Lessons from Chanuka
Perhaps the most famous question about Chanuka was asked almost 500 years ago by Rav Yosef Caro in his commentary on the Tur (OC 670): If there was enough oil to last for one day, the miracle of the oil only lasted 7 days. If so, why do we celebrate Chanuka for 7 days and not 8?
Dozens and dozens of answers have been offered to this most basic question (Rav Yosef Caro himself offers three). A while ago, I heard one beautiful answer with a valuable lesson for teachers (in any country) and people who live in Israel (involved any profession):
It is true that there was enough oil to last one day. We expected the oil to last one day and so the question was, we should only celebrate the 7 miraculous days. The answer is: Chanuka teaches us to celebrate the expected, the obvious, the "natural" not just the supernatural. We celebrate 8 days because even the first day was a miracle - albeit a "natural miracle - because all comes from G-d, not only the supernatural.
(The Kedushat Levi, Rav Yitzchak Levi of Berditchev, offers this as one of his explanations as to why we are not allowed to use the light of the candles: if we were able to, we would incorrectly focus on the miracle and not the Source of all things, natural and supernatural.)
As a new citizen of the State of Israel, I really feel like I have to keep this message throughout the year: celebrate the normal, praise the usual, appreciate being here even when engaged in the regular, day-to-day events in life. Don't simply wait for the "extra special" things about living here to remember why we're here and how fortunate we are to be able to be here.
As a teacher, the message is the same: I really have to celebrate my students' successes, recognize their special traits and talents and not to simply wait for the "extra special" days and events. I should remember often how fortunate I am to be able to work in the world's best profession!
Dozens and dozens of answers have been offered to this most basic question (Rav Yosef Caro himself offers three). A while ago, I heard one beautiful answer with a valuable lesson for teachers (in any country) and people who live in Israel (involved any profession):
It is true that there was enough oil to last one day. We expected the oil to last one day and so the question was, we should only celebrate the 7 miraculous days. The answer is: Chanuka teaches us to celebrate the expected, the obvious, the "natural" not just the supernatural. We celebrate 8 days because even the first day was a miracle - albeit a "natural miracle - because all comes from G-d, not only the supernatural.
(The Kedushat Levi, Rav Yitzchak Levi of Berditchev, offers this as one of his explanations as to why we are not allowed to use the light of the candles: if we were able to, we would incorrectly focus on the miracle and not the Source of all things, natural and supernatural.)
As a new citizen of the State of Israel, I really feel like I have to keep this message throughout the year: celebrate the normal, praise the usual, appreciate being here even when engaged in the regular, day-to-day events in life. Don't simply wait for the "extra special" things about living here to remember why we're here and how fortunate we are to be able to be here.
As a teacher, the message is the same: I really have to celebrate my students' successes, recognize their special traits and talents and not to simply wait for the "extra special" days and events. I should remember often how fortunate I am to be able to work in the world's best profession!
posted by T.Y.I.I. at
Monday, January 02, 2006
1 Comments:
Wow. Just discovered your blog when someone mentioned it on mine.
The Kedushat Levi idea made me think of another idea (or maybe this is in what he's saying) that it's out of respect for the miracle within the plain "natural" burning of candles that we don't use it for light but set it aside to recognize...
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