OTHER VIEWS
You Light Up My Life
his morning, I looked out
my window and saw the
dusting of the first snowfall
of this winter season.
The first thing that went through
my mind was, "Wow! Look how beau-
tiful!" The second thought that
crossed my mind was, "Oh, my God.
It's here. Winter. That gray, cold,
gloomy time of the year."
Approximately 2-5 percent of
Americans suffer from Seasonal
Affective Disorder. This is an appro-
priately named mood disorder. Those
who suffer from SAD experience, dur-
ing the darkest months of the year,
sleep problems, overeating, depression,
lethargy, physical ailments and behav-
ior problems in teenagers.
This can be a scary and debilitating
time of the year for many people.
Research has shown that the absence
of light, as we experience in the winter
months, is .a major contributing factor
to these symptoms. Therefore, the sug-
gested therapy is the use of a light box.
Exposure to this unique source of light
has been proven effective in elevating
mood.
Tzvi Schostak of Southfield is a board
member of Young Israel of Southfield,
vice president of Yeshivat Akiva and on
the board of the Kollel Torah Mi'Tzion-
Detroit. He also is an officer of the
Israel Defense Forces reserves.
Recalling Miracles
New York City
his year, the night after our
Thanksgiving feasts, we will
kindle the first lights of
Chanukah. Celebrating these
two holidays in succession — one pro-
foundly American and pluralist in spirit,
and one which marks the particular pride
and unique spiritual and historical legacy
we share as Jews — can be a time for us
to reflect on miracles both American and
Jewish. But what exactly do we mean by
miracles?
In the 13th century, the scholar and
mystic Ramban wrote on the subject of
miracles in his commentary to the Book
of Exodus Our original ancestors saw
miracles on a deeper level. They saw God
as both the One who ordered the heav-
ens in the time of creation and does hid-
Rya
11/29
2002
32
Rabbi Daniel S. Brenner is a senior
teachingfellow at CLAL-The National
Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.
E-mail: dbrenner@ckdorg
When we add a candle each
day, like Beit Hillel, we are
moving from darkness into
light. As each candle is added
and the light becomes greater,
our souls are strengthened.
The rabbis understood this
and therefore, the Halachah
(Jewish law) is determined to
TZVI
follow
the method of Beit
SCHOSTAK
Hillel. We strive to infuse our
Community
lives with ever-increasing
News
quantities of light.
We cannot do this on our
own. When we light the Chanukah
Lighting The Menorah
menorah we use a shamash, an extra
candle whose sole purpose is to light
The Talmud records an important dis-
the other candles. This shamash is, so
agreement between the great scholars
to speak, the source of light for the
Beit Shammai (the House of
other candles. So too, when we look
Shammai) and Beit Hillel (the House
to ignite our inner light, we need a
of Hillel) as to the proper method for
shamash.
lighting the Chanukah menorah.
The Book of Proverbs teaches us that
Beit Shammai taught that we should
"the spirit of man is the candle of the
light all eight wicks on the first day
Lord." God is the original source of
and then light one less on each subse-
the light in our souls. God is, so to
quent day. Beit Hillel, on the other
speak, our shamash.
hand, taught that we should light one
So, this Chanukah, deep in the
wick on the first day and add one
gloomy winter months, when we are
more wick on each subsequent day, so
all a little SAD, we should light the
that on the eighth day of Chanukah
Chanukah menorah with joy and
all the wicks will be lit.
What difference could this possibly - allow ourselves to absorb the light.
Experience hope and promise for
make? When we begin with all the
the future. Redemption is near.
candles lit, like Beit Shammai, and
Pesach, the holiday of redemption, is
watch the light diminish each day, we
just around the corner. L.
are moving from light into darkness.
We Jews have our own therapy, our
unique source of light, for the treat-
ment of SAD. It is called the
Chanukah menorah.
