Let us explore a harmonizing correlation
between the joyous holidays of Chanukah and Purim.

             The main tribute of the leader in
the Chanukah story,  Mattisyahu ben
Yochanan, is that he was the Kohan Gadol. The main accolade of the leader in
the Purim story, Mordacai HaTzadik, is that he was the Gadol Ha-Dor. How do
these two important roles complement one another in avodas Hashem?  

                 Perhaps we can say that The Temple service,
as performed by the Kohanim is primarily the paradigm of how to take this finite
physical reality and elevate it, raising its inert sparks of holiness,
whereas learning and deriving Torah laws is primarily the paradigm of bringing down
and revealing an aspect of the will the Infinite and thereby instilling
holiness into this corporal reality.

               This
means that the Kohan’s quintessential role is to perform the Divine service
within the holy Temple and then those spiritual lights will radiate throughout
the creation, whereas one of the Talmid Chachim’s exemplary aspects of Divine service
is drawing down and spreading out kiddusha.

           These two Divine forms of avoda of The Bais
HaMigdash which elevate the kidduha and the Torah of the Talmud Chachom that
draws kiddusha down into this world complement each other, therefore it is very
appropriate that the very same beginning nusach of Al HaNisim is said on both Chanukah
and Purim.

               May the flame within our hearts
rise up like the narot of Chanukah thereby helping us to merit the decent of
the Bais Shlisi soon in our days.                 

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