December 13, 2024
With Hanukkah approaching, I have been reflecting on the theme of light. With our hostages now held captive in dark tunnels for 434 days, I am struck by the blessing of seeing light. The pain of this seemingly endless war endures in the soul of every Israeli and Jew around the world. The ongoing trauma brings great pain as we cope with the shame that October 7th brought upon Israelis. If we needed to understand the pain our ancestors felt when the Seleucid Greeks ransacked the Temple, placed idols in God’s House, and forbade the study of Torah, we need to look no further than the atrocities of October 7th to once again see our vulnerability. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, we were supposed to overcome the powerlessness we experienced throughout history. Perhaps the return of the hostages will restore our hope.
The English lyrics of Maoz Tzur, Rock of Ages, recall God’s might when our own strength failed. But in a world where God relies on humanity to act, when our strength and security failed us, we were overcome with shame. It took days for the IDF to ensure the safety of the border communities. The events of that day have left a dark cloud hanging over us.
Last year, the bakeries in Israel chose not to celebrate with full displays of sufganiyot. I do not know their plans for this year’s celebration. They certainly felt the darkness. And yet, despite the darkness that rests upon our souls, we light candles. The Hanukkah candles are supposed to burn for 30 minutes, and we are not able to use their light for anything (e.g., reading or lighting a room). The candles are meant to simply symbolize the fulfillment of the mitzvah of lighting candles. However, they do much more for us. In the book of Proverbs, we read that a commandment is a candle and Torah is light. When teaching about the meaning of this verse, 11th-century French commentator Rashi explains that just as light always illuminates, so does the merit of Torah stand for a person forever. However, the merit of the commandment is only for a limited time, like the light of the candle.
I am challenged by Rashi’s teaching. It is clear that the Torah represents the driving force for who we are, while the mitzvah, as represented by the candle, serves as more of a spark that has limited impact. The Torah endures because it is like an engine. However, the mitzvah can serve another purpose—it can light the engine in ourselves or perhaps in others. Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays because, for eight days, we gather at the Hanukkiah and bless and light the candles. For eight days, at the darkest time of the year, we bring light into the world. If that light can provide a spark in us to either find the light of Torah or help those around us who need some light in the darkness, then we have done an incredible act.
Over these next three weeks, I plan to reflect on different themes of light in these pre-Shabbat messages. I hope that the lighting of the Hanukkiah inspires all of us to bring our light to the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Rick Kellner