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Dear Friends,
There’s an odd quirk in the Genesis story. Light is the first thing that God makes. And yet, several days later, God makes the sun, moon and stars.
If you know anything about third grade science class, you know that the luminaries in the sky are what create light. So how can there be light before there’s anything to make that light?
Ancient peoples believed that light and darkness were opposing forces that waxed and waned throughout the day. Like blankets that covered the earth, daylight would come out of its hibernation and sweep over the land, with darkness receding. Darkness, in due time, would come out of its slumber and cast away the daytime, putting us into the night.
So what about the sun, moon and stars? Sure, they give off light, but they are lesser forces. This Great Light and Great Darkness are like powers of their own.
We live in a time where we think that in order to make any kind of difference, we need to be “great”. How many Instagram followers do you have? How well known are you among the people on “your side” of the issue? Better yet, how much do you terrify the people on the opposite side of your perspective? We see celebrities, influencers, media, the power of brands and we are told that to make the world better, we need to have a commanding voice amongst the competing distractions of the world. It’s not good enough to be the sun, moon or stars. You need to be the Great Light.
But those ancient, spiritual ancestors were wrong. There is no Great Light. There is no Great Darkness. There are only the little luminaries.
Do not let society, the media, political or corporate power fool you into complacency. You do not need to be a Great Light. You only need to be the tiny light that you already are.
The first night of Hanukkah is when we are introduced to the tallest light on the menorah. It’s called a shamash. It means helper. Throughout Hanukkah, you will light the shamash first, then light all the other candles. By the final night of Hanukkah, your menorah will shine this gorgeous, numinous glow. What made this night and all the nights before it possible? The helper. And the helper was there for the tiniest light, barely pushing back any darkness.
Like the luminaries in the sky, or the tallest candle on the hanukiah, the light that dispels the darkness around us is small. It’s personal. It’s you. And that little light, that light of your soul, is in my mind the Great Light indeed.
Happy Hanukkah!
- Rabbi Patrick
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