Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Kislev II

“When Israel left Egypt,
Jacob’s family from among a people who spoke a strange language,
Judah became God’s Holy Place,
Israel, His realm.”

From Kavanot Rosh Chodesh KIslev:
“Rabbi Chaim Vital taught that when the Canaanite nations saw the procession, they ‘saw’ that Israel would leave Egypt and the superpower would fail. They saw the greatness of Israel and understood that Israel would always survive and thrive. (Sefer Halikkutim)

The Sages saw the eternal impact of the Chanukah story and understood that within those events lay the key for Israel’s survival through the long exile.

Kislev is the month in which we can access Divine Sustenance to appreciate the eternal Heavenly impact of our actions.”

Application:
“When Israel left Egypt,” describes each time we have survived and thrived an exile. It is a statement that just as we survived Egypt and continue to exist long after Egypt crumbled, so too, we will continue to exist and thrive long after our current enemies have disappeared from the face of the earth. This spirit animates the Chanukah experience before the miracle of the oil, when the Chashmonaim stoop up against the most powerful army in the world, the “Egypt” of their time. It is the spirit that inspires us even now with confidence that we will continue to flourish and achieve greatness.