What a Chanukah this has been!
In the midst of an unrelenting pandemic, we have found creative ways to connect with family and friends during this time of masks, social distancing and quarantining.
Some of us have celebrated in pods of family or friends. Others of us have used the magic of FaceTime or Zoom to virtually observe the holiday together. Still others have celebrated in a personal and intimate way within their own households.
No matter how you’ve done it, there’s no question that this is a Chanukah none of us will soon forget!
As we reach the eighth and final day of the holiday, our chanukiot will be at their brightest with a full complement of candles filling each space. What a warm feeling to see all of that light shining in our homes.
You may be aware of the dispute between Rabbis Hillel and Shammai as to how the menorah should be lit. Shammai suggested that the first night contain all eight candles so that the holiday would start of “with a bang,” as it were. On each successive night, one less candle would be lit until just one candle would be lit on the final night.
Hillel proposed the exact opposite: Day one should have one candle, day two, two, and so on. He said that by the final night, the full glory of the holiday would be on display.
As you know, it’s Hillel’s practice that we follow, and it does make sense. The climax of lighting a full chanukiah on the final night is stunning in its power and its message.
This has been a very dark time for our country and our world. The pandemic has taken a horrific toll in lives lost, both here in America and across the globe.
It has taken a tremendous toll on all of us as well. Too many have lost their jobs and are in danger of losing their homes or apartments as well. Too many of our children are struggling with virtual schooling with its inherent obstacles. Too many small businesses have closed or will soon. Too many of us are dealing with the emotional stress that comes from working from home, monitoring our children’s online learning, following the safe practices of masking and social distancing, and generally worrying a lot more than we were pre-pandemic.
The lesson of the Chanukah lights is especially appropriate for this year: Just as the lights grow brighter with each night of the holiday, so too are we seeing a glimmer of hope, a “light at the end of the tunnel,” with the pandemic. Though things will (unfortunately) continue to be bad in the coming months, the promise that comes with the beginning of inoculations against Covid-19 is certainly a reason for optimism.
I know you join me in the hope that 2021 will be a much better year than 2020. “From our mouths to God’s ears!”