חכמה מול בינה

There is the famous question of why is Chanukah 8 days if the miracle was only seven days?  The Ballei Mussar point to the words in the מעוז צור, בני בינה ימי שמונה that it is the בינה of the Hasmonaean that understood that even what appears to be normal is also a miracle and worthy of giving thanks for.  In the language of Rav Tzaddok, he says that the holiday is 8 days to correspond to the 8^th sefirah (going backward) of בינה.  Why is there this emphasis of בינה during Chanukah?  Why is the מנורה the symbol of victory over the Greeks?

The יונים had a certain סוג of חכמה that Chazal refer to it by its own name; חכמת יונית and Chazal decry it very much.  What is so bad about חכמת יונית?  Maybe the answer lies in the words בני בינה and חכמת יונית.  The battle between the Greeks and us is the battle between חכמה and בינה.  What on earth does this mean?!  חכמה is the initial brainstorm that comes to a person.  בינה is when the details are worked out.  For our applications, חכמה is the way things appear at first glance and בינה is when the details are worked out.  The חכמה of the Greeks is to analyze and study that which can be seen and tested by human eyes and minds.  However, that which can’t be seen or fathomed by the human intellect they don’t accept.   To see beyond that which is seen at first glance, to take a deeper look, wasn’t in their capability.  That is why the חכמת יון has no room for דברים רוחניים that can’t be measured on a scale.

The Kabbalists say that חנוכה is named for חנה כו.  Chana’s womb was closed, the connection between חכמה and בינה (connection between husband and wife,) wasn’t able to produce.  It is Chanukah that adds the בינה  toחכמה  and allows the results to come forth.

In the יום יום for ו' אלול it says: הצמח צדק סיפר: הבעל שם טוב מאד חיבב אור, ואמר: 'אור' בגימטריא 'רז', מי שיודע את הסוד שבכל דבר, מסוגל להאיר.  The lights of Chanukah represent that there is a secret, more than merely meets the eye.  That is the physical nature of light as well; it illuminates a dark room and shows a person there is more there than s/he could see in the dark.  It is the light of the menorah that represents that there is more than what can see by themselves; there is a עולם מלא  that goes beyond the human intellect.

Pharaoh calls Yosef צפנת פענח which according to many commentators means the one that reveals secrets.  Why is that the name given to Yosef?   Yosef’s success revolves around interpreting that which is hidden in messages of dreams.  Yosef is able to see the hand of Hashem guiding him through his twisty journey of life.