Hanukkah

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, in writing about the rededication of the Temple after its defilement by the Greeks, describes how the Maccabees hoped and prayed that their actions “would be graced with a miraculous fire from heaven,” as had Moses’ dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and Solomon’s dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, centuries earlier. 

Yet no fire came. “Every day that the miraculous divine intervention did not occur,” Greenberg writes, “was a crushing disappointment” (The Jewish Way, 267). The lighting of the Menorah by human hands and with natural fire, then, came to represent and ultimately replace the lack of divine fire descending from heaven. 

Lighting the Hanukkah candles is continuing in that tradition, requiring our own human participation and initiative in the Jewish covenant. We cannot wait for God to bring warmth and light to the world; like the Maccabees, it is our sacred task to take on this sacred task. What will you do, after lighting your Hanukkiah, to help bring down the miraculous fire?

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Hanukkah VII

While we have the Book of Maccabees which tells of the fight against the Greeks, this book is not actually in the Bible, and Hanukkah is our only significant historical holiday without a corresponding book in the Bible.

Additionally, many people throughout our history have found the theme of military power to be troubling. The Rabbis sought to add more meaning to Hanukkah through the liturgy that we recite on the Shabbat of Hanukkah. This past Shabbat, the haftarah we read was from the book of Zekhariah, which concludes, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, said Adonai” (Zekhariah 4:6).

The Rabbis chose this message to remind us that it’s more important to celebrate God’s Spirit, and how that Spirit can move us in our lives, than it is to celebrate might or power. What are the ways that we can use God’s spirit as a motivating force in our lives?

As we light the Hanukkah candles tonight, let’s remember these words from Zekhariah, and think about how the light of the Hanukkiah can be a reminder God’s Spirit.

Hanukkah VI

A song called “Haneirot Halalu/These Candles” is traditionally sung after we light Hanukkah candles. In this song, we state that we light these candles to remember the saving acts, miracles, and wonders which God performed. We know that the way we remember these acts is through lighting the candles themselves, as if the light of the Hanukkiah has to power to bring us closer to our ancestors who lived through, and directly benefited from, these miracles.

This song also instructs us that we aren’t allowed to use the lights of the Hanukkiah for anything, but we can only look at them because they are sacred. Through looking at the lights we can offer thanks and praise to God’s Great Name.

This is a powerful statement and certainly counter-cultural. We are so used to deriving benefit from everything in our lives and not simply appreciating—looking, really—at the light. Tonight, let’s take some time to just look and appreciate. After lighting your Hanukkah candles, don’t rush off to make dinner or help with homework or watch TV. Just stand there and watch. We don’t use the candles for anything, and for at least just tonight, let’s let the power of the Hanukkah be sacred in their own right.

Hanukkah V

Though it’s hard to do in New York City, the original intention of the rabbis of the Talmud was that we would place our Hanukkiah right outside our front doorway for the world to see (although placing it in the window, even for the rabbis, was an okay substitute). 

The goal of the ritual was to show the light of the Hanukkiah with the entire world, for the purpose of pirsumei nisa: “publicizing the miracle.” Yet at the same time, this is a ritual we perform at home; even if we light candles at synagogue or in some other public space, we are still supposed to make sure we have lit them at home, too. Maybe “publicizing the miracle” is not only about sharing the story of the miracle of the oil and the Maccabees with the world, but also about finding a way to share our unique Jewish light – and the light of our home, our family, and our friends – with the broader world. 

As you light your own private candles tonight, find a way to make sure they can be seen. What miracles are you publicizing?

Hanukkah IV

In the ancient Tabernacle, in the desert between Egypt and Israel, stood the precursor to our Hanukkiah: the seven-branched Menorah stationed in front of the Holy of Holies. Like all of the details about the Tabernacle, the construction of the Menorah is described in intricate detail. Reading this section of the Torah, one can’t help but wonder: “why?” Why all gold and silver and linen of the Tabernacle, why the light of the Menorah and the incense and the sacrifices, why all of this for a God who has no need for physical things? 

The question still resonates today: why do any Jewish ritual at all? The rabbis of the Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 15) ask this question and provide an answer. According to the story, God tells Moses, “It is not on my own account that you need these lights; rather, I have warned you about them for your own good.” God doesn’t need the light, the story says; we do. The Hanukkah lights, like the lights of the ancient Menorah, are also meant to ignite something within us. What is lit up in you when you look at these candles?

The Maccabeats - All About That Neis - Hanukkah

1. Hanukkah 2014 begins in the evening of
   

   Tuesday, December 16

   and ends in the evening of
   

   Wednesday, December 24