Snow melts and disappears.
Man(na) melts and disappears.
Candles melt and disappear.
Chocolate melts and gets all over the place.
Hold those thoughts – if you can.
Chanukah is a celebration of temporary successes. In the current exile (may it end today!), Chanukah highlights the steadfast revolve of a nation under siege; of a people committed to their heritage. While we often think of Chanukah as a tale of great victory for the Jews (and for good reason! The Al Hanissim only mentions this aspect of the story), the fact is that Chanukah and its accompanying tails of bravery were and are about the temporary victory of a few brave and strong-hearted men.
Chanukah is what is known as an “Is’reusa di l’satah.” An inspiration from below. Sometimes it is our finite ability to do something good – no matter how temporary – that illuminates an otherwise gloomy situation. The Jews were on their way to a very long and dreary exile and yet, for thirty years they enjoyed relative calm as a result of the battles they fought and the ethos that they shared. And for that fleeting moment in time, we celebrate. In the dark and cold of winter, as the days are short and there are no Torah holidays on the calendar, Chazal taught us that these moments – the very ones that will melt like the Chanukah candles or like the snow on the ground – these are the moments that we celebrate. We don’t wait for the end of the story. We are writing that story and illuminating the world with every page.
