Lessons for Today
The Chanukah lights are more than a simple reminder of miracle in days gone by. They provide for us, in our time, inspiration in our time to enrich our life in making our own lives and community a brighter, happier peaceful place to live in.
Searching for Meaning
On Passover we hold a candle and feather and we search for Chometz, bread crumbs around the house. On Chanukah we take our candle and we search for the soul - the good - the G-dliness in ourselves and in the world around us.
Spreading out
The Menorah is to be lit either in the doorway, or in a front window; it can be seen outside in the street. This teaches that it is not enough to bring light into our own domain, we must spread the light and warmth to the outsiders as far as our influence can reach.
Adding life to our life
Each night of Chanukah we add another light to the Menorah until all eight lights shine. From this we learn we must never be satisfied with our accomplishment - we should always be on the increase - going from strength to strength deepening our commitment to our values and traditions.
|
|
Illuminating the Darkness
The Chanukah Menorah should be lit only after nightfall - this signifies that our purpose in this world is to illuminate the darkness. Even in exile, faced with a tremendous challenge, we are able to overcome it - meet the challenge and reveal its divine purpose.
The Oneness of the Menorah
Our eyes note the "oneness" of the Menorah construction, symbolizing the essence of unity. Each branch on the Menorah represents numerous types of personalities, our customs, our cultural milieu, our temperament, yet at our basic "substance" we all reach into the same stem, our spiritual essence, we are one!
The Origin of the Dreidel
During the history of Chanukah, the enemy decreed that the teaching or study Torah was a crime punishable by death or imprisonment. But the children defiantly studied in secret and when the enemy patrol was spotted, they would pretend to be playing an innocent game of Dreidel.
Dreidel The Spin on Life
Each letter represents another rule on the game. It also represents the game of our own lives. There are times we reach a "Gimmel" we get everything. Then there are times of we fall on a "Hay", we gain a half. Life can give us a "Nun" nothing or even a "Shin", when we must put in and make our contribution. Whatever side we fall on - we remember its all part of lifes experiences - we get up, we must keep on spinning and with enough stamina make the spin.
|
