BS’D
Today’s daily dose is dedicated l’iluy neshmat Osnat bat Carmela z’l. May her neshama bask in the Divine radiance together with all of the tzaddikim who have departed from this world, Amen.
Sefer Bereshis describes how the world looked initially: tohu veh’vohu, total chaos. Hashem then gave form to this disordered universe; each creature was given purpose thus providing direction in the universe. This is one of the meanings behind the verse, ‘let there be light’ since light brought clarity in the place of where confusion previously was.
We can all relate to times of utter confusion in our lives whereby darkness reigns. It is for this reason that we are instructed to place the menorah at our doorways so that the holy light of Hashem illuminate our paths as we walk through life. The doorway and window sill are places of transition between our homes and the outside world. We need the tefillah of Shema Yisrael on one side of the door and the warm embrace of the Chanukah lights on the other to direct us with clarity.
The warm light of Chanukah gifts us with lucidity that we can share with others. The dynamics of a flame is such that we can share it with others while not decreasing its ability to continue to shine with the same energy. When we see our life as whole and complete, view our existence as a gift that is filled with goodness, then we can give of ourselves to others without feeling that we are extracting from ourselves.
Therefore one of the tools we need in order to keep that light is to acknowledge our inner light, our ability to shine and warm others; our healthy emotional state of being. In front of the Chanukah lights let us ask Hashem to heal our wounds with His awesome soothing flames, amen!
