The Wondrous Miracle

Oneinfocus wishes you a Happy Chanukah:

The miracle of Chanukah is not simply commemorated every year. 

Rather, it is relived with the wonder and excitement of a child,
as if each time is the first.

Chanukah is such a wonderful holiday!! The messages are so fundamental and the teachings of Chassidus about Chanukah are so tremendously deep.

This weeks caption is obviously not something which applies exclusively to Chanukah, but is the attitude we need when approaching all Jewish holidays. Time in Judaism is not linear, but rather cyclical or like a spiral. We re-experience each festival and re-connect with the specific energy and theme for that time of year.

The candles burning bright:

In Kabbalah, light is used as an analogy for the expression of G-d. We say "G-d's light is shining or withheld." The reason is because even though light is a creation, it is very unique. It doesn't take up space like other things, but it's presence can transform a situation. Light sets the mood. Light brings warmth. In so many ways, light parallels G-dliness. 

From the story of Chanukah, light represents the holiness and sanctity of Torah. It was this dimension, the inner-most valuable dimension, that was attacked by the Syrian Greeks. Judaism as a culture was encouraged and supported under Greek rule, but as something holy, something Divine, it was intolerable. 

And so, we fight fire with fire (pun intended). We light candles which are forbidden to benefit from. We do not light them to illuminate pages in a book, nor to see better. We light them for the simple message of light - sanctity, holiness, sacredness. It is this vital component which makes all that we do so meaningful. 

We wish everyone a very holy, illuminated Chanukah!

Good Shabbos, 

Dovid and Miri