Zot Chanukah is often treated as the end of Chanukah. But Chassidus teaches the opposite: this is where it finally begins.
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore the hidden depth of Zot Chanukah through a striking Belzer custom: singing Mizmor L’Todah specifically on the final night of Chanukah. Why does gratitude wait until now? Why wasn’t it possible earlier?
We uncover a powerful idea: for the first seven days of Chanukah, Am Yisrael was still unable to fully say “thank you.” They were impure, the Mizbeach wasn’t ready, the Beit HaMikdash itself wasn’t yet fit for korbanot. Everything was preparation.
Only on Zot Chanukah, when the Mizbeach was finally completed and Klal Yisrael became pure, could everyone bring a Korban Todah. Thousands of pent-up thank-yous, from years of waiting, finally poured out in one day. Zot Chanukah became a national Yom Tov of gratitude.
This teaching reframes the avodah of today:
Not waiting for a perfect ending to say thank you. Not postponing gratitude until the picture is complete. Learning to give thanks as soon as it becomes possible.
Zot Chanukah isn’t closure. It’s commitment. It’s the beginning of a year lived with awareness, humility, and gratitude.
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