willingness to offer her life (an incarnation) for a higher cause (in this case, Benjamin).
In the story, Benjamin comes to represent Jerusalem and the Holy Temple as both were built on Benjamin’s tribal land. It also happens to be the exact same site (Temple Mount-Mount Moriah) where Isaac was willing to sacrifice his own life years before.
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is one of the most powerful energy vortexes in the world.
It is the same place where later in history the miracle of Hanukkah would take place.
Interestingly, Hanukkah is the ONLY Jewish holiday that takes place in ISRAEL, and specifically on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
The story of Hanukkah is barely mentioned in the entire Talmud. Less than one page is devoted to it, while other holidays receive full Treatises that review the holiday in depth and detail. The rabbis of previous generations tried to downplay the Hanukkah story for political reasons, but it would not go away. Today, it is one of the most popular and beloved Jewish holidays, treasured especially by children and mystics, guardians of the Hidden Light.
When does the story of Chanukah take place in history? In the 36th century of the Hebrew Calendar.
The 36 Hidden Saints (Lamed Vav Tzadikim)
According to tradition, there are 36 noble souls present in each generation who sustain, nurture and guard this Hidden Light. Those who keep it, remain hidden and unassuming as well. These 36 just are sparks of that Hidden Light. Through your refined awareness, this light, warmth, and wisdom flow and permeate the world.
Kabbalist Master – The Saint Ari (1534-1572)
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, the ARI, reverently known as Ari HaKadosh, was the lion of his generation and all when it came to revealing the depth of Kabbalah and his understanding of the Universe as a whole. To this day, no one comes close to his greatness and light in terms of revealing the metaphysics of existence contained in the secrets of the Torah.
For our own sake here, the ARI remained hidden for most of its life, until its magid, a non-physical guide, announced that it was time for it to reveal itself. He had received his mission to reveal the hidden when he was only 36 years old. He died about two and a half years later.
Conclusion
Our world is full of mysteries, and it is in the darkest months of the year that the most luminous energy becomes available. The hidden is revealed and its splendor is accessible to all those who wish to participate and be nourished by it.
Chanukah candles, unlike Shabbat candles, cannot be used for personal pleasure. “These lights are sacred. We should not use them for pleasure, we can only contemplate them” (Chanukah liturgy). Because these Hanukkah lights celebrate a primordial light, intact, that reminds us that higher forces are at work. It is our connection to these higher forces that replaces the false perception of separation and fear with experiences of unity, Divine assistance, and trust.
In the Earth school, we are in the process of learning and training to reach higher levels of consciousness. In fact, the lights of Chanukah serve as antennae for holiness, drawing in the energy of the 36. With each passing day of Chanukah, the light grows stronger and stronger. We place our lighted candles in the window as a beacon for all passers-by to remind the world that darkness can indeed be dispelled, darkness can be illuminated, and that it is the Light of God that will prevail in the end.
May the coming year be a new journey of discovery for all of us and may we leap with all our hearts into the evolutionary unknown holding our sails of faith and common love for each other.
In spiritual communion,
Rabbi Michael Ozair
Copyright 2004 – Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair
