Hanukkah: A Spiritual Celebration of Miracles and Light

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Light, illumines the power of commitment to one’s faith and invites us to reflect upon, shine, and share the sacred spark within our own souls. Over two thousand years ago, the holy temple in Jerusalem was captured by Syrian-Greek soldiers who desecrated it with statues of Zeus and the slaughter of swine. Their emperor, Antiochus, forbade the practice of Judaism and ordered Jews to worship the Greek gods and to eat pork: both forbidden by Jewish law. Those who did not comply were tortured and killed.

The Jewish high priest, Mattathias, his family, and other resistance fighters determined not to betray their God and fled to the mountains. This small but fiery band of rebels prepared to take back their land and their temple, and miraculously prevailed against the mighty Greeks. On recapturing their sacred site, their first acts were to cleanse the temple and purify it by kindling the eternal flame. There was, however, only enough oil found to burn for one day, not nearly sufficient for the eight days needed to secure more oil. Incredibly, that small container fueled the lamp for eight full days, and in celebration of the miracle, Jews throughout the world light the eight branched menorah, illuminating one additional candle each night.

This subtle photo by Dara Fruchter captures wind and light through the veil of a sheer curtain.

Light is a prevailing theme for Jewish mystics who believe that within each one of us shines God’s sacred spark. Over four hundred years ago in Sfat, Israel, the Kabbalistic rabbi, Issac Luria, had a dream: a spiritual interpretation of the creation story, the birth of the world. 

Rabbi Luria dreamt that when God chose to create the world, Spirit constricted his endless light to make room for all that was to come. God’s emanation was so powerful that without this contraction there would be no space for anything or anyone else. Out of love, Source poured his light into ten vessels to make room for creation. God’s expansive energy burst through the containers, shattering them and scattering shards of light throughout the universe. A spark of this original light is said by Jewish mystics to suffuse our own souls.

The radiance of creation, the light of Hanukkah, and the spark within connect us to God, to miracles, to ourselves, and to each other. When we uncover the divine spark in our own souls, recognize it, and allow it to glow, we help to illumine the path for others. As spiritual directors, singly and together, we shine our holy light to help heal the world.

Editor’s note: Michele Tamaren is a spiritual director, life coach, writer, and presenter living in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA. She is an active member of Spiritual Directors International, and her new book, ExtraOrdinary: An End of Life Story Without End, will be published in the spring of 2012.