Hanukkah

Hanukkah and Purim belong to the Oral Torah.  That is, they are not mentioned in the Tanakh (Bible) but are ordained as holy days by the rabbis.  Considering they are non -Biblical holy days we certainly give them a lot of attention!  Why?

 

The Sefat Emet (nineteenth century) teaches that we are always in search of the life energy in each of us. Some go on long journeys to witness great events or places that inspire awe.  Some look for it in their travels to Israel.  We do not have to venture that far, tells the Sefat Emet, “A person must measure him or herself as though the holy being dwells inside.”  

 

The Hebrew word for candle is NeR.  This is an anagram that stands for Nefesh Ruach, the “soul of a being.”  

 

The candles that we light represent our innermost core.  That is why the Hanukkah light inspires us with such affection.  The flickering tiny wicks give off a radiance that is unequal to the lumens they emit.  

 

The lights are sacred as they mirror our soul.  Just like our soul, the bright and many distractions that surround it almost conceal the flame, but those lights on Hanukkah grip us and are deeply profound.

 

They not only cast light, they dispel darkness.  They bring us to a realization of the miracle of our being.

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The Rabbis understood how we are continual witnesses to sacred moments.  And each one of those moments (mo’ed in Hebrew) that we enact, we recreate within ourselves a Sanctuary where the Holy One lives.  In setting our Hanukkiah and lighting the candles we live in that moment, mo’ed, when the first wicks took flame in the Temple 2300 years ago.  That is meaning of the verse, “Let them make Me a Sanctuary and I will live in them.”  Exodus 25:8.  Our souls are joined with each generation of our ancestors even the first Hasmoneans to relight the menorah and are unbounded by place or time.

 

We are blessed with the kind of inherent vision that allows our inner light to perceive true greatness.  You can find in the early part of the morning service, “The soul You have placed within me is pure…”   That is our inner light that connects with the Hanukkah candles.

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So what does this all have to do with the Oral Torah, festivals and events not written in our Tanakh?

 

When you pray with a full heart you are acknowledging the presence of a miracle: God is moving in your life.

 

When you place food in your mouth and utter a beracha, you are allowing your soul to give voice to a miracle of sustenance.  Reading the Talmud recently I was struck by a statement made that the cause of the breakdown of marriages was often an empty pantry.  In that context, consider how rich you are!

 

When someone swerves out of your way because you were not attentive while driving and you return home intact, your life is evidence of a miracle.

 

A prayer: Awaken us to the flickering fire within us, God, so that we can perceive even our next breathe as a miracle.