This Chanukah carries conflicting emotions. Alongside the warmth of our Menorah with family and friends, many of us are carrying fear and pain due to the tragic events at Bondi Beach. The real question is: How do we make sure these moments don’t slip away from us so that weeks or months from now we won’t look back with regret, wishing we had responded more positively to what we felt?
To answer that, we need to understand what Chanukah is truly about.
The Greeks didn’t only wage a physical war. They banned Torah, Shabbos, and core mitzvos, and defiled the Beis Hamikdash. Their goal was to erase meaning and holiness. And yet, when our Sages established Chanukah, they didn’t focus on the military victory. They chose to focus on the miracle of the jug of oil that lasted for 8 days.
Why focus on the lights and not the war?
We know that Chanukah is a holiday of ”hoda’ah” – gratitude for miracles. But hoda’ah also means to admit or to acknowledge the truth. Gratitude is a process: first we must see the good, then acknowledge it, and only then can we give thanks with the appreciation of what we received.
That isn’t easy. When the world feels dark, it’s far easier to see fear and brokenness than goodness. Yet the Torah teaches in Bereishis that Hashem proclaimed about the creation of the world “ki tov” – it is Good. The very existence of this world is inherently good, even if on the surface things seem dark, but underneath it is goodness in disguise.
This is the message of Chanukah. Victories in war can be debated, even justified, but one jug of oil burning for 8 days cannot. That is an undeniable truth. Once we see that truth, recognize it and properly give thanks for it, its clarity and light spreads outward and illuminates everything else that seems dark. We’ve begun training ourselves to see the true perspective in life.
But today we don’t see open miracles, we don’t have oil burning for days on end. So how do we see that undeniable truth?
Through Torah.
Torah transforms lives. It doesn’t pretend the darkness isn’t there, it shines clarity into it, allowing us to see meaning, direction, and goodness where we once saw only uncertainty and confusion. This truth and clarity from the Torah is what the Greeks wanted to take away from us.
This Chanukah, our task is not to look away from the darkness, but to light candles, learn Torah, and strengthen our connection with Hashem through our homes and our community and be able to see and appreciate all of the ”tov” – goodness in our lives.
May the light of the Torah train our eyes to see the good again, and may that light continue to shine in every aspect of our lives.
Happy Chanukah and Good Shabbos