Kislev/Hanukkah 5780
Dear Leyv Ha-Ir Hevre/Community,
In a few short weeks, we will be filling our homes with light as
we kindle our Hanukkiot. Hanukkah is a beloved, but somewhat mysterious
holiday. The rabbis of the Talmud were apparently unsure what the occasion was
for celebration in the eight days following the 25th of the month of Kislev. They asked: mai
Hanukkah? What is Hanukkah [all about]? They answered their own question by
explaining that on the 25th of Kislev, the [Syrian] Greeks had captured
and trashed the Temple in Jerusalem; the oils used for lighting the Menorah
[lamp] were defiled. When the Hasmoneans [Maccabees] recaptured the Temple,
they sought to light the Menorah to rededicate the sanctuary, but found only
one small vessel of oil, whose contents were enough for only a single day. A
miracle made it possible for them to use this tiny bit of oil to keep the lamp
burning for eight days. The following year, an eight-day holiday of gratitude
was decreed.
This tale of light wondrously pervading dark days has deep
resonance for our time. But there is another mystery to be solved. Rabbi David
Hartman, a great 20th century Jewish thinker, notes that the
eight-day length of the holiday is surprising. Hartman points out that on the
first day, it was to be expected that the light would burn. It was the seven
days after the first that were miraculous.
Hartman suggests that, in fact, the first day was the
most miraculous one. What was amazing was that the Jews chose to light the lamp
with the tiny cruse of oil, even knowing that it could not possibly last until
the Temple had been rededicated. They chose to act even when they could not
imagine that their mission would be completed. The real miracle of Hanukkah was
the courage and faith of our ancestors, who used what they had and did what
they could to restore holiness in their midst.
In our fall education series, Be Strong and of Good Courage:
Finding Our Grounding in Dark Times, we’ve been exploring practices that can
help us to be resilient amid discouraging and frightening events around us. The
miracle of the first night of Hanukkah can serve as an inspiration to us. May
we, like our ancestors, find the courage and faith to use our individual and collective
resources to bring light to our world.
I look forward to exploring activism as a spiritual practice
in our December 8th education session, and to celebrating Hanukkah
on Friday, December 27.
In blessing and hope,
Rabbi Dayle
