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Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt"l: Chanukah: Seeing The Shining Light In Others |
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Written by Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt"l
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 Sometimes, I ask myself, after the destruction of the Holy Temple
nearly two thousand years ago we still cannot stop thinking about it.
How come?
How come? Who ever heard of mourning for a house destroyed
so long ago? But, let me tell you. Imagine that I loved this girl very
much, and then we had a fight, but before we separated we agreed that
once a year for eight days, that we would be as close as we once were.
Can I then ever forget her? I want you to know that our Holy Rabbis
teach us that on Chanuka we are once again in Jerusalem and not here
in Poughkeepsie. We are not ordinary people on Chanuka, but we are all
High Priests and we are kindling the lights in the Holy Temple.
Kindling the Chanuka lights is a lesson in Jewish history. Knowing the
past is vital, but living it and re-living it is the obligation of the
Jew. History is important, but merely knowing facts is pagan, an
aspect of Greek culture. A Jew survives in the present because he also
experiences his past. And what is it about Chanuka that we celebrate?
Not the amazing feat that seventy priests defeated a highly trained
army of Greek soldiers. Do not think that Judah the Maccabbee, or his
father Matisyahu, the High Priest studied military strategy. I can
assure you that they never held a weapon in their hands before they
fought the Greeks. A priest in the Temple does not train with weapons.
The priests are the pillar of peace and forgiveness. Our Holy Rabbis
taught us that Aaron, the first High Priest, loved peace and alvays
pursued it. The Maccabees fought to restore the glory of G-d, but
today we celebrate the miracle of the lights. Each day that the
candles burned was a great miracle. G-d promised the Maccabees that
the lights rekindled by them would burn forever. Each day that the
candles burned was a great miracle. G-d promised the Maccabees that
the lights rekindled by them would burn forever. Each day we add one
more light. We must teach our children to remember the holy ancient
lights, but also to add new lights, new ways.
Modernity is not alien to religion, it enhances it.
The young people of today are not unlike the young people in the days
of the Maccabees. They too have strayed from their holy tradition. We
need someone like Judah Maccabee to show us how beautiful it is to be
a Jew. Young people must understand that G-d needs each of them to
make a special contribution to our religion, that only they are
capable of making. Every day we are supposed to add new lights. G-d
wants even the most alienated person to be a shining light. On Chanuka
we see in the shining lights only the beauty of people.
You know what I consider the worst possible meeting that a person can
attend– a parents and teachers meeting, where teachers tell parents
how bad their children are. Basically, parents see only good in their
children, but unfortunately sometimes they let the bad things teachers
tell them about their children affect them. A so-called rebellious
child must be viewed like seeing Miss America in the mud– she is still
beautiful but all she needs is to be washed off. Yes, sometimes our
children do not behave well and so require a little bit of fixing and
that must not detract from the fact that they are still basically
good. If we can transmit to our children how our grandparents blessed
the Chanuka candles, then and only then can we guarantee that our
grandchildren will also offer holy blessings over the candles and
continue to serve as shining lights.
Poughkeepsie, NY Chanukah 5747
Transcription by Sam Intrator
Reprinted from Connections v 2 no 4
Copyright (C) Congregation Kehilat Jacob, 1986 Reprinted with
permission of Connections Magazine
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