Post by Rabbi Neil on Jan 3, 2020 22:23:25 GMT
A number of years ago, I was sent an interesting kavannah, an interesting thought to hold in mind, while lighting the Chanukah candles. Written by Michael Kagan, it reads as follows:
Let the first candle be you with your own light shining from within and glowing for the world to see.
Let the second candle be your family and loved ones.
Let the third candle be your community.
Let the fourth candle be your street or district.
Let the fifth candle be your village, town or city.
Let the sixth candle be your country.
Let the seventh candle be your people.
Let the eighth candle be the entire world.
So, the light grows from the individual to the whole world and we know that we are connected at the base and that we are part of the whole and the whole is part of us. That what starts from one can grow to encompass all. That’s the miracle.
And the Shammas that is lit every night? This is the Creator of all, the Holy One of Blessing, who gives light and life, and guards over us at all times. As the Holy Menorah stood guard at the entrance of the Holy of Holies. And the six lamps all bowed towards the central lamp.
And what was the desecration, the idol worship, that took place in the Temple? That was when a man-made statue was placed in the Holy of Holies. Which means that we put ourselves at the center, that it’s all about me, that we light a Menorah without the Shammas, that the Light from above was extinguished – almost.
When I first read this kavannah, I thought it cute but a little woolly, but the more I read it, the more I liked it. We start from the self but do not end with the self. We grow outwards from concern about ourselves to concern about those nearest to us and then continue to grow outwards.
We might find ourselves challenged through this kavannah. Sometimes, Jews can be tempted to help other Jews around the world far quicker than they would help non-Jews in their same town. This kavannah, however, reminds us of an essential strand of Torah ethics – that concern for the fellow human being in your camp (or in today’s terms, town) regardless of whether they are Jew or non-Jew is particularly important. We heal ourselves, we heal those around us and then we heal the world at large.
It can be difficult to get involved in global matters because they’re so large. It used to be said that we should “think global and act local” but when we think globally it’s very easy to become despondent because of the enormity of the issues around the world. Others suggest that we should “think locally and act locally” and that if enough people do this, the interconnection between local networks ends up changing the world anyway. This kavannah suggests something different. It suggests that we should focus on the light shining from each area of the world. So, instead of suggesting action, it suggests that we should appreciate. Instead of getting despondent, it recommends getting devout, seeing the Divine in everything. It’s easy to see the Divine in those close to us – the smile of children, for example, can be the most wondrous thing in the world. But seeing the Divine in someone half the way across the world – that’s a little more challenging. Is it realistic? It is, but only if we understand this passage not in the sense that we sense the aura of the Divine everywhere but, rather, if we open ourselves up to seeing God in everyone. It’s easiest to open ourselves up to seeing God in those close to us, it’s harder those further away, but as we light the final candles, we open ourselves up to that possibility.
Not long after I received this kavannah, someone asked me whether or not we should blow out the Shammash after lighting it. This kavannah suggests the reason why we shouldn’t, because God is the ultimate, almost inextinguishable source of light and life. If we extinguish the Divine in our lives, we are left with no sacredness, no spark of holiness.
An oft-repeated Biblical passage at this time is that we should be a “light unto the nations.” Perhaps with this kavannah we can understand this as meaning that we should seek the Divine in everything and help the rest of the world do the same; that we should go beyond self-interest and self-centredness and instead work with an ethic that is personal, communal and also global.
May God be the spark in our lives, may God be at the centre of our lives so that we become, individuals and community, truly a light unto the nations. May such be God’s will. Amen.
Let the first candle be you with your own light shining from within and glowing for the world to see.
Let the second candle be your family and loved ones.
Let the third candle be your community.
Let the fourth candle be your street or district.
Let the fifth candle be your village, town or city.
Let the sixth candle be your country.
Let the seventh candle be your people.
Let the eighth candle be the entire world.
So, the light grows from the individual to the whole world and we know that we are connected at the base and that we are part of the whole and the whole is part of us. That what starts from one can grow to encompass all. That’s the miracle.
And the Shammas that is lit every night? This is the Creator of all, the Holy One of Blessing, who gives light and life, and guards over us at all times. As the Holy Menorah stood guard at the entrance of the Holy of Holies. And the six lamps all bowed towards the central lamp.
And what was the desecration, the idol worship, that took place in the Temple? That was when a man-made statue was placed in the Holy of Holies. Which means that we put ourselves at the center, that it’s all about me, that we light a Menorah without the Shammas, that the Light from above was extinguished – almost.
When I first read this kavannah, I thought it cute but a little woolly, but the more I read it, the more I liked it. We start from the self but do not end with the self. We grow outwards from concern about ourselves to concern about those nearest to us and then continue to grow outwards.
We might find ourselves challenged through this kavannah. Sometimes, Jews can be tempted to help other Jews around the world far quicker than they would help non-Jews in their same town. This kavannah, however, reminds us of an essential strand of Torah ethics – that concern for the fellow human being in your camp (or in today’s terms, town) regardless of whether they are Jew or non-Jew is particularly important. We heal ourselves, we heal those around us and then we heal the world at large.
It can be difficult to get involved in global matters because they’re so large. It used to be said that we should “think global and act local” but when we think globally it’s very easy to become despondent because of the enormity of the issues around the world. Others suggest that we should “think locally and act locally” and that if enough people do this, the interconnection between local networks ends up changing the world anyway. This kavannah suggests something different. It suggests that we should focus on the light shining from each area of the world. So, instead of suggesting action, it suggests that we should appreciate. Instead of getting despondent, it recommends getting devout, seeing the Divine in everything. It’s easy to see the Divine in those close to us – the smile of children, for example, can be the most wondrous thing in the world. But seeing the Divine in someone half the way across the world – that’s a little more challenging. Is it realistic? It is, but only if we understand this passage not in the sense that we sense the aura of the Divine everywhere but, rather, if we open ourselves up to seeing God in everyone. It’s easiest to open ourselves up to seeing God in those close to us, it’s harder those further away, but as we light the final candles, we open ourselves up to that possibility.
Not long after I received this kavannah, someone asked me whether or not we should blow out the Shammash after lighting it. This kavannah suggests the reason why we shouldn’t, because God is the ultimate, almost inextinguishable source of light and life. If we extinguish the Divine in our lives, we are left with no sacredness, no spark of holiness.
An oft-repeated Biblical passage at this time is that we should be a “light unto the nations.” Perhaps with this kavannah we can understand this as meaning that we should seek the Divine in everything and help the rest of the world do the same; that we should go beyond self-interest and self-centredness and instead work with an ethic that is personal, communal and also global.
May God be the spark in our lives, may God be at the centre of our lives so that we become, individuals and community, truly a light unto the nations. May such be God’s will. Amen.