Our youngest child is fascinated by the Shabbat candles. He loves to watch them glow in the dark. It is a different type of light that comes from the normal ceiling light he sees everyday of the week. He was even more enamored to see the candle lit last night on the first night of Hanukkah. This candle is often the most difficult to light. When there is already a spark, the fire can spread easily. Yet, to go from complete darkness to that tiny flame takes courage. This symbolism is as true in our own lives. It is easier to train for a marathon once you have several miles on your feet. It is more difficult to take that first step to jog one block. It is easy to play a piano Sonata once you know how to play chords and scales. It is difficult to look at a piano keyboard and not be able to distinguish between the black and white notes.
After we lit that first candle, our family walked out the front door and looked into our front window. We wanted to see what the view from the outside looked like. It was a beautiful sight. One simple candle lit the entire dining room. The Talmud teaches that the recitation of Hallel was added to our liturgy from the year after the Hanukkah miracle until this day. For eight straight days we give thanks and give praise. That service concludes: “ze hayom asa Adonai nagila vnismcha vo,” this is the day that God made, let us rejoice in it.
This verse from Psalms does not discount pain and darkness. Yet, it permits and obligates us to continue the search for the spark that lies beneath match. Each night throughout this festival—find those moments, acknowledge the tough times, and cherish the light that will lead our path forward.
