And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown!” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to thee better than light and safer than a known way.”
Introduction
Hanukkah 2020 has come and gone, so I wanted to reflect on some of the most important spiritual lessons the Lord revealed to me during my study. I pray that this blog will encourage all Godfears during this very dark season that all of humanity is facing!
In Judaism, the redemptive power of light is most poignantly present in the celebration of Hanukkah, a winter festival of lights that lasts eight days. This holiday commemorates the time during the second century BCE when Judas Maccabaeus and his family led the Jews against the oppression of Syrian-Greek rulers.
After their triumph, they found that the Temple in Jerusalem was dirty and desecrated. They discovered a jar with enough oil to keep the Temple lit for one day. But much to their surprise and delight, the lamp kept going for eight days.
Some spiritual significances of Hanukkah
By lighting the Hanukkah candles to remember the miracle that even a small light can dominate vast darkness. The light represents the holiness that lies within each of us. Eight is a number that signifies ‘beyond the normal.’ Seven is a complete unit, as in the seven days of the week. Eight is then one beyond completion. [Gleaned from Spirituality and Practice, Resources for Spiritual Journeys-Hanukkah, Naming the Days]
“In lighting our menorah, we ignite the flame in our souls, the spark that cannot be extinguished that will burn not for eight days but eternity. We place the menorah in our windows to be visible to those passing by, just as our inner light must shine against the darkness of evil and indifference and must kindle the spirits of our fellow humans.
The menorah reminds us of the miracle that no matter how dark life may be, there remains a source of light deep inside us. The light in our souls reflects and refracts the light from the One who is all brightness.”
— Michard Strassfeld in A Book of Life
Another very important and reverent spiritual significance of Hanukkah is the exposure of how faithful Jewish believers became pagans due to the pull and glamour appeal of the dominant Greek culture.
We commonly think of the war of Hanukkah as being between the Maccabees (Jewish priests) and the Greeks. However, most of the battle was between the Maccabees and the “Mityavnim” (lit. the Jews who became Greek by leaving Judaism and went into paganism).
So it was rather a war between pure authentic Jews and Jews who left their Jewish belief, their God, and their culture.
The Maccabean war against the Hellenistic culture was an ultimate spiritual war against a way of life that puts “material” before everything else, it valued beauty and not sanctity, the body and not the soul.
To differ from other rulers, the Greeks did not want to destroy or enslave us physically, but they wanted to do so spiritually by advocating their stance that “men are the center of life”. they did not spill the oils in the temple… they defiled them. In Hebrew, “oil” has the same letters as “soul” (Neshama). שמן, נשמה
They were interested in defiling our souls, Hannukah celebrates the triumph of faith and courage when a band of Israelites stood up for their right to be Jewish. The Creator of Heaven and Earth had the Maccabees win and regain the Temple, which is not just a building, but the place that connects Jews to Hashem. Hashem gave the Jewish people their power back and showed them that authentic Jews merit the Temple. [Gleaned from Spiritual Meaning of Hannukah, “Jewish By Choice”]
The last spiritual significance of the Hanukkah celebration is a reminder of how God delivers the weak over the strong and powerful! For the millions of parashah readers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekly_Torah_portion, the story of Joseph’s liberation and rise of power in Eygpt is read in Genesis 41:1-56.
In this parashah, Joseph is in prison and ends with him as a ruler, while similarly, the story of Hanukkah beings with Israel oppressed and ends with Israel triumphant and liberated.
One of the most powerful lessons of the Joseph story in which it is read as the autumn season turns into winter is that this life that we live is cyclical. We all will experience Good years as often sooner than later, we are granted Lean years.
We will have to get through adversity as we pray and long for years of success, rejection eventually gives way to connection, new people and opportunities. As our lives change so does the seasons, winter gives way to spring and summer, only to return.
The most useful spiritual takeaway from this Joseph story is to constantly prepare ourselves in good days, days in which holiness is revealed, to set the light in our hearts, to there in time when holiness seems far off.
We must store up spiritual resources of faith, as though we are fearing hunger and death to nourish us spiritually when life-events turn against us and our faith in a pagan culture. [Gleaned from Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary
Closing words of Inspiration
The beginning and ending of Hanukkah communicate so much for God’s Jewish and non-Jewish beloved community. Below are just some of the words of inspiration that I pray will comfort you and your family during the conclusion of 2020 and the beginning of 2021.
- The menorah reminds us of the miracle that no matter how dark life may be, there remains a source of light deep inside us. The light in our souls reflects the light from the One who is all brightness.”
- Never forfeit one’s spirituality for materialism or paganism. Those who endure to the very end must remain, faithful witnesses.
- We are to always remember that God is the only One who vindicates us. The Hanukkah celebration is a reminder of how God delivers the weak over the strong and powerful!
- This life that we live in is cyclical. We all will experience Good years as often sooner than later, we are granted Lean years.
- We must constantly prepare ourselves in good days, days in which holiness is revealed, to set the light in our hearts, to there in time when holiness seems far off.
Grace and Peace
