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A contemporary menorah by a Jerusalem silversmith.
Another Kind
Of Miracle
Chanukah teaches us the miracle of making some-
thing out of something that already exists.
HAROLD SCHULWEIS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
T
he second blessing
over the Chanukah
lights praises God for
performing miracles
"in those days at this sea-
son." A rabbinic observation
questions the propriety of
this benediction for the first
evening. For if the miracle
refers to the small amount of
oil in the sanctuary lamp
that lasted seven days
beyond its normal capacity,
why speak of miracles on the
first night?
After all, on the first night
there was sufficient oil pre-
sent, and its burning was
natural enough. That part of
the blessing on the first eve-
ning appears superfluous.
The benediction for
miracles, then, should only
be recited on the second
night.
One commentator explains
that the reason we recite the
blessing for miracles even on
the first night is there are all
kinds of miracles in the
world. Creation, for exam-
ple, is a miracle in which
something is created out of
nothing. Theologians call
such an act "creatio ex
nihilo," or in Hebrew yesh
me ayin. But there are other
miracles that refer to acts
that create something out of
something (yesh me yesh).
The first night's blessing
-
BIRMINGHAM
1875 S. Woodward .
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Rabbi Schulweis is spiritual
leader of Valley Beth Shalom
congregation in Encino,
California.
over the oil that was present
illustrates the second type of
miracle, one that makes
something out of something;
something sacred out of
some ordinary material al-
ready existing. Those kinds
of miracles require human
initiative and activity.
Humans do not create the
world out of nothing. The
world is given to us. But
humans can change the
world, shape it according to
whatever image is in our
heart and mind. And when
the transformation is done
for the sake of God and
goodness it is miraculous.
On the first evening of
Chanukah, before the match
is struck to light the candle,
we are literally in the dark.
We cannot make out faces or
things in the unlit room.
There are obstacles all about
us, partitions, walls, pieces
of furniture. When the
candle is lit we see that
nothing in the room has
changed. Things are as they
were in the dark.
But with that instant il-
lumination we experience a
revelation. In the flash of
that momentary light we
know where things are,
what obstacles are to be
avoided. In that moment we
are oriented to the world
about us.
Nothing new has been cre-
ated except our awareness of
the environment that gives
us greater opportunity to
choose, to know where to