You Light Up My Life

 Dear Friends,


As we approach the conclusion of 2022 and begin a new secular year, I wanted to share a thought from my colleague, teacher, and friend, Avi West, of blessed memory.

During Chanukah he taught me about the importance of lighting two Chanukah menorahs.  There is a Talmudic argument between Rabbis Hillel and Shammai about the lighting of the candles.  Rabbi HIllel taught that one should light one candle the first night and add one candle each night up until the eighth night when one lights all eight candles.  Rabbi Hillel believed that the miracle of the oil burning  was greatest on the final night so we should light all eight candles that night.  When it comes to matters of bringing holiness to our world we should always increase and not decrease what we do.

Rabbi Shammai taught that we should light all eight candles the first night and decrease to one candle the last night since the oil was the strongest the first night and the weakest the last night.  Most of us follow the teachings of Hillel.

Avi told me he would light two Chanukah menorahs (chanukiot).  One would begin with one candle and one would begin with eight candles.  As one would increase and the other one would decrease, Avi would watch them get brighter and less bright simultaneously.  What I learned from him is that when we are almost running on empty, we can see the fully lit Chanukiah and be filled with hope for what could be possible.  And...when we saw one that was fully burning, we would also see the one with one candle and would realize that it is up to us to believe that we can fill the world with hope and light and help those whose lives are not as blessed as ours and who may be running on empty.

Avi, by the way, would always bring me and so many others hope and was fully lit, increasing holiness wherever he went.  

As we celebrate the beginning of 2023 and sometimes are overwhelmed with the feeling that there is just a little light in our world, may we remember the fullness and potential of what could be and strive to light up our world.  Let us bring light and hope in 2023 even though we feel we are running on empty and things seem bleak.

Be well and safe in the secular new year.

Rabbi Bruce Aft

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