Opportunities Abound

Try to make today better than yesterday.  Search for opportunities to grow and deepen your roots.

Make a list of Shabbat opportunities. What can you tackle as a family or individual to enhance the meaning of Shabbat in your life?

Action (mitzvot aseh)

It is a mitzvah for the family to prepare for Shabbat and celebrate it together. Individuals should consider inviting friends were joining with others to celebrate.

It is a mitzvah to light Shabbat candles with the appropriate berakha, blessing.

It is a mitzvah to sing the Kiddush and welcome Shabbat with wine, in the home as well as in the synagogue.

It is a mitzvah to say the berakha over two hallot when starting a meal.

It is a mitzvah to have a special meal and say birkat ha-mazon (grace after meals) afterward.

It is a mitzvah to join the Congregation in prayer during Shabbat.

It is a mitzvah to maintain and enjoy the special quality of Shabbat throughout the day.

It is a mitzvah to recite Havdalah, concluding the Shabbat, over a candle, wine and spices.

What not to do (mitzvot lo-taaseh)

  It is a mitzvah to not engage in gainful work on Shabbat.

 It is a mitzvah not to perform household chores and Shabbat.

 It is a Mitzvah to refrain from shopping on Shabbat.

 It is a mitzvah to not participate in social, organizational events on Shabbat.

These are 12 different mitzvot.*  There are many more we can consider and choose. However these suggestions are a good place to start.

*Mitzvah means, that which we do in response to God’s ordinance.

Keep it Lit

Candles are small, almost insignificant in the incandescent lights shining from above.  Yet, when the lights are turned off they become defiant flames railing against the darkness.  That is the meaning of these tiny wicks aflame with fire.  They illume the darkness nights of the year with hope.

Two thousand two hundred years ago pagans overran the Temple in Jerusalem.  Filth and unholy totems filled what once was the place of the Divine.  The Maccabees fearlessly waged a war against the empire.  With few weapons and warriors but an abundance faith and hope the Maccabees defeated the idolaters, cleansed the Temple and relit the long extinguished lights of the Menorah.  With only enough precious oil to kindle the lights for one day they miraculously burned for eight nights.

To this day we light eight candles as reminders of the faith of the just.  The first light represents the tireless fight against injustice.  It calls us to waken and combat against the looming darkness of ignorance, apathy and godlessness.  It is a stubborn but resilient light that paves the way to illumination that grows with each passing day.  Such a small flicker gives us a sense of hope when we feel hopeless.

On each successive night to Hanukkah the flames grow bolder.  That is why we light two candles on the second night, three on the third and so on.  Once we have taken the first steps towards being true to our faith and G-d our inner resolve becomes stronger as we advance into more and more light. 

It is said that when the Holy Temple was recovered from the Hellenist forces the flames grew ever brighter with each passing day.  So it is on this Hanukkah.  So it is in our souls that reflect the light of the Menorah.

The holiday calls to our sacred soul to find G-dly nourishment in the light of the Almighty.  When we call upon the light, the Holy One fans the inner flames and helps them to grow exponentially.