Usually Chanukah is nonstop parties, fried goodies, friends and family. This year we can only learn and grow when light shines on darkness. I see the miracles and connections in everything.
One beautiful lesson I learned is that when Chanukah falls on Shabbat, if you only have enough oil or candles for one, it is more important to light Shabbat candles.
Why?
Because Shabbat candles symbolize peace in the home and nurturing your own light, which is my favorite theme of self-care. Hanukkah symbolizes shining a light and energy into the world to make it a better place for all. The lesson is that it is more important to take care of yourself first before being able to give to others.
Another beautiful lesson I learned was that the Hanukkah story is about a time where the Greek empire really idolized the human body and everything physical. They wanted the Jewish people to disconnect from the roots and spirituality. The miracle of Hanukkah is that the soul is untouchable, so we do not touch the flames, we just feel their energy and deeply connect to our source.
The post below really gave me strength, faith, and support today.
Refuah Shelama,
Shmuel Ben Bronya,
Chag Sameach!
Happy Chanukah,
Coach Yulia
Triple blessings tonight and tomorrow! Shabbat, Hanukkah, and Rosh Chodesh. If you can make it to chabad tomorrow morning, when they open the ark to take out the Torah , the gates are open to pray for everything and your blessings are elevated
“It happened at the end of 2 years; Pharaoh was dreaming” (Genesis, 41:1). The Midrash points out that Joseph should have been released from jail after 10 years, but since he put his trust in another person and not in the Divine, he had to spend an additional 2 years there. One of the ways to understand this is that Joseph felt this man was the key to his freedom, and thus limited the ability of the Divine to help him. In life, we have to make the appropriate effort, but we cannot rely on our effort alone to solve our problems. G-d is limitless and can send us a blessing through any means; we should not limit His ability by deciding where the blessing should come from. The Talmud teaches us that the source of a person’s success is hidden from him, echoing this same idea. This applies to every aspect of our lives, whether in terms of relationships, finance, health, etc. We need to realize that through the efforts we make and the trust we place in the Divine, we will be blessed. However, this blessing may not come in the manner we expect, but in the manner and time in which the Divine wants it to come. The options open to G-d are infinite.
—
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Jawary