The Bnei Yissachar's Connection To Chanukah

Once, after the long and joyous prayers of Rosh Hashana, Reb Yehuda Tzvi made a mysterious comment to his Chasidim: "During the lighting of the fifth Chanuka candle, if you will remind me at that moment, I will prepare a banquet for everyone!"

The Chasidim looked at their Rebbe and thought to themselves, "What is the connection between Rosh Hashana and Chanuka?" Others wondered, "Why a banquet on the fifth night? Why not every night!?"

The fifth night of Chanuka came and the Chasidim reminded their Rebbe of his promise. He immediately ordered a banquet prepared for all the guests. After many l'chaims someone stood up courageously and asked, "Rebbe, what is the occasion of the banquet?"

Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi explained, "I saw during the sacred prayers of Rosh Hashana that a tzadik (a righteous person) of our generation would be appointed one of the judges of the heavenly court. I knew there were three possibilities. Either myself, the Rebbe of Butzchatch or Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov. I prayed with all my heart to the Creator that I wasn't worthy to be a judge of the heavenly court. It wasn't clear to me what the heavenly decision would be until this moment. For as you all know Chanuka is the final seal of whatever happened on Rosh Hashana. Now I know that I wasn't chosen. That is why I have made this banquet."

Soon thereafter the news spread that the Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov had been chosen to be a judge of the heavenly court.

---

Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov was on his way to visit his Rebbe, the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin. During the journey he began to wonder from which of the Twelve Tribes he descended.

"Why is it," he thought to himself, "that as soon as Chanuka nears, I always experience a special spiritual delight? I cannot be descended from the Hasmoneans, for I am not of the priestly family. So where does this special feeling come from?"

Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech decided that when he was in Lublin, he would ask his Rebbe. Upon arriving at the Chozeh's court, before he even managed to say a word, the Chozeh said: "You are descended from the Tribe of Yissachar. As to why you experience what you do on Chanuka, it is because in the time of the Holy Temple you were a member of the Rabbinical Court of the Hasmoneans" for the Tribe of Yissachar traditionally supplied the scholars who manned the Rabbinal Court in Temple times.

That is why Reb Tzvi Elemelech entitled his learned book on the festivals, Bnei Yissachar - the Sons of Yissachar.