This morning, I gazed out my car window to see a breathtaking orange ball radiating oranges, pinks, and yellows amongst the blue sky and puffy, white and gray clouds. My kids and I spoke about how it looked like a fire.
Then my heart and mind raced towards the West, where the first responders are still trying to contain deathly and destructive wildfires. Where people have lost their homes, neighborhoods, schools, libraries, and prayer spaces. Where people have evacuated their homes in hopes to be united with their physical possessions that, while they are possessions, still hold so much for them – memories, history, comfort, and strength.
Then I jumped back to last week when I watched the flames of our ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends. candles jump from our bimaThe stage or platform on which the person leading prayers stands. surrounded by the blessing being sung by the congregation. I thought about how I have always feared fire for some unknown reason, but that as Jews, we find so much meaning in it.
Then I jump back to how just a few short weeks ago, we were lighting our Hanukkiyot filled with candles that were all lit. They were shared on our windowsills to share the light – the flames – with the world.
Then I paused and took a breath. Each day, the sun will set, and the sun will rise. Each Shabbat, we are guided by the lights of Shabbat, the flames surrounded by the prayers and the community. Each HanukkahThe holiday which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following its conquest by the Syrians in 165 BCE. The holiday is celebrated by lighting candles in a hanukiyah oon each of eight nights. Other customs include the eating of fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly donuts), playing dreidl (a gambling game with a spinning top), and, in present day America, gift giving., we look forward to lighting candles for 8 nights and sharing with the world the light these flames bring. Eventually, these fires will be fully contained, but the memory of their flames will never leave the hearts of so many. It will be ingrained on the minds and hearts of those who lost so many “things,” the family and friends of those whose lives were snuffed out, the first responders who saw unspeakable damage and worked with all of their blood, sweat, and tears to try to help – coming from all over the country and the world.
We will come together, as we always do, to make fire holy in our lives again. To think about the beauty that contained fire can bring to our Shabbat tables, our windowsills on Hanukkah, and in the beauty that the sun gives and takes away each day. Let the Shabbat lights bring all of this to mind as we truly endeavor to find peace and comfort together.
