Voices of Our Clergy

Biblical time is based on the moon, not the solar calendar we are used to.

This explains why Chanukah — spelled at least eight different ways in English — always falls on the 25th day of the lunar month of Kislev, which can range from late November to early January.

In 2025, Chanukah begins tonight.

The story centers on the first recorded struggle for religious freedom in 165 BCE.

Judah and the Maccabees faced persecution and death for refusing to bow down to a Greek tyrant whose name, Antiochus Epiphanes, means “God manifest.”

The primal message of this eight-day holiday is about the strength of faith and finding light even in the darkest of times.

Embedded in the Hebrew word “Chanukah,” which means “dedication,” is also the word for education, “chinuch.” This suggests the task of Judaism is to dispel the darkness of ignorance through the light of knowledge and compassion.

The human quest for goodness, love, justice and decency may be muted at times, but Chanukah is our annual reminder that these attributes of the divine can never be totally extinguished.

It only takes one spark and tonight’s first Chanukah light to dispel the darkness in any room.

Whether Chanukah falls in middle or late December, this is the season when long anticipated movies are released, including the second movie installment of the iconic Broadway musical “Wicked.”

This second movie is differentiated from last year’s part one by the title of a song: “For Good.” This is the parting friendship anthem between Glinda, who will become the Good Witch in Oz, and Elphaba, whom others make the Wicked Witch.

Sung at funerals and graduations, the message of human connection in the lyrics of “For Good” is directly related to tonight’s holiday of Chanukah.

Both characters are reminders that every person is a light of God and every encounter can teach us and even shape who we are, especially when things aren’t as they seem.

The brilliance of “Wicked” is not the plot twist depicting the good-natured green-skinned Elphaba as evil alongside the naive beauty named Glinda who craves acceptance and external validation.

Rather the wisdom encapsulated in the lyrics is the lasting impact a person can make on the inner development of another human being. 

Human connection, human action and human encounters — even totally random ones — can change us for good. That is where beauty lies.

Ditto with tonight’s Jewish Festival of Lights.

Judah had won a series of battles against the Greeks. In 165 BCE, the human action of the Maccabees held off their attackers and took back the desecrated temple in Jerusalem to rededicate it in eight days.

Their determination kept alive the beautiful heritage and faith of the Jewish people. 

We celebrate Chanukah with eight lights on a candelabra for the eight days of the 165 BCE event along with a helper candle used to light the others.

The helper candle denotes every human being’s potential to bring light to others. We see the power of this symbolism in the visual display that grows brighter with each passing night, building to a beautiful blaze. 

Each of us can increase light for others in a similar way. We can all bring warmth, encouragement and kindness to others whether the person we face is our best friend or a total stranger. Each encounter helps build the blaze of light in our lives.

This cold December month, which includes the longest night of the year, is the perfect time to seek glimmers of light through the darkness.

It’s the perfect time to see the people around us as possibilities for light.

It’s the perfect time to choose actions and bravery that burn brighter and bigger for the overlooked people in our city who live in darkness and fear throughout the year.

It’s the perfect time to share the same determination to persevere the Maccabees showed and claim who we really are for the future.

NOTE: This column was originally published on The Daily Memphian website on Sunday, Dec. 14.