The timing of Chanukah is not coincidental
Judaism is all about bringing light into the world — affecting and improving it through positive acts, awareness, kindness and compassion. This mission is especially meaningful during the darkest of times and in the darkest of places, when light is not just comforting but transformative.
The notion that each person can contribute to the illumination of the world is central to Jewish thought and practice, and it is this principle that Chanukah — the “Festival of Lights” that comes in the heart of winter, when days are shortest and nights longest — so beautifully exemplifies.
Chanukah commemorates a specific historical event — the victory of a small band of Jewish fighters over the powerful Greek army — but its significance runs deeper than a military triumph. Each night, we light candles to remember a miracle: a single jar of oil, enough for only one day, burned for eight. The lights are meant to remind us of the inner light that we are called to cultivate and share.
To grasp the depth of this spiritual light, we can look back to the beginning of Creation. In the opening verses of the Torah, the world is described as completely dark. The first thing G-d creates is light — not the sun, moon or stars, which appear only later, but a pure, spiritual light that gives life, direction and vision to the forming world. This primordial light represents the Divine potential inherent in all things and all beings. By lighting the Chanukah menorah, we participate in a continuation of that original act of creation, bringing spiritual illumination into our own lives and the world around us.
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Just as G-d brought light into a dark world, we light the menorah at night, embodying the Chassidic teaching that “a little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.” Chanukah is, in essence, a time to “be like G-d” by infusing the world with light at its darkest moment.
And this light is not merely decorative; it is active and transformative. It represents goodness, kindness and compassion — the forces capable of countering darkness and despair.
As we celebrate the holiday this year, let us remember that the lights we kindle are more than tradition — they are invitations. They invite us to illuminate the world with love, justice and compassion. They remind us that even the smallest light can push back great darkness. And they encourage us to expand our understanding of freedom, extending it to all beings who share this world with us.
In doing so, our celebrations become more than commemoration. They become acts of creation, echoing the original light that brought the universe into being and continuing the sacred work of bringing light into the world.
Akiva Gersh, active with Jewish Vegan Life, lives in Pardes Hanna.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
