“You delivered the mighty into the hands of weak, many into the hands of the few” – Al HaNissim prayer for Chanukah
“We kindle these lamps for the miracles…which You worked for our ancestors…to give thanks and express praise to Your great Name” – HaNerot Halalu
Just as there are many colors in a flame (see Bartenura to Mishnah Berachot 8:5), there are many facets to the candlelight of Chanukah. The holiday speaks to us no matter the conditions we happen to be experiencing. Chanukah has been an inspiration in times of triumph and a consolation in times of trouble. In his poem Omrim yeshnah eretz/They say there is a land of 1923, Shaul Tchernichovsky (d. Jerusalem 1943) imagined Rabbi Akiva encouraging a recent immigrant to Eretz Israel by saying “you are the Maccabee.” There are stories from the Holocaust of Jews lighting a candle in honor of Chanukah, in an act of defiance and faith. The Gemara permits lighting the Chanukah lamps in private during times of persecution. Today, in Israel and the US, Chanukah is confidently part of public life.
This year, Chanukah must ‘wear a mask’ in recognition of the pandemic we are experiencing. The light of Chanukah still shines through. Two facets of that light bear special consideration. One is the theme of gratitude:
“The sages of that generation decreed that these eight days…should be days of…praise” – Rambam, Laws of Chanukah 3:3
No matter the challenges we face, we can always find occasion ‘to give thanks and express praise.’ Expressing gratitude has the added benefit of lifting one’s mood when things look dark.
Another important theme of Chanukah, I believe, is empathy.
“If a person must choose between Sabbath lights and Hanukkah lights, or between Sabbath lights and wine for Kiddush, the lighting of his home takes priority, so as to sustain peace in the house” – Rambam, Laws of Chanukah 4:14
“Shalom bayit”/peace in the home – is so important that it takes precedence, if need be, over the requirement to light Chanukah lamps! Shalom bayit requires me to think of the needs of my loved ones and to empathize with them.
The very last word in Rambam’s Laws of Chanukah is “shalom”—if we are blessed to enjoy Shabbos candles and Chanukah lights, Chanukah reminds us that empathy is a central piece of that blessing and joy.
I hope that your Chanukah will feature light and happiness, gratitude, empathy, and peace.
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