Our own small miracles

By Ellie Kremer, WLCJ Israel Chair

It is a curious thing: For Shabbat and for Hanukkah, we light candles, right? But we are not permitted to use the light from those candle flames. How does that work?

For Shabbat, it was the institution of a special lamp to be lit before sunset, so that you could not say “It’s okay, I’ will sit in the dark.” Not only is it an old joke but eating Shabbat dinner in the dark would fly in the face of the injunction of “Oneg Shabbat,” that we are required to enjoy, to delight in Shabbat observance.

The key here is that it is the light from the extra “oneg” lamp you are using to serve, eat, clear, and sing zemirot and Birkat haMazon. The light from other sources — your Shabbat candles — is essentially not in “practical” use.

As for Hanukkah, a similar principle applies: In the Talmud, that 1400-year-old magnificent and challenging work of rabbinic discussion and debate, law and legend, superstition and so much more, the sage Rava speaks of the Hanukkah lights. “Another lamp is required for its light to be used…” (Shabbat 21b)

A millennium and a half later, that is still what we do. How? It is the shammash, the “helper” candle with which we light the other candles required for the particular day of Hanukkah.

The shammash has a more important role than merely being a kind of long-lasting match. Its flame produces light that we may use. When we’re playing dreidel, eating, or reading near the Hanukkah, we are “using” only the light from the shammash; the light from the other candles is incidental. After all, it’s impossible to mark off the exact place where the light from any single candle begins and ends.

Women’s League’s Torah Fund is akin to a shammash. We help light the flames of Jewish life through contributions to our Conservative / Masorti institutions of higher education. As our students go out into the world, spreading the light of our tradition, it is difficult, if not impossible, to attribute a particular teaching, preaching, or reaching out moment to a specific donation.

The light cast through all our efforts illuminates the beauty and wisdom of our sacred texts and our practices and customs. When we light our Hanukkah candles, we recite “she’asa nisim,” a blessing that acknowledges God for having “performed miracles for our ancestors back when”, and for doing so in our day as well.

We can perform our own small miracles of light by contributing to Torah Fund, say, $10 for each day of Hanukkah above our usual contribution. We might not be able to see the light of an individual day’s donation. We will certainly be able to enjoy the bright glow of teaching and learning, inspiration, and insight our future leaders will bring to the Jewish lives of untold numbers of students and congregants, young and old.

Including us!

Shabbat Shalom,
Ellie Kremer
WLCJ Israel Chair
EllieVentnor@gmail.com