There is no biblical source for the story of Chanukah. Practices for lighting the chanukiah and where it should be displayed are outlined in the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Shabbat 21b. I’d like to bring you a debate from this text and invite you to see where you land.
We light candles on our chanukiot (menorot) to represent the miracle of the oil that was enough to last for one day but lasted for eight.
How do we light our chanukiot? Should we light a new candle every day increasing the light or should we begin with eight candles lit and reduce the light every day until there is one lit candle? There are two schools of thought in the Talmud represented by beit Shammai, the house or school of thought of Shammai, and beit Hillel, the house or school of thought of Hillel. Beit Shammai says to light eight candles on the first day of Chanukah and reduce the number of candles on each subsequent day. On the other hand, beit Hillel says to light one candle on the first night and add a candle on the subsequent days. In the text two Amoraic rabbis further the debate. One argues for beit Shammai’s practice saying that the number of candles correspond to the days remaining, perhaps a literal interpretation of the oil running out. The other rabbi argues for beit Hillel’s practice saying that we light candles for the number of days of Chanukah that have already been observed.
So I ask you, what is a meaningful way for you to symbolize the oil that did run out? I invite you to try a new way of lighting your chanukiot this year, or if you have two around, perhaps try lighting in both the tradition of beit Shammai and beit Hillel.
Does the oil feel resemblant of anything else in your life that you are hoping for a miracle to make last? The metaphor feels especially germane to me this year. I’ve heard from so many people in our community that you are feeling burnt out, by your jobs, by surviving under fascism, by fighting day in and day out to maintain justice and order in our world, by your caretaking. However you light your chanukiot this year, may the little flames bring you hope and remind you of your resilience. In the words of Jewish comrade and singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton in her new song “The Little Flame”:
“A hundred years, a hundred more
We throw our weight against the door
And even if we don’t survive
We keep the little flame alive”
Chag Chanukah sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi May
We light candles on our chanukiot (menorot) to represent the miracle of the oil that was enough to last for one day but lasted for eight.
How do we light our chanukiot? Should we light a new candle every day increasing the light or should we begin with eight candles lit and reduce the light every day until there is one lit candle? There are two schools of thought in the Talmud represented by beit Shammai, the house or school of thought of Shammai, and beit Hillel, the house or school of thought of Hillel. Beit Shammai says to light eight candles on the first day of Chanukah and reduce the number of candles on each subsequent day. On the other hand, beit Hillel says to light one candle on the first night and add a candle on the subsequent days. In the text two Amoraic rabbis further the debate. One argues for beit Shammai’s practice saying that the number of candles correspond to the days remaining, perhaps a literal interpretation of the oil running out. The other rabbi argues for beit Hillel’s practice saying that we light candles for the number of days of Chanukah that have already been observed.
So I ask you, what is a meaningful way for you to symbolize the oil that did run out? I invite you to try a new way of lighting your chanukiot this year, or if you have two around, perhaps try lighting in both the tradition of beit Shammai and beit Hillel.
Does the oil feel resemblant of anything else in your life that you are hoping for a miracle to make last? The metaphor feels especially germane to me this year. I’ve heard from so many people in our community that you are feeling burnt out, by your jobs, by surviving under fascism, by fighting day in and day out to maintain justice and order in our world, by your caretaking. However you light your chanukiot this year, may the little flames bring you hope and remind you of your resilience. In the words of Jewish comrade and singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton in her new song “The Little Flame”:
“A hundred years, a hundred more
We throw our weight against the door
And even if we don’t survive
We keep the little flame alive”
Chag Chanukah sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi May
RSS Feed