Hanukkah reminds us how to face down hatred
As Hanukkah arrives this year, it’s a time to reflect on the message of positivity that the Festival of Lights brings.
Some may misinterpret what the Hanukkah story is trying to teach us. On the surface, it’s the story of religious freedom fighters waging a successful guerrilla campaign against their SyrianGreek oppressors, who had sought to impose the ancient Greek Hellenic religion on them.
But the way we observe Hanukkah today doesn’t reflect that. The holiday isn’t focused on chastising Hellenism. We don’t go around smashing idols of Zeus as the Maccabees did. Instead, we commemorate the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days once the Maccabees won the battle, rededicated the Holy Temple, and relit the menorah.
Hanukkah isn’t focused on negativity.
The focus is on bringing more light into the world. We welcome and sing the light into existence each evening with love, with family, sharing it with others through our windows.
And from there, we can let light do its thing. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, would often quote the adage that “A little light dispels a lot of darkness.” We don’t face the darkness head on. We bring light, and the darkness disappears on its own.
In my own life, as a teacher, I often observe that the greatest lessons I give over to others does not come from lectures but rather from my actions. As teachers, the connections, relationships and mentorships we create and nurture with others last far longer and have a far deeper impact than the lessons we teach. My students watch how I act, and how I interact. They’ll learn more from a positive example of how to act than from a lesson on what not to do.
I recently officiated at the funeral of a Holocaust survivor. When she and her father were being rounded up by the Nazis to be put in a ghetto, her father sent her off to flee, telling her to find a business associate of his. That business associate hid her for three years, saving her life at tremendous risk to himself and his family. The Nazis shot anyone they found harboring Jews, but this man’s business relationship with the girl’s father had led him to such a sense of respect and caring that he risked everything to save his daughter. The interactions her father had with this man later had life-changing impacts for her.
A lecture on the evils of antiSemitism wasn’t what turned that individual into someone willing to risk his life to save a Jew. It was simply what he saw: the light and beauty of Judaism, as exemplified by his Jewish business partner. Because darkness doesn’t have to be pushed away. It simply has to be exposed to light.
When you’re going through a challenging period it’s natural to think, “How do I counter this adversity? How do I fight back?” Chanukah isn’t about countering. It reminds us that light pushes away darkness not because it’s focused on battling with it, but because light illuminates instinctively. With our humble “hello”s or “how are you today”s, we welcome light into our world. We counter the darkness without even paying it heed.
We can do that too this Chanukah. By being a light, we shine a light for others. Through our actions, our respect towards another person, we light another candle. Imagine how different this world would be if we could all let go of our attention to negativity and instead simply do. Do good, and negativity will shrink away and disappear.
On Sunday, Chabad of Fairfield hosted a Hanukkah celebration with the lighting of a giant Hanukkah menorah at Sherman Green in downtown Fairfield, the first night of the eight-day holiday. The family-friendly celebration was to be preceded by a Hanukkah Story Trail, an audiovisual walking experience bringing the Hanukkah story to life. There wasn’t any effort made to directly combat darkness and hate. There wouldn’t have to be. Because the light of tolerance and mutual respect is so much more powerful.