December 10, 2006
Martin Luther King, Jr., in being asked to publish some of his sermons, wrote in the preface to his book, “. . . a sermon is directed toward the listening ear rather than the reading eye. . . I offer these discourses in the hope that a message may come to life for readers of the printed words.” This is my hope for you, dear reader.——Rev. Linda
December 10, 2006
PEACE ON EARTH:
Peace in Freedom - Hanukkah
Did Hanukkah happen over 2000 years ago, or is it happening now? The story of a little candle pushing away frightening darkness, of human sensibility overcoming terror and brute force, of life and growth overcoming destruction is very much alive within each of us, and in the world outside of us.
The victory of light over darkness is the cosmic, ongoing story of all that is. It reoccurs at every winter solstice, at every dawn of each day, with every photon of sunlight that breaks through the earth's atmosphere bringing it warmth and life-nurturing energy. With every breath of life, every cry of a newborn child, every blade of grass that breaks out from under the soil. With every flash of genius, every stroke of beauty, every decision to do good in the face of evil, to be kind where there is cruelty, to build where others destroy, to move humanity forward when others pull us toward chaos. And that is Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is more than a holiday; Hanukkah is an eight-day spiritual journey, a time of meditation, joy, warmth and light. And it’s to be shared with the entire world. The hope of Hanukkah is that by igniting the soul, the body will follow and we will light the world, one candle at a time.
The Center Candle
(The center candle of the menorah is lit)
Jewish law states that the shamash, the candle used to light the candles of the Menorah, must be set aside, or higher than the others.
When we help another to do a mitzvah, a good deed, we set alight the, "soul of man, which is the candle of God." When we cause another soul to "light up," all reach a higher awareness than the illumination achieved through the action of the deed alone.
The First Candle
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu, v'kiyemanu, vehigi-anu laz'man hazeh.
Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik neir (shel) chanukah.
Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, she-asah nisim la-avoteinu, bayamim haheim, (u)baz'man hazeh.
Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors, in those days, at this season.
(The first candle is lit)
Hanneirot hallalu anachnu madlikin 'al hannissim ve'al hanniflaot 'al hatteshu'ot ve'al hammilchamot she'asita laavoteinu bayyamim haheim, (u)bazzeman hazeh 'al yedei kohanekha hakkedoshim. Vekhol-shemonat yemei Hanukkah hanneirot hallalu kodesh heim, ve-ein lanu reshut lehishtammesh baheim ella lir'otam bilvad kedei lehodot ul'halleil leshimcha haggadol 'al nissekha ve'al nifleotekha ve'al yeshu'otekha.
We light these lights For the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles that you made for our forefathers, in those days at this season, through your holy priests. During all eight days of Hanukkah these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make them serve except for to look at them in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name for your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations.
The year is about 330 BCE in Judea. The Greeks are in power, but Alexander the Great respects the Jews. He doesn't war against tiny Judea, Isreal, only requires heavy taxes. But at Alexander's death, in 323 his kingdom is split into Greece, Egypt, and Syria, and the rulers of Syria, the Seleucids, are not interested in co-existence. They want everyone to think the way they do.
But still the Jewish people are living autonomously in Judea, now controlled by the king of Syria. They’re paying taxes to Syria and accepting its legal authority, and by and large are free to follow their own faith, maintain their own jobs, and trade as they please.
However, the Syrian government is sending ministers to force their Hellenistic views on the people. Most Jews are going along. They don’t know what they can do against the Empire. They’re afraid.
Hanukkah is about not being afraid of the dark. Regardless of what darkness might present itself to us, Hanukkah is about shining our light into it. We can strike a match and light up the dark. That's all it takes to discover that this is not a dark closet after all. It’s a magnificent creation, full of wondrous things. What if the darkness is just a way for us to awaken to who we are, the divinity within, and appreciate the beauty that stands around us?
The Second Candle
(The second candle it lit)
It’s now 175 BCE, and Antiochus is in the Seleucid throne, and he is gradually forcing the Jewish people to violate the precepts of their faith, and they are rebelling. The Temple in Jerusalem has been looted, Jews are being massacred, and Judaism has been effectively outlawed.
And now in 167 Antiochus has ordered an altar to Zeus be erected in the Temple. And Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons, including Judah, are leading a rebellion against Antiochus.
If you look in the gift bag you have, you’ll find a dreidel. The dreidel game is a game of chance, like life. You never know what’s coming your way. As you can see, it’s a top with 4 sides: each side has a letter. They mean “A great miracle happened there.” You also have directions on how to play the game.
The dreidel game is played in part to commemorate a game the Jews played to camouflage their Torah study. The Greeks made a law forbidding the study of Torah, so the Jews would gather in caves to study. They would post a lookout to alert them of any approaching Greek soldiers, at which the Jews would hide their scrolls and begin playing with dreidels and coins, so the Greeks would think they were just gambling, not studying.
But the dreidel game also contains a beautiful message. “Yesterday it was impossible. Today you did it. That’s a miracle.” It encourages us in all life spins to us to live miraculously.
The Third Candle
(The third candle is lit)
The Seleucid king, Antiochus, has no plan for physical genocide against the Jews, or to destroy their society. He acknowledges their culture, and their literature. But what he can’t tolerate is their claim that their practices are divinely ordained.
