Tonight We Light Four Candles.
The holiday of Hanukkah’s primary symbol is the miracle of light. In the second century BCE, the army of Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the ancient temple. A small army of Jews, led by Judah Maccabee, regained the temple, they wanted to rededicate and purify it. They found a tiny bit of oil to light the lamps, which they thought would only last one night. However, “miracle of miracles” (cue: Fiddler on the Roof), the oil and the light lasted eight nights!
Hanukkah is a holiday of miracles. In addition to the light lasting eight nights, the other miracle was that a small band of rebellious Jews were able to defeat the much stronger Greek-Syrian army.
While Hanukkah celebrates these miracles long ago, we must bring the idea of miracles forward into our own lives.
Every Day Miracles
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously wrote:
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed. We do not have to go far to find mystery. All we need is to regard things with a sense of wonder. We walk sightless among miracles.”
“We walk sightless among miracles.”
Heschel, God in Search of Man
The kind of miracles Heschel implores us to recognize is available to us every day: the fact that we are breathing, the trees in our neighborhood, the kindness of strangers. Things we may take for granted should be noticed and celebrated.
Journal or Discussion Question:
What are the miracles in your own life?
How might you slow down to notice?
Speaking Of Oil…
We celebrate Hanukkah by cooking foods with lots of oil: potato latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).
Here’s my favorite recipe for latkes (based on a recipe from Nach Waxman’s)
Seen here being made by our son Ben
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 Hanukkah 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
How do you get Beau to pose for each night so poetically? They really are picture card perfect!
Chag Urim Sameach!
First, he’s amazing. 2nd, treats . I’m delighted you like the photos of him. Chag urim sameach