The holiday of Chanukah falls in
the darkest depths of the winter
months, when we most need addition-
al light in our lives. Between
Chanukah and Pesach in the spring,
there are no more major holidays on
our calendar. It is easier during this
time of the year to let our inner light
diminish, to feel SAD. We need the
light of the Chanukah menorah to re-
charge our' batteries, our inner source
of light, our source of energy and cre-
ativity.
Darkness vs. light. This is what
Chanukah is about. The story of
Chanukah teaches us that the Jewish
people, small in numbers but with
God's help, defeated the Greek con-
querors. The forces of light defeated
the forces of darkness.
Upon re-entering the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem, the first thing we attend-
ed to was reskindling the seven-
branched menorah, which was to
times. The leaders of
remain lit at
the Jewish people understood the sig-
nificance of light for our souls. They
understood the centrality of light to
the soul of the Jewish people. The
leaders of the Jewish people knew that
seeing the lights of the menorah re-
kindled would instill a sense of hope
and confidence in the future.
God knew that this was a
time for a miracle. Hence, the
miracle of the oil that lasted
for eight days, long enough to
prepare more oil for use in
the menorah. God made sure
the Jewish people would be
exposed to the lights of the
menorah, the light that they
so desperately needed to
boost their mood and hope
for the future.
den miracles each day. This was not
taken for granted by them.
In other words, miracles are happening
all the time, we just don't perceive them.
Ramban went on to write: Our ances-
tors saw miracles in all things — they
were rescued from hunger, death war,
and the sword and were given wealth and
respect — a good life ... they understood
that all things depend on hidden mira-
cles.
With Ramban's understanding in
mind, what are today's miracles?
During the past year, continued terror
and military conflict have weighed heavi-
ly on our hearts. And yet, even in this
time of much despair, there have been
miracles. Stories of tragedy and unimag-
inable loss are paired with miraculous
stories of courage and heroism. Aisam
Ul-Haq Qurishi, a Pakistani tennis star,
refused to buckle under governmental
pressure to break with his Israeli doubles
partner, Amir Hadad. The donated
organs of Yoni Jesner, a Scottish victim of
a bus bomb in Tel Aviv, saved a young
Palestinian girl. Rami Mahhamid, an
Israeli-Arab, was wounded as he helped
Israeli police thwart a suicide bomber.
is based. Amends relative sense
Unexpected events unfold and
of tolerance and cooperation
even in disturbing times, life tri-
between its many peoples is
umphs.
truly miraculous. Each year,
What sorts of miracles does
new Americans celebrate
Chanukah recall? The story of the
Thanksgiving by giving praise
cruse of oil teaches us that even in
for a safety and freedom for
scarcity, there is abundance. The
their families that they could
triumph of the Maccabees over
not have imagined before.
the powerful Assyrian-Greek
RABBI
My colleagues and I devel-
army was seen as a miraculous tri-
DANIEL S.
oped
a few questions that
umph of the few over the many.
BRENNER
encourage
us to consider the
No matter how great our fears or
Special
daunting our challenges, miracles
Commentary miracles of Thanksgiving and
Chanukah. Sitting around the
assist our hard work, allowing our
table, or rejoicing in the meno-
convictions to prevail.
rah's light, ask everyone: What miracles
Chanukah takes place in the ninth
have we experienced in my lifetime?
month of the Jewish year, alluding to the
miracle of birth. It reminds us of the mir- What miracles have we, either as
Americans, or as a Jewish people, experi-
acle that resides in all new things that
enced? By asking, and responding, to
give us hope.
these questions, you will be invoking
Thanksgiving, too, has its miracles.
some of the words of the prayer recited
The celebration is based on the most
when we kindle the Chanukah lights.
essential source of wonder there is —
The song "Hanerot Hallalu" includes the
that life is sustained each year by the
line: "For the miracles and wonders ... in
ongoing gift of rain and soil that turns
those days and in these days."
tiny seeds into a plentiful harvest.
May you and your family be doubly
Sharing the bounty of the harvest on
blessed this Thanksgiving and
Thanksgiving echoes Sukkot, the biblical
Chanukah. E
holiday on which the American tradition
,