“…What is our job on Chanukah? What is expected of every Jew? If we do not understand the essence of the day, we can in no way hope to carry out our task. And it would be a terrible dishonor to allow another Chanukah to pass us by without accomplishing as much as we possibly can. This, then, is the general aim of this book. To delve together, as chavrusos – partners, into the topics and ideas of Chanukah in a humble attempt to formulate personal goals regarding the true purpose (or purposes) of Chanukah and to arrive at a deeper, more authentic appreciation and understanding of this special holiday.
Chanukah always was, and continues to be, a beacon in the long night of our exile. It is not insignificant that Chanukah has been nicknamed the “Festival of Lights.” Let this be our goal, with the assistance of Hashem, to discover and reveal the true essence of Chanukah.”
- From the Introduction
Title: A Beacon in the Night
Author: Rabbi Lipman Podolsky
Retail Price: $11.95
ISBN 0-9779629-4-6
ISBN13 978-0-9779629-4-5
Trade Paperback, 6×9, 173 pages; includes footnotes
Rabbi Lipman Asher Podolsky zt"l
6 Av 5726-13 Iyar 5767
July 27, 1966 – May 1, 2007
“Bangor, Maine is not a place—it is a state of mind,” was his oft-repeated response when Lipman was asked about his origins. The oldest of four children in a secular family, he took to Yiddishkeit like a fish to water and was the inspiration that led his family onto the proper derech. After Hebrew Academy Day School (Bangor) and New England Academy of Torah (Providence, Rhode Island), he attended Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York). Disillusioned with academics, he discovered he had a passion to learn in Yeshiva. Yeshiva University followed and led him to Yeshivat HaKotel (now Netiv Aryeh). From there, he never looked back; Israel became his permanent home, but as much as Yerushalayim was inscribed on his heart, “Bangor, Maine” was, by his request inscribed on his matzeva.
After Yeshivat HaKotel, Lipman spent the next eight years learning in Yeshivat Torah Ohr under the tutelage of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Shlit"a, eventually becoming mashgiach of the overseas program. During this time he would come to Yeshivat HaKotel to deliver his famous Thursday night schmoozen. He later joined the staff of Yeshivat HaKotel/Netiv Aryeh becoming a full-time rebbe. He also lectured at the Aish HaTorah Discovery Program and taught at the overseas program of Michlala College for Women.
In the final months of Lipman's life, he became increasingly bedridden. During one of our conversations, when it was clear to us how weak he had become, we urged him to rest, stay at home, and not push himself to go to the Yeshiva. He responded angrily: “You don't understand. If I can't go to Yeshiva, I have nothing more to live for.” While his entire forty years certainly testify to his commitment to Torah and mitzvot, it was his absolute need to learn and teach—in spite of excruciating pain, endless coughing, and extreme exhaustion that taught us more about him than we had ever realized. He truly "lived life as it should be lived.”
The Podolsky Family
Bangor, Maine