A Chanukah Message from Rabbi David Helfand
For our annual Chanukah issue, we asked members of our community to share why they think it is so important for our Jewish community to, "Shine Our Light Bold and Bright."
Chanukah comes at the darkest time of the year. Without the moon in the sky, we rely on the lights of our candles. Each night, we bring in lighter than the previous night. The lights of the candles not only fill our windowsills, but they fill out hearts and our world. In a world where we are surrounded by darkness, we need to light our lights brighter and with more pride. On Chanukah, we are each a Shamash, a helper, helping light not only our own lights, but the lights of others.
A disciple once asked their rabbi: “Rabbi, what is a Jew’s task in this world?”
The rebbe answered: “The Jew is a lamp lighter. In olden days, some person in every town would go around igniting the gas streetlights with a flame on the end of a long pole. The lamps were always waiting to be lit! This is the sacred task of the Jew; our purpose is to ignite fire in the holy human spirit.”
The hasid asked: “What if the lamp is in a deserted wasteland, or at sea?”
The rebbe replied: “There, too, it must be lit.”
“Rebbe,” cried the hasid. “But here I see no lamps at all!”
“That is because you are not yet a lamp-lighter,” said the rabbi. “First, you must start with yourself, becoming refined in character; then, you will begin to see others as sources of light just waiting to be ignited.”
As we celebrate the holiday of Chanukah this year, let us each find a way to shine our own light bolder and brighter than we have in the past. It is our light that will drown out the darkness of the world and shine the way for growth, community building and living in a world of love.
Rabbi David Helfand is the Engagement Rabbi at Shearith Israel, a master community builder, a passionate experiential educator, and gifted storyteller.
comments