In the Haftorah of Behaalotcha, the prophet Zechariah offers a vision of hope to a nation in the midst of rebuilding. He sees a "great mountain" standing before Zerubbavel, leader of the returning exiles — a symbol of the overwhelming challenges ahead. But the mountain will flatten, and Zerubbavel will lay the final stone of the new Beit HaMikdash to the shouts of חֵן חֵן לָהּ - Grace, grace to it!
It's a surprising choice of words. Why not חזק, חזק - strength or כבוד, כבוד - glory? Why חן?
Rashi, commenting on Megillat Esther (2:15), explains that Esther possessed chein, a quality which causes someone to be universally beloved — each person sees them as one of their own. It's a grace that draws connection without needing justification. Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on Bereishit 6:8, where Noach is described as finding chein in the eyes of Hashem, writes that chein is not earned through reason or merit, but arises from an inner charm — a quiet spiritual radiance that awakens goodwill without force.
Zerubbavel's Mikdash was simpler than the one built by Shlomo, but it carried something deeper: perseverance, humility, hope. The cry of חֵן חֵן לָהּ wasn't about outward grandeur. The deep hope was that the act of rebuilding be seen with favor, that its inner beauty be recognized.
We all know people who are rebuilding — their lives, their faith, their strength. Like in Zechariah's vision, we have the power to help flatten the mountains before them — not always through solutions, but through chein: choosing to see their effort with empathy and grace - to honor their journey, and to speak words that uplift.
Let us be the voice that says:
"חֵן חֵן לָהּ" — I see what you're building. And I bless it with grace and grace.
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