From the “Torah Wellsprings” of Rav Elimelech Biderman, shlita

Enjoying Shabbes: Hashem’s Chanukah Gift to Us

   One of the presents we received on Chanukah is our ability to connect to and enjoy Shabbos properly.

   Before Chanukah, our Shabbosim lacked some of their brilliance. 

   The Shabbosim until Chanukah are alluded to in the words, "The earth was תהו ובהו, empty and void," Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin zy'a said in the name of his father, Rebbe Shalom Shachnah of Pravitch zy'a.

   Sometimes Yidden find it hard to tap into Shabbos' holiness, which is Hashem’s name, because Shabbos is an extremely exalted time.

   How can a person ascend to this high, holy place? 

   Throughout the eight days of Chanukah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu raised our levels, so that for the rest of the year, we can fully experience Shabbos.

   Hashem did this, keviyachol, by lowering Himself more than ten tefachim [to Yids’ levels], catching the light onto us, and drawing us up. 

  This is the explanation of, פתילות ... שאין מדליקין בשבת מדליקין בהן בחנוכה, “wicks that don’t light on Shabbos, one may light them on Chanukah.”

  The wicks are like Yidden who weren’t becoming illuminated on Shabbos, but who were lit up during Chanukah.

  Over Chanukah, "Hashem said, ‘There should be light,’ so that we can attach ourselves to the holiness of Shabbos.