A Collection of Rebbe Nachman's Teachings about the Awesome Days of Chanukah (based on Likutei Etzot)
A. Through the mitzvah of kindling the lights of Chanukah one can recognize the glory of God. His glory is exalted and magnified in the world. Those who were distant from Him are stirred to return. We can attain true fear of Heaven, harmony in the home and genuine prayer. Strife and malicious slander are banished and universal peace spreads in all the worlds (Likutey Moharan 14).
B. Through the mitzvah of kindling the lights of Chanukah we draw down holy da'at, the knowledge/awareness of God, upon ourselves. This da’at is “the goodly oil” (Psalms 133:) of memory, whereby a person at all times bears in mind that everything in this world, both in general and in particular, has meaning only in relation to the World to Come (LM, 54).
C. The days of Chanukah are days of thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving and praise are the main delight of the World to Come. They cause the light of truth to shine: we can pray in truth and learn Torah in truth from the lips of the true tzaddik, and marriage unions are formed in truth. These three rays of truth send light to the different facets of speech and bring the faculty of speech to perfection. Through this we are able to bring the holiness and joy of Shabbat into the six days of the week. Then the simple unity of God is revealed. All these tikkunim are brought about by the kindling of the Chanukah lights, and the praise and thanksgiving which we offer on Chanukah. How precious it is if you merit all this on Chanukah and bring about these awesome tikkunim (Likutey Moharan II, 2).
D. The prayers to God to forgiveness on Yom Kippur help us to experience the holiness of Chanukah. The reason is because the theme of Chanukah is the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (chanukat Beit Hamikdash), and on Chanukah we actually can draw the sanctity of the Holy Temple upon ourselves. But it is only possible to do this when our sins are forgiven, as they are on Yom Kippur. The awesome teaching which the Holy Temple embodies and declares to the world is that “Hashem is the True God:” in all His aspects He is One. This knowledge can free us from the grip of sin. Nowhere is God’s love for Israel more clearly revealed than in the forgiveness of sin. When we radiate the holy knowledge of God’s unity to our children and pupils in this generation and in all the generations of the future, we can come to a vision of the transcendental levels of holiness, the holiness which is beyond this world and encompasses it. This vision is a foretaste of the bliss of the World to Come. It is through the lighting of the holy olive oil of the Chanukah lights that we come to perceive these levels and then our very lifeforce and sustenance are drawn from the Hashem's Supernal Will. We can be worthy of receiving an awesome revelation of God’s Will and favor at the very time we are eating. We long and yearn for God with a desire that has no bounds. But only if you are close to a true tzaddik who is filled with genuine love can you come to attain these high levels on Chanukah. How fortunate one is to find such a tzaddik! (7:11).