Musar para sa Mga Bilang 8:2

אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות . We read in Proverbs 20,27, נר ה' נשמת אדם, that "the soul of man is the light of G–d." One needs to see to it constantly that one's soul is lit up through the study of Torah and the performance of מצות. The body of man is somewhat like the shape of the candelabrum. The Menorah had three protrusions on its stem, the arms that extended from its center. It also had a small elevation as its platform. In a similar fashion man's feet, arms and ears are three protrusions. The torso containing the heart is similar to the stem of the Menorah. Its height of 18 handbreadths is equal to the average height of a fully grown person, as stated in Tosaphot in the Talmud Shabbat 92a.

And Matatyah [Matthaeus] is also hinted to in the sacrifice of the chieftains, in the [Torah] reading of the first day of Chanukah: And the chieftains of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, brought (Numbers 7:2). The numerical equivalent of "their fathers' houses," is Matatyah, and the miracle happened by way of the high priest, Matatyah. So the Holy One, blessed be He, hinted about this miracle to Aaron, who was the first high priest, with the matter of When you raise up the lights (Numbers 8:2), as was written by Ramban. And likewise, Aaron's place was originally in Majesty [Hod], but he rose up very high afterward. And so is it taught in Tractate Derekh Eretz (Zuta 1), "Seven forefathers were makers of covenants, and these are them: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Phinehas, and David." And they are the seven sefirot of the structure, and there are seven circles on Hoshana Rabba [based] in their secret. And the Sephardim have liturgical poems about this, one of them [for] each circle, [there] Aaron is in the aspect of Majesty, but afterward, he rises to Kindness [Chesed], as it is stated: Let Your Tummim and Urim be with Your man of kindnesses/piety (Deuteronomy 33:8). This is just like our teacher Moses, peace be upon him, arose to the trait of Splendor [Tiferet], in the secret of Knowledge [Daat] above. And behold that [God's] name [with the numerical equivalent] of 72, from the side of Kindness, is like the numerical count of Kindness. And so too [regarding] Judah the Maccabee, who did great heroic acts with the help of God, may He be blessed, Maccabee also equals 72. And the first initials of, Who is like you Lord (Exodus 15:11) are MaaCaBI. MaaCaBI is also the letters of BoChIM [crying], the first initials of blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place (Ezekiel 3:12). (And it appears to me that it hints to that which the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said [Sanhedrin 110a], "One who argues against the monarchy of the House of David is like one who argues against the divine presence." For behold, the sin of the Hasmoneans was that they took the monarchy for themselves. As monarchy had already been decreed for the tribe of Judah, as Ramban [discusses] at length in Parashat Vayechi, on the verse, The scepter shall not depart from Judah [Genesis 49:10]. And this is the hint from Maccabee crying, blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place, for blessed is the Lord forever, Amen and Amen [alluding to Psalms 89:53]. But the matter of the Hasmoneans did not blemish the glory of the divine presence through that which they took the monarchy, since their glory was for [the sake of] the Heavens. Their matter was rather only like an error that comes out from the ruler.) And great miracles were performed through these holy priests, and they brought back the crown of the Torah to its former [glory] and the performance of the commandments. And it is written: The commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light (Proverbs 6:23). That is why the miracle in the temple was revealed through the menorah.

It is preferred [fulfillment of the] commandment to specifically seek olive oil to light the candles, even [if one] must buy them at much expense, and not light with wax candles or with other oils, but rather only with olive oil. For the miracle in the Temple was done with olive oil. And this is also what I found [to be true], and this is the tradition I received. And a hint to the thing: Chanukkah is called [such] because they rested [chanu] on the 25th [kah], as it is written in the Tur [Orach Chaim] 670. On the 25th [Bekah], has the numerical equivalent [gematria] of clear [zakh, and it is written: and they shall take to you clear olive oil (Exodus 27:20). And also: When you kindle the lamps, etc. (Numbers 8:2), also hints to the lights of Chanukkah, as Ramban writes, at the beginning of [Parashat] Beha’alotecha. Hence it should be with olive oil like it was with the lights of the menorah.