Tonight We Light Four Candles.
Hanukkah is a celebration of miracles. There are several: the first is that during a time when the ancient temple was desecrated, a small quantity of oil that was only enough to last one night, actually burned for eight nights.
Another is the miracle that a small band of Jews was able to defeat the much mightier Greek-Syrian army in the second century BCE.
Thirdly, it is a miracle when we learn to be aware of the light inside of us. And fourthly, it is miraculous when we spread our inner light out into the world with hope and dedication.
Do you experience miracles in your life? How do you spread your own inner light?
Experiencing or Witnessing a Miracle
In Hebrew, there are two words for miracles: “Ot” א֗וֹת and “Nes“נֵּס / “nissim” ניסים (plural)
Both have to do with “signs” and “something that is lifted.”
The words for “miracle”, both in English and Hebrew, are about “seeing.” In English, “miracle” is from the Latin “mirus/mira” meaning “wonderful”, and “miraculum” meaning object of wonder.
Miracles are things we see or experience. We’re aware of the occurrence of the miracle. We SEE the miracle.
When have you experienced or seen a miracle?
How did it lift you up?
Our Inner Light is a Miracle
It is a miracle that we can shine our own inner light into the world. As the verse in Proverbs suggests, this spark of the Divine has been implanted within us for the very purpose of glowing brightly.
In this way, WE are candles on this earth. Not only are we encouraged to dig deep inside ourselves to discover our unique gifts, but when we offer them to the world, even in small ways, we spread much-needed illumination.
(27) The light of God is the soul of a person, searching all the inward parts.
Proverbs 20:27
נֵ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כׇּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן
The Miracle of The Oil
On Hanukkah, we eat foods cooked with oil, to remind us of the miracle that the oil lasted for eight days.
We fry our latkes (potato pancakes) in oil, and we eat sufganiyot (Israeli jelly doughnuts fried in oil.
Here’s my favorite recipe for latkes (based on a recipe from Nach Waxman’s)
Seen here being made this year by our son Ben
Oil – שֶּׁמֶן (shemen). This word has to do with fatness, fruitfulness, and abundance. And the meanings of the word for we use for anointing דָּשֵׁן (dashein) are: to be fat, grow fat, become fat, become prosperous, and to anoint.
We use oil for illumination, and anointing.
Anointing occurs at moments of sanctity, personal and collective. At the moment when we anoint a sacred place with oil, or when priests are anointed with oil, or when our head is anointed with oil by God – these are moments that connect us to the limitless abundance of the illumination that can pour forth from the light inside of us, and all around us.
Bringing Light to Darkness
From Our Community
Here are some favorite food memories from members of our Hineni Spiritual Community:
Latkes. But what I actually also love is the card with the recipe that has my mother‘s handwriting.
Shoshana Stombaugh
I am a vegetarian but I make a delicious brisket and taste a minuscule piece because my father loved brisket and I do it because it reminds me of him – deceased now.
Franny Alexander
My grandmother made the best potato latkes (my translation as she was not Jewish and called them potato pancakes). I’ve tried without success to recreate them.
Elizabeth Hornak
Latkes are our go-to. In my opinion the key to good latkes are lots of oil and shredded – never grated – potatoes.
Faith
Tonight at sundown, we light four candles. You bless, then light the shamash (helper candle) then four more.
Click here for the Chanukah Blessings to say each night.
Sign up for our Hanukkah emails, which you will receive in your inbox each day. Click here.
Happy Hanukkah,
Rabbi Jill and the Path With Heart team. Thank you to Rabbinic Intern Anita Barzman, MD for helping to write this night.
I love these pictures of BO enjoying the light!
Thank you for your words of encouragement Rabbi.
One of the ways that sparked the light in my life was reading Torah and learning more about Hebrew words and phrases.
I am amazed too at the lengths people go to in order to find meaning. I am inspired by dedication of these people.
I find myself that I am often not so dedicated and get sidetracked. Their light shows me a direction.
I see the miracles when I am not looking for them. Just like a spark. I am fascinated by the tool that lights a gas appliance you just press the button and a spark comes. Maybe we need to press the button Abba is asking us to press more often so that we can see the spark.