Blog

Last night, as I sat next to a firepit, I felt a heavy sense of lacking, of missing something. And yet, as I gazed at the glowing fire, I became more and more transfixed and mystified by the beauty of it all. In that moment, I no longer felt underwhelmed, but rather amazed by the beauty of the flames and the trees and the crisp winter air. For the first time in a long while, I felt a long-forgotten emotion; excitement. 

As the days grow darker and colder, I feel a similar sensation to what I felt  at the beginning of this pandemic. I still find myself disappointed when trips or events are canceled.  It can seem that as the winter days get darker and colder,  there is less and less to look forward to, other than an end to the pandemic. 

And yet, we have reached that one event on the calendar that still fills me with giddy excitement even, or perhaps especially, this year; Chanukah. 

Chanukah has always stood out as a favorite holiday of mine, not because of the big celebrations, but because of the celebration of light and love that takes place in the comfort and intimacy of my own home. 

Unlike Passover, characterized by boisterous seders, or the shenanigans of a  Purim carnival, or the crowds of the High Holy Days, Chanukah is quite different. 

I have always thought of Chanukah as the lighting of the chanukiyah at home, the smell of latkes frying (I’ll be honest, I get mine from Trader Joe's) and the fun of opening gifts. I remember vividly my excitement as a young child as I would race  home from school, hardly able to wait for the sun to set, so that I could pick out the color candles I would use that night in the chanukiyah. 

The pandemic has robbed me of what I love about so many other moments and holidays, but the pandemic cannot touch nor take away the key parts of  Chanukah. I am so looking forward to watching the candles burn as I reflect upon the miracles that still do exist in our lives. I am eager to proudly place my chanukiyah on the windowsill for all passers-by to gaze. 

Rabbi Abraham Heschel reminds us that, among the many things that religious tradition holds in store for us, is a legacy of wonder. The surest way to suppress our ability to understand the meaning of God and the importance of worship is to take things for granted. 

This Chanukah, as we recall the story of the Maccabees, may we find a renewed sense of wonder and may we appreciate the small miracles that exist in our lives.  

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach.