Hanukkah: A time to share the light
When you light another candle from a previous candle, you do not diminish your own candle. Holiday is for spreading joy and remembering God’s miracles
On Tuesday evening, we will begin celebrating Hanukkah, the annual Festival of Lights. This celebration memorializes the miraculous military victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greeks and the rededication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
In the temple, the Menorah, the ornate sacred oil lamp, was always lit with ritually pure olive oil. Legend has it that, in the rededication process, enough oil for only a single day was found, but, miraculously, this oil continued to burn for eight days until more oil became available.
Traditionally, this holiday is minor, but it is among the most widely known Jewish festivals because of its position on the calendar.
The main religious requirement for the holiday is to kindle a flame each night of the festival to celebrate and promote the miracles that the holiday commemorates. This is why many Jews place their lit hanukkiot, Hanukkah menorahs, in their windows, and why some Jews organize large public menorah lightings. We want to spread the joy of the holiday and the remembrance of God’s miracles.
For me, Hanukkah’s traditions lend themselves to a simple message: Be the light and share the light. Light is an amazing thing. When you light another candle from a previous candle, you do not diminish your own candle, you only add. Hanukkah is a celebration to share our light. We answer the darkness of the world with light. Hanukkah is a holiday when we are directed to look out into the darkness of the ever longer nights and say, “I am not deterred. I will answer this darkness with light. I will remove a portion of the darkness and inspire my neighbor to be empowered to remove some more.”
We are taught in the Mishnah, a major work of Jewish Law codified in the second century of the common era, “That is not upon you to finish the work nor are you free to ignore it.” The work the sage in the Mishnah is discussing is that of making the world a better place. We can look toward the darkness in the world and feel that it is all too much. We may have the thought, “What’s the use? I won’t make a difference, I don’t matter.”
Rabbi Tarfon, whose teaching I just quoted, tells us that we are not allowed to give up. We don’t have to dispel all the darkness. We simply have to do our part. Hanukkah is the reminder that divine light. We need to let it shine forth.
What does it mean to be the light? It is showing our best selves to the world and to ourselves. It means living a life of compassion, smiling, being open to the best that people have to offer and being present and open to each other.
We saw this light made manifest in Houston during the darkness of Hurricane Harvey. Strangers helping each other, people of every religious tradition helping each other. We need our light to shine. Indifference and despair can become an overwhelming darkness. We must not allow that to happen.
We see the coming darkness and resolve, “I am going to light my candle and dispel some of the darkness. Then my neighbor lights their candle, and together we can create enough light for which we can see one another.” The dark is a lonely void. Spreading light into the darkness telegraphs to others they are not alone. Just as a lighthouse beacon helps bring ships in for safe harbor, we can help each other into the safe harbor of community. We are a social species; we need each other. We cannot exist by ourselves. Lighting our lamps allows us to be seen and see each other.
Light is also joy. Joy is not something to be contained. Joy is something that, like light, radiates outward. It is contagious. We share our joy and wonder.
The light of Hanukkah can be understood as a perspective and outlook that are attuned to the miracles of everyday life: the freshness of new morning, the beauty of a shooting star or the rainbow of a raindrop refracting the light of the candles on your Hanukkah Menorah. Let the companionship of loved ones sustain and wash over us. Let us be joyful that we can be thankful for the blessings of our lives. Gratitude can lead to contentment and peace, which produces an inner glow to share with the world.
Light is also universal. All of us share in the benefits of the illumination of sun and stars. The sun nourishes the plants that provide us our air. We need light. This holiday reminds us of this basic need and compels us to share this bountiful resource with everyone.
Therefore, as we celebrate Hanukkah in the days ahead, let us look for ways to light our lamps. Together we will dispel darkness and be sustained. We will recall the miracles that happened in days long ago and be inspired to partner with God to create miracles in the days ahead.
Happy Hanukkah!