The Greeks are great philosophers, but they refuse to acknowledge that a human being can have any relationship to the Primal Being. To these Hellenists, this is not only irrational, but downright dangerous, because it prevents the Jews from total obedience to any flesh and blood king.
So Antiochus has now outlawed three Mitzvot (commands). And he predicts that when the Jews cease to observe these actions, it will lead to their end as a people dedicated to God. And so the war has begun—not against their bodies, but against their souls.
Light comes from beyond, penetrates our world and brings it clarity. Darkness enters when the human mind closes the channels of above, deciding there is nothing but that which can be measured and understood.
The Fourth Candle
(The fourth candle is lit)
Antiochus forbade three spiritual practices. How would you feel about having three of your spiritual practices forbidden? If you were no longer allowed to meditate, or do spiritual mid treatment, or speak of your divinity? Without religious freedom, we can’t evolve, we can’t raise consciousness, we can’t stop the suffering. We lose our awareness of our connection to the Divine.
How grateful we must be for our freedom to choose. But freedom means CHOOSE. It’s not just an intellectual pursuit. It means we stand up for what we believe in, we speak up, even when it’s not popular to do so. It means we not only read the menu, not only order the entree, not only see it and breathe in its aroma, but we eat the food, we ingest it, we swallow it, and let it nourish us. We embody it. And when we do that, we are strong in our choice for Good. And no one can take it from us. It is then a light that radiates within.
In your gift bag, you’ll find a Star of David cookie. I invite you now to take this cookie and hold it in your hand. Let this star represent to you the shining light of Truth which you study and learn. But see that keeping it in your hand does you no good. In order to truly know and experience this truth, you must chew it up and swallow it. This is why we teach that to understand truth, we must demonstrate it. You may now eat your cookie, or keep it for later.
The Fifth Candle
(The fifth candle is lit)
It’s now about 166 BCE, and Judah Maccabee and his 6,000 followers are beginning to challenge the Greek strongholds. It’s not looking too hopeful against the 100 thousand troops of Antiochus. But the Maccabees are fighting bitter, yet intelligent battles.
And after three years and thousands of lives, Judea is finally free.
Hanukkah is a victory of few over many. Each Maccabee is a hero, essential to the victory. Such is the power of Light. A thousand times over is the power of light, of any one of us to transform the entire world to good. An act of kindness asking nothing in return, a prayer spoken in someone’s behalf, a sacrifice of convenience to benefit another—each of these things is as brilliant bursts of light in the nighttime sky. True, they make less noise. Rarely are they reported in the daily news. But while darkness passes as the shadows of clouds on a windy day, this light lasts forever and leaves no room for darkness to remain.
The Sixth Candle
(The sixth candle is lit)
It’s 165 BCE and the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy is finally successful. The Temple has been liberated and rededicated, and the festival of Hanukkah, the festival of lights, has been instituted by Judah Maccabee and his brothers to celebrate this event.
We are like the flame of the candle. The flame is bright, jumping, never resting. We have a natural desire to "jump" up to God, to leave the physical. It is the wick and candle that hold the flame down, forcing it to do its job, to give light and warmth.
Our bodies are like a holy Temple for our flame, our spirit. They help us to do deeds of kindness. Goodness is contagious. When our spirit tells our body to do a kind deed, both are affected. What's more, other spirits around us take note and tell their bodies to do the same. Before long, we create an international epidemic of kindness, of peace on earth.
The Seventh Candle
(The seventh candle is lit)
But the victory turns bittersweet as the Maccabees discover that the Temple has been desecrated, and the pure oil to light the menorah has been ritually defiled. Upon more searching, however, a single jar of unspoiled oil has been miraculously found. It’s still holy and pure, inscribed with the high priest's seal. With this oil the Temple can be rededicated.
Why didn't the Seleucids just destroy the oil, instead of defiling it? Oil is a symbol for holiness. It can permeate anything, yet when placed in water, it rises to the top. Defiled—not destroyed—oil is exactly what Antiochus wanted. His message was clear: The Jews can adhere to their culture and keep their laws, as long as it is "touched" by the Greek ideals and philosophy.
The Eighth Candle
(The eighth candle is lit)
To relight the eternal flame in the menorah and purify the Temple, there has to be enough olive oil to burn for eight full days, and one jar will not be enough. The process to prepare more oil requires at least seven days. But. . . they have great faith, and miraculously, the single jar of olive oil burns for eight days. . . and 2000 years, as Hanukkah continues to illuminate their homes and the world.
Spiritually, eight represents the Infinite (as an eight turned on its side is the symbol of infinity). So the eight days of Hanukkah have great symbolic importance for practicing Jews. It’s not just for the lighting of candles, but for the "lighting of the house within," reminding us to be grateful for our freedom to choose our own spiritual path, and to walk it in the Light. And as we do, miracles appear in our lives in abundance.
In your gift bag you have a gelt, chocolate coin. These coins traditionally given at Hanukkah represent the abundance of those miracles in our lives, and are to remind us that whatever happens, we’re always provided for.
So I invite you as Hanukkah begins this Saturday, to light your candle, to let your light shine, in whatever way seems appropriate for you. And be grateful for your freedom to follow your own spiritual path, to have a Center like The Maine Beacon with like-minded people to come to, for the miracles in your life everyday, and for peace on earth.
