Hanukkah (חֲנוּכָּה), the Festival of Lights, brings increasing amounts of light into the world. While candles are lit all year long in observance of Shabbat and other holidays, Hanukkah is the only holiday where we light an increasing number of candles as the holiday progresses. Whenever a candle is lit, it is a signal to the family and the community that the moment is worthy of sanctification. We pause and reflect upon the connection we have to the holiday, to history, to our people, and to values that are symbolized by the light of the holiday.
- The lights of Hanukkah connect us to the story of Hanukkah, by reminding us of the Menorah of the Temple that was the Eternal Light (Ner Tamid נֵר תָּמִיד). During Syrian/Greek occupation, the Temple was desecrated by the governing authorities in a process of Hellenization and an effort to ban Jewish practice. The Menorah of the Temple had seven branches, but our Hannukah Menorah (Hanukkiah חֲנוּכּייָה) has eight branches and one more for the helper (Shamash שַׁמָשׁ) candle.
An Israeli stamp depicting an image
of the Menorah of the Temple.
- The lights of Hanukkah remind us of the miracle of the single cruse of kosher oil in the Temple that burned for seven more days than it was supposed to burn, and of the miracles in our lives today.
- The lights of Hanukkah symbolize the values of hope and courage that the Maccabees embodied during their fight for religious freedom and their devotion to the rededication of the Temple. The fight over religious freedom differs from previous battles that were territorial in nature.
- The lights of Hanukkah inspire modern Jewish thought to include the understanding that light can emanate from a person's soul. Light can give us energy, clarity, vision and inspiration. The light of the menorah is connected to our ability to kindle the sparks of our soul even in the darkest of times. Therefore the light from a Hanukkah menorah is not meant to be used for mundane activities such as reading or counting money.
- The lights of Hanukkah represent pluralism. When we light the menorah, we remember the lesson of respect and democratic pluralism from Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. Hillel wanted to add a candle each day but Shammai wanted to decrease a candle for each of the eight days of Hanukkah. We compromise, honoring both opinions by increasing the candles from right to left and lighting the candles from left to right. (Babylonian Talmud, Masekhet Shabbat 21b)
The Pluralist Manifesto of Hanukkah and its Mission
Rav Abraham HaKohen Kook
Everyone must know and understand
that within burns a candle/lamp.
There is no one's candle is like his/her fellow's
and no one lacks their own candle.
Everyone must know and understand
that it is their task to work to reveal the light of that candle in the public realm.
And to ignite it until it is a great flame,
and to illuminate the whole world.
Hanukkah is complex and rich with meaning and holiness. Each candle represents the passage of time and reminds us that in antiquity, time was marked by fire. Both the solar calendar and lunar calendar are defined by the light of the sun directly and indirectly. The Festival of Lights takes place at the same dark time of the year when some other world religions also celebrate a holiday involving candles and bringing more light and goodness into the world. Hanukkah is a very special time of the year; a time when we associate increasing light with the growth of positive ideals such as hope, courage, strength and miracles.
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