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According to Jewish tradition, God created a large number of miracles, beginning with the creation of the world itself. To name a few, there was the liberation from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea, the manna that saved the people from starvation in the wilderness, and the sun that did not set until the Israelites were victorious in battle.
Many of the miracles that we experienced are recounted during different holidays. There is only one miracle, though, that we are obligated to publicize to the whole world, Jewish or not, and that is the story of the lights of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah, which begins this Friday night, is in many ways a minor holiday. In fact, there is only one thing we have to do in order to fulfill the holiday, namely lighting lights, either candles or oil lamps, and placing them in our windows for all to see. Playing dreidel and eating potato pancakes are a custom, not a requirement. Just the lights.
On the surface, it does not sound impressive, but there is a very deep and powerful message I would like to share with you. The story of Hanukkah takes place in the second century BCE, when the Jews had been conquered by the Hellenized Assyrians, who had also desecrated our Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
In time, a small group of Jewish soldiers, named the Maccabees, recaptured the Temple, though it was many years before they liberated their country.
When the Maccabees entered the Temple, they found a horrible mess. They began cleaning and purifying it. They then wanted to light the menorah, the candelabrum, which symbolized God's presence on Earth. All they could find was enough pure oil that would last but a day. They knew it would take many days to produce more oil. They could have waited until they had enough, but they understood the importance of lighting it immediately. A miracle occurred, and the oil kept burning for eight days.
Let's look at why this was so significant. First, the Maccabees had the courage to act. They did not know that God would bring a miracle. Second, it was only a miracle if you really paid attention. A casual passerby would just see lights, not a miracle. The splitting of an ocean would catch your notice, but probably not a light burning in a candelabrum.
There is a lot we can learn from the Maccabees. Like them, we are in an extraordinarily difficult time. I remember a number of recessions, but nothing like this.
The recession feels like an enemy that won't leave, that has desecrated our lives, leaving us often in despair.
The Maccabees teach us that we do not wait for someone to save us. No one is coming to help us, not the federal government, or anyone else outside our area.
It is just us, but that is enough. We have to remember our strength and our spirit. We need to bring light back to each others' lives. We have to remember the light that is still powerful within us.
I have worked very hard to stay here despite opportunities elsewhere, because I believe in Detroit and the surrounding areas.
If we work together and believe in each other, we will create a miracle worth publicizing to the rest of the world.
Rabbi Aaron Bergman is rabbi of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
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