![]() ![]() Surrounded by enemies who threaten to throw us into the sea and wipe out the State of Israel. ![]() Rounded into cattle cars and thrown into the burning ovens. Burned at the stake for holding onto our faith. Look what we see! Our Temple in Jerusalem destroyed, we were taken by chains to exile. If generations past would have had a looking glass into the future of the Jewish people they would cry out in anguished despair. It is this hope that allows our nation to survive. They could not possibly fulfill the Torah’s commandment to light a perpetual lamp.Īnd still, they refused to give up hope for tomorrow. They knew that there was obviously not enough oil and none for the morrow. The fact that the Jews did not despair of lighting the menorah the first day is an incredible message to us all. But the more you continue to hold your flame against the wick, the greater and more steady the flame. Live with passion for all that you believe in. Develop a connection with God in your life. Allow your children to see your love for our people and our Land of Israel. Create a home filled with the light of Shabbos candles dancing each week. The essence of Jewish education is the dedication of teaching Torah to the next generation. The word Hanukkah connotes ‘ chinuch’- education, as well as dedication. Like water on a rock making a tiny splatter that eventually bores through the stone, so too, will you impact this child. The menorah is asking us to keep on kindling until the child is able to ignite the fire within his soul and stand as a proud Jew on his own. This is the mission of every parent, every adult who has a child in our lives. When kindling the menorah, we need to hold the shamash, the flame, against the wick until it continues to burn on its own. Nourish your soul so that you will flourish as a human being. ![]() Add light to your life each and every day. The menorah asks us to continuously challenge our minds and hearts. How sad to coast in life, to be the same person we were 5 or 10 years ago, never developing, never transforming ourselves. To be a Jew means that we keep growing, to keep studying, to keep striving to make the world a better place. With this strength we were able to hold on to our sacred mission and grow great again. The Jewish people began to believe that it is Greek wisdom that holds truth.īut one pure jar remained, one remnant of truth, one spark of eternal Divine holiness that never departed. The Greeks defiled not only the oil but the hearts and thoughts of our nation. In Judaism on a deeper level oil refers to the wisdom of the heart and mind. The increase of lights demonstrates the enormity of the miracle that increased each night. Keep GrowingĮach night of Hanukkah we first kindle the newest light from left to right, each night adding a new candle until the final evening when the entire menorah is aflame. Search for the miracle and you will prevail. It may be a struggle but don't cast away your dreams and the people you believe in. Don’t stop trying to find the soul that lies deep within the heart of others. The miracle of Hanukkah proclaims that one must never stop striving. It’s so much easier to walk away than to continue seeking and pursuing our quest for greatness. We may have a person in our lives who is floundering. It could be a life dream, a desire to do something great, to be better or live better. We've all experienced the feeling of fatigue, as that little voice inside our heads tells us: just give it up. The searching for that one jug of oil is a miracle in itself. Shouldn’t we celebrate a seven-day holiday? Why do we light our menorah for eight days? After all, the first day was not a miracle. But a miracle occurred and the oil continued burning for eight days. They found only one sealed jar which would be sufficient to burn just one day. When the Hasmoneans defeated the Greeks, they searched the defiled Temple for pure oil sealed by the High Priest. ![]() Its light whispers to us to come close and listen to its wondrous message. Here are four contemporary insights to the meaning of the menorah. In a world filled with confusion, anxiety and hatred, Hanukkah gives us the gift of light. ![]()
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