Chanuka is not about donuts and latkes. It is not about bake sales, or singing songs in nursing homes. It is not about ice skating, or building menorahs out of cell phones. It is not about parties, or dreidels, or fire on ice.
It is about none of those things, and all of them put together.
To me, Chanuka will always be a festival of lights. My mother explained it to me as a child, when I was trying to understand how we could do muksa stuff on chanuka if it was a holiday. She said, it is not a holiday, it is a festival. There's a difference. It is not a separation from the mundane, it is no different than any other weekday. And yet, it is a world unto itself.
Where's your light? That is the theme of the month in the high school. The month of kislev is full of light. R"CH kislev, Tes kislev, yud tes and chof kislev. And finishing off the month, Chanuka. It is about spreading the light into the physical. Infusing the mundane with spirituality.
The food we eat on chanuka, the parties and the fun activities, those are merely a vessel for the spiritual. There has to be a reason for it, other than just having fun.
Chanuka is a fun time of year. Yesterday it snowed a bit. It is cold outside, but inside it is nice and warm, around the menorah, with family, and presents, always food, and music, dreidel games, and good spirits.
Chanuka has to be about something more. It is about a miracle that we are still living today. It is about pride in being Jewish. Bringing light into the world, being stronger than all the other nations. Being a light unto all the other nations. It is about more than just good food.
A freilechin Chanuka, keep the gelt flowing, and enjoy a donut every night.
It is about none of those things, and all of them put together.
To me, Chanuka will always be a festival of lights. My mother explained it to me as a child, when I was trying to understand how we could do muksa stuff on chanuka if it was a holiday. She said, it is not a holiday, it is a festival. There's a difference. It is not a separation from the mundane, it is no different than any other weekday. And yet, it is a world unto itself.
Where's your light? That is the theme of the month in the high school. The month of kislev is full of light. R"CH kislev, Tes kislev, yud tes and chof kislev. And finishing off the month, Chanuka. It is about spreading the light into the physical. Infusing the mundane with spirituality.
The food we eat on chanuka, the parties and the fun activities, those are merely a vessel for the spiritual. There has to be a reason for it, other than just having fun.
Chanuka is a fun time of year. Yesterday it snowed a bit. It is cold outside, but inside it is nice and warm, around the menorah, with family, and presents, always food, and music, dreidel games, and good spirits.
Chanuka has to be about something more. It is about a miracle that we are still living today. It is about pride in being Jewish. Bringing light into the world, being stronger than all the other nations. Being a light unto all the other nations. It is about more than just good food.
A freilechin Chanuka, keep the gelt flowing, and enjoy a donut every night.
Isn't Christmas also a holiday celebrating a miracle that Christians are still celebrating today? How, then is it "something more"? Isn't that a very Jew-centric view of the world?
ReplyDeleteWhy would I view the world as anything other then a Jew?
ReplyDeleteIt is something more. We triumphed over the Greeks. We restored the temple. G-d made a miracle with the oil and it lasted 8 days. G-d was with us then, and is still with us now. The fight back then was to practice Judaism in public, and we won. And we win today as well, every day that we go out dressed like a Jew, proclaiming our faith in G-d.
There is no connection whatsoever. I don't know what the Christians are celebrating, nor do I care. I find it ironic that their "savior" was a Jew, albeit a heretic.
It is something more because we are seperate than the world, we are better.
Forgive my 'Jew-centric' outlook.
I need to modify my post.
I'm just wondering why you say your hiliday is about more than gift giving and holiday light while theirs isn't. Theirs is only aboutthe birth of their lord and savior. The sad fact that millios of jews celebrate it while hundreds of thousands celebrate chanukah is more troubling to me personally - froma Jew centric point of view of course :)
ReplyDeleteIs 'my' holiday not your holiday as well?
ReplyDeleteIf it bothers you then do something about it.
By "your" - I meant as opposed to "theirs", not as opposed to mine. I actually AM trying to do something about it - somethnig big. Perhaps, in time, you will learn what it is....
ReplyDeleteOoo I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteSarcasm is soo unbecoming in a lady
ReplyDeleteI never claimed to be a lady.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to make out the writing on the labels ... Vos shteit?
ReplyDeleteSorry to disappoint you, but I googled the picture. I dont even drink beer.
ReplyDeleteAsk C. ES, chauvinistic too? Too much personality is becoming.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing me back to Chanukah for a bit, it was fun :) Melbourne knows how to celebrate, though not as much as my home town!
lol i know i saw her menorah. its cute.
ReplyDeletewow chanuka was so long ago. its almost chof beis shvat.