By the Grace of G-d Kislev, 5741 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence. May G-d grant the fulfillment of your heart’s desire for good in all the matters about which you wrote. Especially as we have now entered the bright month of Kislev, highlighted by Chanukah, the Festival of Lights.

As has been pointed out before, the kindling of the Chanukah Lights, which is the first of the special Mitzvoth connected with Chanukah, is unique in the way it is performed, namely, in that a light is added each night of Chanukah. Although when one has kindled two Chanukah Lights on the second night, the Mitzvo was performed Mehadrin-min-hamehadrin (par excellence), yet the following night the number of Chanukah Lights is increased to three, and the next night — to four, and so on.

Thus, the Mitzvo of Ner Chanukah is especially significant in its message in regard to all matters of Ner Mitzvo v’Torah Or:

That even though a Jew has attained excellence in the performance of the daily Mitzvoth, one must not stop at that; for as a Jew grows older and wiser each day, he (or she) is expected to do even better than the day before. And, of course, there is always room for advancement in all matters of goodness and holiness, Torah and Mitzvoth, which are infinite in their scope and depth, being connected with the Ein Sof (The Infinite).

There is a further significance in that the Mitzvo of Ner Chanukah requires that the lights should be displayed also for the “outside.” The meaning of this, among other things, is to show that no matter how dark it is in the outside world—and never has it been darker than in our time — Jews are not disheartened. On the contrary, by strengthening our adherence to the way of the Torah and Mitzvoth, both at home and outside, and also spreading the eternal values of the Torah in terms of morality and justice which the Torah makes incumbent upon all humanity (the so-called Seven Mitzvos given to the children of Noah, i.e. all mankind), Jews can confidently look forward to the time when the darkness of our Golus, and the darkness of all the world, will soon be totally dispelled, with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, whose coming we are awaiting every day.

Wishing you and yours a bright and inspiring Chanukah, and to carry the light and inspiration of Chanukah into all the days ahead,

With blessing,

M. Schneerson