Rabbi's Message

There is a Hasidic story, told of a conversation between the rabbi and one particular member of his community. The man once asked: “Rabbi, what is a Jew’s task in this world?” The rabbi answered: “A Jew is a lamplighter on the streets of the world. In the olden days, a person in every town would light the gas street lamps with a light he carried on the end of a long pole. On the street corners, the lamps sat, ready to be lit. A lamplighter has a pole with a flame supplied by the town. He knows that the fire is not his own and he goes around lighting the lamps on his route.” The man asked, "But what if the lamp is in a desolate wilderness?” The rabbi responded: “Then, too, one must light it. Not satisfied, the man asked: “But what if the lamp is in the middle of the sea?” to which the rabbi responded: “Then one must jump into the water and light it there!”
 
“And that is the Jew’s mission?” asked the man. The rabbi thought for a long moment and finally responded: “Yes, that is a Jew’s calling.” The man continues – “But Rabbi, I see no lamps.” The rabbi responds: “That is because you are not yet a lamplighter.” So, the man inquires: “How does one become a lamplighter?” The rabbi’s answer this time? “One must begin by lighting his/her own lamp. Only after one ignites his own fire is one able to see the other as a source of light waiting to be ignited.

I find this story particularly powerful during this time of the year as we prepare to celebrate Hanukkah. Hanukkah, or Hag Urim (Festival of Lights), is a time to reflect on the light theme.  During the darkest time of the year, Jews around the world turn to light, literally adding more and more light as we proceed through the eight-day holiday.  By bringing light to the darkness, the message is clear: we must work to create a more kind, loving world filled with light.  Growth, healing, and repair are all possible.  These are themes we will focus on this evening at 7PM at our TBS Hanukkah Healing Service on Zoom.  I hope you will join us as we welcome special guest and dear friend Cantor Sarah Levine.  Cantor Levine grew up at TBS and is now the Cantor at B’nai Aviv in Weston, FL.

We look forward to welcoming her home (virtually tonight) and being uplifted by her voice and presence. 

The light of Hanukkah is one of healing and hope, but I think it is even more than that. This year, I am thinking about the lamps of Hanukkah helping to illuminate the aspects of our lives, our community, and our world that need extra care and work: the injustices we must fight against, the hatred and bigotries we must not cower away from, and the suffering and pain we must work to heal.

Hanukkah is now less than a week away.  As we light the Hanukkiyah each night this year, let us reflect on the work we must do to become lamplighters of the world.  Let us contemplate the blessings of light that we have in our lives.  And let us examine what in our personal lives, our community, and our world is in need of extra attention and care as we move forward.  We are the lamplighters  on the streets of the world.  It’s time to get to work.