Moving from darkness to light with Hanukkah | Voices of Faith
It has been a long, lonely season of darkness for the Jewish community. For the past two months, since the Gaza War began on Oct. 7, many Jews have been experiencing a wide range of emotional upheaval, anxiety and discomfort. We have entered a dark, long tunnel.
It can feel unusual to try and welcome in a festival or holiday during this time.
The eight-day festival of Hanukkah began last Thursday evening. Each night, as we light the Hanukkah menorah, we add a new candle to magnify the light. This powerful ritual speaks so deeply to me this year. To move from a perspective of deepening darkness to one of increasing light might seem counterintuitive right now.
And yet, we add more light to our menorah each night.
These growing lights become a symbol of hope for us in the darkness. May our visions of hope and peace for Israel and Gaza unfold. May peace come soon. May this war end soon. May the hostages be returned soon. May we begin to feel whole again soon.
In this week’s Torah portion, we read the story of Joseph as his brothers tossed him into the darkness of the pit. This was Joseph’s first descent into the darkness.
Judah, his older brother, had the more devious plan to sell Joseph as a slave to the Ishmaelites. The brothers dipped his multicolored coat in blood and claimed a beast had devoured him. This was his second descent into darkness, as the Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt, where he became a slave at Potiphar’s home.
Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of inappropriate behavior, and he was tossed into prison. This was his deepest and darkest descent. The text describes that at each step of this descent in Egypt, God was with Joseph. I have taught that God was with Joseph in the pit as well.
In each of his descents, Joseph never cried out for help. His belief that he was accompanied by God’s presence was enough. This Hanukkah, may we see the role of faith in our lives during dark times.
The narrative pivoted when it described the transformation of Joseph’s brother Judah. Judah treated Tamar poorly, and she showed him the mistakes he made. He saw his shortcomings, and he confessed that Tamar was correct and he was grievously mistaken.
In the conclusion of this amazing novella, 20 years later, Joseph tested his brothers to see if they would give up another brother to save their own lives, and Judah stepped forward and said, "Take me instead." He no longer wanted to bring more pain and suffering to his father and his family. He had grown, matured, and changed.
The rabbis of the Talmud hold up Judah’s transformation as the model of repentance, or returning to God. We all get second chances, but will we learn from our mistakes? To be like Judah, is to learn and grow, and not repeat the same mistake when it’s presented to you.
This holiday season may we be inspired by Joseph’s faith and Judah’s growth.
May we help to diminish the terrible rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia that has spiraled wildly out of control.
May we be lamplighters, bringing light of hope and compassion to a darkened world.
Rabbi Michael Ross is the rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson and the senior Jewish educator at Kent State Hillel. He also teaches in the Jewish Studies Department at Kent State.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Moving from darkness to light with Hanukkah | Voices of Faith
