“Lighting the Hanukkah candles is a beloved mitzvah, and it is important to do it in such a way that it advertises the miracle and offers praises and thanks to God…”
– Maimonides, Mishneh Torah
“One should make an effort to gather the whole household for the mitzvah of lighting the candles”
– R. Eliezer Melamed Pearls of Halacha, 2001
Dear family of friends,
I’ve often wondered why Jewish homes are rarely among the most brightly lit this time of year, given that Hanukkah is the “festival of lights.” When I was growing up in Israel, we celebrated with pyrotechnics that could be seen from miles away! Public menorah lightings aside, here in the US, Hanukkah is more commonly observed with warm, private festivity. Maybe we do this to differentiate ourselves from the majority culture, by claiming a different way to celebrate our winter festival. But while we can take a bit of pride in avoiding the excesses of commercialism of some of our neighbors, it seems to me that a tasteful display of lights, Jewish stars, and electric menorahs in our windows would be entirely appropriate, and very Jewish in its own way.
And yet, Hanukkah remains a celebration centered on the home. We smell the oil and taste the latkes and notice the increase of light with each additional candle much more from the inside than outside – even if we do place our haunkkiya in the window for all to see as they walk by, as some sticklers among us might do. There is an old established practice of (especially women) taking a break from work for the half hour that the candles are burning – an invitation to take a break in the midst of our busy lives and just … be. If we are blessed to celebrate in family or community, the break invites us to enjoy the warmth of each others’ company. If we are blessed to be alone, it is an invitation to look deeply into the candle flames and experience a sense of peace.
For that matter, you can contemplate the candles even if you are in company! If you look into a candle flame for as little as 30 seconds, with people talking and making merry all around you, you might find the world falling away, as you notice the many colors of the flame, the coming and going of your breath, and the simple yet profound experience of being alive.
May your Hanukkah be suffused with light – whether an exuberantly festive, quietly contemplative, or both!
~ Reb Josh
