Bright Lights

When I was a kid, my sister told me about the biggest Menorah in the world.

It was in New York and it was 32 ft. tall.

As a child I wondered why they had stopped at 32 ft. and not made it even taller.

Then as I got older, we learned all the laws of the Menorah, and one of the details was that, to fulfill the Mitzvah, a Menorah can not be lit if it is lower than 10 inches, nor if it is taller than 32 feet.

Why? Because the entire goal of the Menorah is to cast light, to shine warmth in dark places, and if it is too low or too tall- out of our sight- then it misses the whole point.

The details of the Menorah laws, are to allow it to achieve its goal. One more detail that we learned is that the Menorah is mean to be lit outdoors, because it is not enough to just shine light in our own lives, but rather, we are meant to share it and spread it to others.

Every single one of us was born with something that we can share/ something that we can contribute towards making the world a better place.

For one it might be his or her happy disposition, another might have a creative talent, another person has knowledge and another skills. The outdoor Menorah reminds us, that the gifts we have, are meant to be shared.

And just like the flames of the Menorah, sharing of it doesn’t diminish the light. A flame can be used over and over and over to give and create other flames and the original flame remains the same size.

Let’s each do our part of contributing light (in whatever shape or form we can) towards our community and the world. One flame and another and another will form a beautiful and bright surroundings.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a very Happy Chanukah.