Hanukkah: A Celebration of LightSample

Sharing Our Light

When lighting the menorah, the custom prescribed by the Jewish sages is to “publicize the miracle of Hanukkah.” We do this by lighting our menorahs in places where they are most visible from the outside. That might be in front of our biggest window or even just outside our homes in specially made glass display cases. Moreover, many communities arrange public lighting ceremonies, often with menorahs built on a large scale. We do our utmost to ensure that Hanukkah's light is seen from near and far.

However, we must ask why we follow this custom. We don’t find the idea of being public with our faith anywhere else in Judaism. There is no public display of eating matzah on Passover or blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Why are we so intent on making our Hanukkah ritual so public?

One answer is that the very nature of the Hanukkah story involved those who were proud of their Jewish faith and those who wished to hide it so they would be accepted into Greek society. Those who stood up for their values by holding onto their faith brought about the Hanukkah victory. When we light our menorahs in public, we boldly declare that we are proud to be Jewish. We are not afraid, and we will not hide. We take pride in our heritage and value our identity.

On another level, the idea of lighting our menorahs in public is about shining light into the heart of darkness from our homes. This affirms that the light begins in the home. Home is the first place we must illuminate with kindness, goodness, and the Word of God. However, it is not enough to keep the light to ourselves.

We are meant to be a “light for the nations.” When we place our menorah lights for all to see, we affirm our obligation to share our light with the world. We remember that even one candle can dispel much darkness while all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish one flame.

A third reason for publicizing the miracle is that we are always meant to make God’s great deeds known. It is a statement of praise and gives glory to God when we share the miracles He has done. We shed light on gloomy situations and provide a ray of hope in the darkness.