Knights, Lights, and Miracles: The Magic of Chanukah

By Rabbi Ariel Platt

Joke:
What does Chanukah and a dragon have in common?
There are eight nights of Chanukah, and a dragon ate eight knights.

It’s not every day that the first night of Chanukah falls on Christmas day. Fun fact, there have only been 4 times in recent history when Chanukah and Christmas day have overlapped (1921, 1959, 2005, and 2024).

Chanukah celebrates freedom and miracles. The miracle and the victory of the Maccabee’s overcoming the mighty Greeks against all odds and regaining the Temple. As well as the miracle of the light, and the oil that was only supposed to last one day but lasted for eight. 

Pirsumei Nisa, is the commandment to “publicize the miracle” of Chanukah by placing a lit Chanukiyah (Chanukah Menorah) in a windowsill or near a window for all the world to see the light in the darkness. The light of the Chanukiyah is a beacon to all, reminding anyone who sees of the importance of freedom and miracles. The freedom to be who we are, and that miracles can happen when we least expect them. 

Proverbs 20:27 says that “The candle of G-d is the soul of man.” Each one of us acts as a light in the world. We light the way for each other, by being who we are, even when darkness might surround us. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once said, “Chanukkah is about the freedom to be true to what we believe without denying the freedom of those who believe otherwise. It’s about lighting our candle, while not being threatened by or threatening anyone else’s candle.” This is a miracle in itself. That we can not only be a light for ourselves, but also for others.

Chanukah means re-dedication, in the spirit of Chanukah let’s re-dedicate ourselves to publicizing the miracle of each of our lights. Like the a cappella group Six13 says in “A Wicked Chanukah,”* “And spread your light, defining destiny / Eight crazy nights, defining destiny / Cause freedom’s what it’s all about.”

Chag Sameach! Happy Chanukah! Happy Holidays!

https://www.exploringjudaism.org/holidays/hanukkah/Check out these links for more information:
*Six13 – “A Wicked Chanukah”
PJ Library – https://pjlibrary.org/hanukkah
My Jewish Learning – https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-101/
Exploring Judaism – https://www.exploringjudaism.org/holidays/hanukkah/