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Today’s synonym for light is (last, but absolutely not least) inspiration / spirituality.

There was a machloket (a disagreement) between the houses of Hillel and Shammai as to what order the candles on the Chanukiah should be lit on Chanukah.  The house of Shammai stated that the holiday should begin with all eight candles lit, decreasing by one candle each night until there was one flame on the last night of the holiday.   This was because, according to Shammai, one begins with the “days remaining;” – the “maximum potential” of the commandment. Or, another interpretation is that it represented the waning power of the Greeks over the Jewish people.

The house of Hillel argued that we should light the candles the opposite way, beginning with one flame and working our way up to eight (nine if you count the shamash).  Hillel believed that you begin with the “realized potential” of the mitzvah.  As the Maccabees purified the Temple during those eight days, the presence of G-d in the Holy Temple increased.   Or, you can also see it as representing the Maccabees.  What began as a small band of rebels grew to a large group.  As we well know, Hillel won the argument, and as a result, the days of Chanukah grow increasingly warm and beautiful with each passing night.

The eighth night of Chanukah often strikes me as a particularly lovely, inspiring, and spiritual time.  On the first night of Chanukah, the two lonely candles were barely able to pierce the darkness of the room in which they burned.  But on the eighth night, the room dances in the reflections of the flames.  As the warmth and light has grown, so too can our spiritual connection as we move past the holiday into the cold, but steadily lightening days of winter.

May you share your winter in the warming presence of loved ones and friends and may your secular new year be a sweet one.

Happy Chanukah!

Today’s synonyms for light are clear / lucent.  It has become a common practice today for people to greet one another throughout the month of December by saying, “Happy Holidays.”  It is wonderful that we live in a culture that is so inclusive and understanding of the multitude of faith traditions that live in our world.  Unfortunately, we have become such a faith melting pot, that we have begun to see our symbols meld, and in towns across the United States we see the “holiday tree”  adorning the town square.  I think as part of exploring the theme of light, it is important to bring some clarity into what the tree is meant to represent rather than viewing it as merely a symbol of the season.  Symbols are an important enrichment to the holiday and overly neutralizing them can dilute the character that makes a holiday enriching to those who celebrate it.

Here are what the Christmas symbols historically represent:

The evergreen tree – the rebirth of Jesus after the crucifixion.

The wood of the tree – the cross

The 5-pointed star – the star which the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus

The tinsel – angel’s’ hair

The color red  – the blood of Jesus

Christmas presents – the gifts brought by the wise men to the baby Jesus

(special thanks to Rabbi Beal for sharing this information in an article)

Here are what the Chanukah symbols historically represent:

The Chanukiah (or Chanukah menorah) – the miracle of the eight days of burning oil when the ner tamid (eternal flame) was lit to rededicate the Temple

Potato Latkes or Sufganiot (jelly donuts) – foods cooked in oil to remind us of the miracle

Dreidel – a top containing the hebrew letters nun, gimel, hay, and shin (or in Israel pey) representing the Hebrew words neis gadol hayah sham (or in Israel po) – A Great Miracle Happened There (or Here).

Happy Chanukah (or if you celebrate it, Merry Christmas)

The fourth set of light synonyms is humorous / cheery.  We can often bring light into our lives and that of others through humor.  Adam Sandler knew it well when he wrote his Chanukah song.  A quick Google or YouTube search will turn up a lot of funny and fun videos and songs about this holiday.  Science has shown us that laughter really is the best medicine.  It lowers blood pressure, raises endorphins, increases blood flow, decreases stress, and can even lower blood sugar (something much needed after eating all those latkes and sufganiot – jelly donuts).  So, get out there and laugh a little – it’s good for you!

OY!

Some other synonyms for light are  bright or brilliant.  We often become so caught up in gift buying and the children’s version of the Chanukah story, that we forget what the real history of this holiday is.  As I mentioned in last year’s Chanukah post, “The story of Chanukah marks a time when the Greeks were trying to assimilate the Jews.  They wanted us to worship their way.  They wanted us to decorate the Temple their way.  The Jews revolted and took back their sacred space, rededicating it to the Jewish religion.  Chanukah is a celebration of Jewish uniqueness and our ability to maintain our own identity in the midst of the wonderful cultures by which we have been surrounded over the centuries.”

Head on over to one of my favorite websites, MyJewishLearning to learn a lot more about this holiday.  This website gives you history, practical information (like how to light the candles and play Dreidel), holiday vocabulary, recipes, and more.  You can also find wonderful information on the Union for Reform Judaism’s website.

We are known as “The People of the Book” because of our great tradition of study and learning – so go study.  And then head over to the comments section and tell me one new thing that you learned about Chanukah from your study.

Happy Chanukah!