Kislev: When darkness reveals the true light | Kislev 5786 (November-December 2025) | Third Temple
This newsletter is dedicated to the souls of the fallen and the murdered Israelis, along with the safe return of all the Israeli citizens held in captivity.
"To light up the Mountain, to kindle the Heart"
Hello friends!
The month of Kislev is upon us, and the small light of Hanukkah reminds us that there is one point of light in the world from which everything begins – the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount.
In this newsletter, we will connect what is happening now on the ground with the internal light of Kislev and Hanukkah.
Activities
Will Trump take part in the building of the Holy Temple?
Response of the White House Spokesperson
An unusual question about the future of the Holy Temple arose during the White House press briefing: Jake Turx, a reporter for "Family Magazine," wanted to know if President Trump had ever raised the topic of building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
The White House spokesperson, Caroline Levitt, smiled awkwardly and replied that "the issue has not come up." When asked for more details on the President’s position, she added: “I don’t know, sorry Jake.”
Although there is no clear answer from the White House, the very fact that the question was raised in one of the most sensitive places in the world reminds us that the longing and anticipation for the building of the Holy Temple continue to accompany the Jewish discourse – even in the corridors of power in Washington.
(From an article in "Israel Hayom")
What does the Darkness Represent in the Context of Hanukkah?
The Chazal teach us that the period of Hanukkah is paradoxically considered an exile, even though the Jewish people were in the Land of Israel. Indeed, during this time, the Greeks tried to make us forget the Torah—the source of Light—by forbidding three commandments (mitzvot):
• The Month – The significance of sanctifying the new month.
• Circumcision – The Covenant of Circumcision.
• The Sabbath
The acronym of these three commandments forms the Acrostic: Pentateuch
These prohibitions were intended to extinguish the spiritual light of the people of Israel and cast Israel into darkness. The Maccabees stood against this, and by relighting the Temple Menorah, they symbolically restored the light of the Torah.
The Greeks had a clear goal: to cast the people of Israel into the darkness of assimilation. Furthermore, the Greeks translated the Torah into their own language in order to take it out of its context and turn it into just one book among many.
What is this Light spoken of on Hanukkah?
At the beginning of creation, God created a wonderful light that made it possible to see from one end of the world to the other. However, out of concern that this light would be misused in the future, God hid it and saved it for the righteous in the future to come. Hence the name HaOr HaGanuz – The Hidden Light. This light illuminated the world for thirty-six hours during creation—the same number as the thirty-six candles of Hanukkah.
By lighting the candles just as it was once customary in the Temple, we are privileged to experience that same light again and transmit a message of peace to the whole world, with the hope that soon we will also light the Menorah in the Third Holy Temple. Amen!
(According to the words of Rabbanit Lea Benacom)
"A little light dispels great darkness" (Baal Shem Tov)
