The Festival of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is a celebration of both history and religion. Hanukkah is about the ancient revolt of the Maccabees against the Assyrian-Greek culture, which attempted to force the Jews into abandoning their religious practice. To end this tyrannical and abusive imposition of a ‘repulsive’ foreign ruler over the Jewish people, a successful war was fought and won.
The lesson for today, which is celebrated in the lighting of the Menorah is that we must increase light in the world, and that is why we increase the candles each day of the Festival of Hanukkah. The rabbis speak of Pirsumei Mitzvah, publicizing the Mitzvah, which is why many put their Hanukkiah Menorah in the window to let people know that this light will guide their way and remind them of the festival and miracle of the holiday.
Hanukkah means dedication or re-dedication. The Temple had to be rededicated following its desecration by the Assyrian-Greeks who intentionally placed idols and sacrificed prohibited sacrifices in the Temple which was located in Jerusalem.
Personally, Hanukkah has special meaning. It reminds me of how someone can rededicate their life to performing mitzvot, or to restarting their career, or beginning again after an illness. My journey of rededication involved being determined to not allow an illness, which took from me the use of my singing voice thereby forcing me to consider another path in life.
Going to Rabbinical school at the age of fifty-six, seemed like an impossible task. It required me to find a residence in New York City, which was affordable; to figure out how to park in New York City – Monday through Wednesday, no small matter since commercial parking is very expensive. I had to believe that I could exist on little sleep. In my living room I slept on a chair so I would not awaken Carol at 4:00 AM, then by 4:30 AM I was on the road to NYC stopping for Starbucks Coffee around 5:30-6:00 AM and then I made it to class in Riverdale NYC by 9:00 AM.
Classes were all day at the Academy for Jewish Religion and lasted until around 6:00 PM. At 8:00 PM I began studying, Talmud, Hebrew Language, Bible, Conversion, Jewish Life Cycle, Denominations, Midrash, Mysticism, Homiletics. Some days I went to the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary since they had one of the greatest Jewish libraries in the World, and since I was a graduate of JTS’ Cantorial School, I had access to the great library and discovered the changes which are occurring in libraries through the Internet.
Realizing that three years of commuting was enough for me, I transferred to the Rabbinical School International where Rabbi Gleeman taught and I was able to complete my work working intensely for another year.
Twenty-five guests attended my Ordination and Smicha ceremony which was hosted by Congregation Ezrath Israel on 47th Street in Manhattan. Having studied eight years in an Orthodox Yeshiva, four years at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and four more years of rabbinic school, after a full career of over thirty years as a Cantor, I am now a rabbi with Smicha (a certificate of Ordination), the rabbi of three Maryland Congregations, and Cantor Emeritus of another congregation in Washington, DC.
Ask me about the meaning of rededication, starting over, renewing, and not giving in when you’re having some of the most difficult decisions to make in your life. My answer is that with each candle, each night of the festival of Hanukkah, you can increase holiness in the world, increase the performance of mitzvot in the world, increase our love for our heritage and religion, and publicize it in such a way that we might be the Shamash. The Shamash or helper candle is the one which lights the other candles.
My prayer and wish for all of you this Hanukkah is that you will be that candle which helps others to increase the light of our beautiful heritage in the world.