On December 18, the Jewish communities of the world will begin to celebrate the most important holiday for the Jews – Hanukkah. It lasts eight days and is called the triumph of miracle and light.
It is based on the events of the 2nd century BC, when the Jews were able to defend their faith, as well as regain their main shrine – the Temple of Jerusalem. To illuminate the temple, it was necessary to light the menorah – the temple lamp. However, a suitable oil for him should have been enough for only one day, and then something happened that later became known as the Hanukkah miracle: the remaining oil burned for eight days until a new, ritually pure one was made.
We dedicate the days of Hanukkah to express gratitude to the Creator for His support and for the lessons He sends us. After all, the story of Hanukkah actually serves as a lesson about how important it is to have faith in one’s own rightness when it is justified, and how important it is to be able to defend one’s values in time.
This lesson has such a fundamental role in Jewish tradition that Hanukkah has become the only holiday whose commandment we specifically fulfill in public places in front of many people: we go out to light large eight-candle menorahs in the squares and put an ordinary menorah in the windows of houses. And also there is a custom to put a lamp to the left of the entrance to the house. At the same time, on the door frame of every Jewish house – on the right side – there is always a mezuzah – a small case with a scroll on which two passages from the Torah are written. It turns out that on Hanukkah, when a person comes to his house or visits, he stands between two physically fulfilled commandments. One of them blesses the house and its inhabitants, and the other illuminates its outer space.
That is, the commandment of her eight days is to illuminate precisely the outer space. This may seem strange in its own way: do we really consider ourselves so internally illuminated and pure that we can now take on others? Shouldn’t we take a look at ourselves before “enlightening” our neighbors? What is this moral right based on?
Objectively speaking, it would be really arrogant for a person to think that he has the right to bring light to others. This is a very serious mission, a full-fledged calling that requires righteousness and recognition from others. But still the commandment was given. What motivates us to perform it defiantly, even if the importance of historical events is self-evident? Why do we put the task of spreading light ahead of our own complete correction?
The problem – and this can really be called a philosophical or ethical problem – lies in modesty. Modesty is revered in Judaism and is considered a necessary trait for every person, but at the same time, in an excessive amount, it can suppress even a good beginning. Excessive modesty is called shyness – a state that interferes with a full life and, therefore, is inappropriate in the fulfillment of the commandments. The head of the Jewish sages Raban Gamliel taught: “The shy cannot learn.”
The Jews were commanded on Hanukkah to tell about the miracle, glorify it and show honor to the light. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, in one of his Hanukkah addresses, said: “Hanukkah candles cannot only illuminate the premises of the house, they must also shine outside, in courtyards and public places, so that the whole world can see how another commandment of the Almighty was fulfilled, how light was given, which spreads all over the world. All this would be impossible if we were embarrassed to publicly light Hanukkahs and express joy with dignity.
Thus, we must, with due modesty, find a reason to bring light through life. If we turn again to the history of Hanukkah, we will see that any source of light was not suitable for the re-consecration of the temple, pure olive oil was needed. In parallel, we note that for the fulfillment of the commandments, a certain amount of spiritual purity is also needed. The main catalyst for purification in both cases is a good intention, the desire to do the right thing. There was a negligible amount of oil in the temple, but the desire to follow their traditions and faith in success became a help to people. In the same way, the first step to living according to the commandments is a sincere desire to fulfill at least one of them.
When the Creator offered the Jews the Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept it without asking what it said. They replied: “Naase ve nishma”, that is, “First we will do it, then we will understand.” The people were ready to accept duty and in everything to coordinate their lives with serving it.
This principle also applies in the broadest sense: the mood of a person in relation to his life is dictated by the goals that he sets for himself. And if our goal is to improve ourselves, achieve spiritual purity, then we are already ready for correction. In other words, when we take on a high mission, the task itself transforms us. Any responsibility we take on transforms us in many ways. Even the highest, seemingly unattainable goals can be divided into steps that are commensurate with our strength.
This shows that we spiritually change for the better and gain strength when we become an instrument for a good task. This is both one of the key lessons of Hanukkah and the moral basis of our right to kindle light on her days: literally – with candles – and figuratively – in the souls of those around us. The main thing is to set a task, and the forces for its implementation will already be found in the process.
Congratulations on the upcoming Hanukkah! I wish that the light of spiritual purity touches each of you and that the feeling of a miracle is with you throughout all the days of the holiday!
The author is the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
The position of the editors may not coincide with the opinion of the author
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