Happy Chanukah from Adat Achim
If I were to ask you… What is your favorite music? I am almost sure that your answer would be the kind of music that was your favorite when you were a teenager. And If I were to ask you what is your favorite color? I am almost sure that the answer is not going to be so very different than if I had asked you when you were four years old.
This is true because certain parts of our lives, and for many people, their entire lives, are based upon a less sophisticated time, a time when we understood the world at a more basic level. Someone gave us an answer that we understood as the universal truth and as such, it was locked into our brain. Just as when we go about our day and someone asks us "How are you doing?" We automatically say, “ Fine”.
In the haftorah there is a story about an ancient city in Israel that was being sieged by the Arameans. The people that had leprosy had to live outside of the town, as it was the custom in ancient times and the people of this city used to bring food to the lepers. As the siege went on, and the city dwellers entrenched themselves, the amount of food inside of the city became scarce. Four lepers outside of the city decided that they would go to the Arameans and surrender because nothing would be worse than starving to death. When the lepers reached the Aramean encampment they found that that it was empty of soldiers.
Unfortunately most of us are like the city dwellers and we can just see as far as our automatic response allows us to see. Yet sometimes, just our ability to stop our automated responses might unlock an entire universe of possibilities.
We Jews have a very special tool for unlocking automated responses and it comes with the celebration of Chanukah. Chanukah commemorates the rededication of the temple and with this festival, each year we are reminded to re-dedicate our selves. Just like we need to take the opportunity to re-dedicate our selves to our health, to our families, we also have a commitment to re-dedicate our selves to our spirituality and our consciousness. One of the greatest strategies that we have to do that is the ability to STOP when we are asked a question, and say, “Let me think about it”. Stopping to take a moment before you answer a question gives you the opportunity to act - based on your continued understanding, rather than act the way you have acted in the past.
Now, the next time we talk, and I ask you “How are you doing?” I will not be surprised to hear some of you say, “Let me get back to you on that!”
-Rabbi Celso Cukierkorn
This year, we kindle the first candle of Chanukah on Friday night, December 11th ( before the shabbat candles are lit ) and the last candle on Friday night, December 18th (also before the shabbat candles are lit ).
Candles are added to the Chanukiah from right to left but are kindled from left to right. The newest candle is lit first.
Light the Shamash - the helper candle - first using it to kindle the rest of the Chanukah lights; say or sing:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Chanukah lights.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v'imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz'man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.
For first night only:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
Listen to Audio of the Blessings (open up as new windows playing mp3 files)
Candle Blessing 1
Candle Blessing 2
Shechehianu
SIMHAT HANUKAH!
