A Gift for  Chanukah
by Velvel "Wally" Spiegler

When I was growing up in Brooklyn, rabbis preached Torah and Mitzvot with "fire and brimstone." Rabbis are much more easy-going these days. They don't scream at us any longer. I can remember one tirade about why we should not exchange Chanukah gifts. In those days our parents didn't want to hear the 'shoulds' and 'should nots'. They wanted homes in the suburbs, Florida vacations, and college tuition. Maybe rabbis turned us off so we tuned them out. Now I realize that the rabbis were pointing to a way that we didn't hear.

Later in life I discovered some of the absolute wisdom that the rabbis of old professed. They pointed to a way of life and a wisdom that I have yet to find in other religious traditions. Behind their fiery words hid an awareness—a realization of a deep spirituality that without, encourage Jews to seek other religions and secular philosophies. The exchange of Chanukah gifts is not part of Jewish tradition. This holiday commemorates the rebellion of the Maccabees against the Syrian Greeks, who wished to forcefully impose their culture on the Jewish nation, the subsequent military victory and the rededication of the defiled Temple. Chanukah means rededication. To instill the Chanukah spirit, we need not observe the customs of our non-Jewish neighbors who exchange gifts this time of the year.

We do, however, receive a special gift on Chanukah. This gift comes to us from the prominent Mitzvah of the holiday - to light the menorah each night. After we light the wicks, recite the proper blessings, we sing two melodies: Ha'Nayrot Ha'lalu (These Lights) and Ma'otsur (Mighty Stronghold). In “These Lights”, we hear the following words, "these lights, they are holy; and we are not permitted to use them, only to look at them." The Mitzvah is clear about not using the lights for any purpose but to look at them, to gaze upon them. There lies the wrapping of the gift. The gift itself is what may emerge for you from the flickering flame. On first glance you may just see the flame. With a little reflection, you realize that the light represents the light and holiness of G-d. If you than focus your attention on the light for part of the half-hour that the candles burn, and reflect on such questions as what does my soul truly desire, how can I stay in touch with my inner self, or how can I express the deepest part of who I am - you can find your gift. As the number of lights increase each day, we increase the light that enters our consciousness as our special gift unfolds.

We celebrate a miracle that took place about 2500 years ago. A miracle that caused a flask filled with enough oil to burn for one day, to burn for eight days.  Why should a miracle, an event that defies the natural order and disobeys the law of cause and effect take place, if not for the will of G-d? Within that thought lies the seed of transcendence, the potential for healing and a promise of new possibilities. Let the chanukia (the Chanukah menorah) respond to your heartfelt needs and permit changes to occur for joyous living. It is said that miracles are not necessarily supernatural happenings. All of life is a miracle.  Every person we know—our friends and our family—are truly miraculous but the light of Chanukah allows us to see our miracles more clearly.

There are some that feel that we should not endorse the military victory of the Maccabees; they say only the miracle of the oil properly confirms God’s glory. But if we understand that the Selucid Greeks are merely metaphors for the real enemy that lurks in our souls, who defile our inner Temple, we then fight for a more noble cause.

Chanukah takes place at a time when the days are shortest and darkness prevails over light, when the sap rests in the roots, and animals sleep for the winter. Now the soul is at the depths of its annual cycle and our intuition, our feminine, receptive attribute is at its peak. Perhaps this is why the female motif of Chanukah, with its tales of Jewish heroines and the restriction of women performing work while the candles glow only at night is prevalent. Only in a setting like this can the true gift of Chanukah come alive.
At this particular Chanukah when the dark clouds of war in the Middle East loom overhead, we need as much light as we can get. If every one of us would light one candle on each of the eight nights perhaps we can pave the way for a bright new future.

Try the "Chanukah Lights" meditation