Candle #1:“The Lights in the Window”

  When one is driving around the neighborhood during this season of the year, the spectacle of Christmas decorations is often awesome (just so you know, I love the spirit, decorations, songs, lights, and trees). We have a Christmas house not far from us to which people travel from near and far to behold. I cannot even describe to you how this family has increased their electric bill a thousand-fold!

  Jews, too, have decorations, decoration, that is, one that we’re to display so that all those who drive in our neighborhood can see. That is the Chanukah menorah (Chanukiah, inasmuch as any candelabra is a menorah in the Hebrew language). The rabbis of old gave us the directions as to not only how to light the chanukiah but how it should be displayed.

   Putting it on our windowsill, the one nearest the busiest street, sheds light on the darkness of the night. It’s not a great deal of light compared to our neighbors’ but that’s the point. Just as rekindling the Eternal Light in the Temple in Jerusalem – the sacred precinct so terribly desecrated by the Syrian-Greeks – was the ultimate goal of the Maccabees, the reason was just as important as the act. A little bit of light is the beacon of faith. The Eternal Light always represented the presence of God 24/7 all year long. So, when others see our chanukiah, the message of the holiday is as illuminated as is the chanukiah itself: Let strength of faith be the beacon that sustains us. We needed only one vial of oil to do the trick, so even if that story is not based on fact, it says it all.

The rabbis also say to put the chanukiah in our windows early enough for people to see it. If for whatever reason we aren’t able to kindle the lights until later, nonetheless we should do all in our power to do right at sunset. What good is it to shed that light when our neighbors are in their homes, ready to go to bed? The message is an eight-day message: “One for each night they shed a sweet light to remind us of days long ago,” as the song goes. And one for each night should remind us and those around us that there is an eternal spirit that lights our life.