By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
While I as growing up in Melbourne, we once had a school trip to visit one of the oldest Synagogues in Australia. It was about a two-hour drive from Melbourne in the town of Ballarat.
Why was a Synagogue built in Ballarat in the 1860’s?
The ‘Gold Rush’.
Significant gold deposits were discovered in the Ballarat area in the 1950’s which sparked a flurry of immigration to Australia. Many Jewish people came from around the world to participate in this blessed windfall.
Would you travel half way around the world to participate in a ‘gold rush’?
It’s hard to relate to the question as we are not miners.
Let me ask it differently.
If you heard of an opportunity to buy an expensive house for 20% of its value but only if you personally showed up to sign the title deed. The problem is that it is in a location that is many thousands of miles away from where you live.
Would you make the effort to get on the plane and show up at that location?
I think there is a good chance you would.
Moreover, while you may not be a miner, I think that if you knew that you had gold in your backyard, you would figure out how to hire a professional mining company to mine that gold.
I would like to hope that barring health challenges, none of us are silly or lazy enough to turn away a blessing that G-d has provided for us.
Even if it requires some effort.
Let me steer this conversation to something more meaningful than gold.
Let us talk about self-worth as human beings.
And in the context of Judaism, let us take a look at our intrinsic and existential Jewish identity.
These are the equivalent of ‘gold’ in terms of the human and Jewish experience.
Do we each have ‘gold’ in our own ‘backyards’?
Welcome to the story of CHANUKAH!
The holidays of the Torah are immemorial and age-old, yet acutely relevant and pertinent.
The Maccabees were victorious.
Bet Hamikdash was in disarray.
The Menorah couldn’t be lit because there was no pure uncontaminated olive oil.
The Jews searched for oil.
Their efforts yielded the finding of one flask of pure, holy, olive oil. Sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest).
My friends, this is a message to us all.
The oil is there. But it must be found.
One must sometimes search and dig and even mine.
Deep down, there is an untainted, uncontaminated spark of humanity, of intrinsic worth and value. A place within us that is aware of our irreplaceability in the eyes of G-d.
As Jews we know that our souls have a place where nothing can sully it. It remains purely faithful and committed to G-d.
Our souls yearn for one thing. To be more at one with G-d.
The Jewish spark within us can never be extinguished.
This is the reason why there is no ‘exit’ from being Jewish. No matter how much a Jew observes or lapses, he or she remain Jewish forever. It is a part of our existential identity. You cannot change something that is part of our core identity.
Albeit it can sometimes be hidden.
Sometimes you need to pull out the shovels.
Even the excavators. The mining tools.
Chanukah assures us that if we search, we will find the untainted oil.
Within our own ‘temple’ deep inside of ourselves.
How timely, that the book of ‘Tanya’ that teaches exhaustively about the Jewish soul inherent within us, was printed just before Chanuka some two hundred years ago.
(There is an annual cycle of Tanya study that begins today. Click here for many different types of study options and lectures.)
This is all good for people who are open to reframing their thought process to one of positivity.
But some people are not so sure if they should buy in to this optimism.
Some people are full of self-doubt.
They insist on homing in on their negativity spots.
What is the correct way?
Consider the following teaching from (today’s) Rambam lesson. (Today’s lesson according to the 3 chapter annual cycle).
When a blemish appears in a house, even a sage who knows that it is definitely a blemish should not definitively say: "A blemish appeared in my house." Instead, he should tell the priest, "It appears that a blemish appeared in my house…. Afterwards, the priest will come and inspect the blemish.
The Torah tells us that when we are inspecting our home and see something that may be a ‘blemish’, don’t label it as being a blemish. Call an expert Kohen for an assessment. Until the expert has ascertained that it is indeed a ritual blemish, view it as a possible blemish. Don’t decide that it is a ‘blemish’.
The lesson here is, when it comes to negative self-evaluation, be super cautious. Don’t jump to conclusions. Definitely don’t view yourself as being blemished by default.
If you are a pessimist and really like beating yourself up, stop doing that.
It’s not the way advocated by the Torah.
Rather, be a Macabee.
Believe in, and look for, the ‘gold’, the ‘oil’, the untainted spark of Divinity that is embedded in your soul.
And if this is how you should view yourself, how much more so, you need to view your fellow person as a veritable gold mine. As a full flask of untainted oil.
Only if you are a ‘doctor’ and it can be of benefit to notice someone else’s shortcoming in order to help them, should you concentrate on someone else’s flaws. Otherwise, see the good in them and concentrate on that.
And they, just like you, do have good intrinsically embedded within them.
The story of Chanuka reassures us that if you search, you will find.
Try looking at yourself, your spouse, your parents, your kids, and your colleagues from this perspective. I am convinced that you will be uplifted and astounded by the positive energies that this will unleash.
If you think that small spark of soul within you is not enough to sustain you? Lest you be concerned that the inspiration of that spark of light is not enough to sustain you?
Think again.
The oil that was enough for one day, lasted for eight.
The inspiration that comes welling up from deep within your soul will be enough to sustain you till you get to the proper space and environment to obtain fresh inspiration.
On a practical note:
Do you get attracted by ‘too good to refuse’ offers?
Are you savvy enough to act, before an opportunity passes and you are left with regrets?
Then now (starting this Sunday night) is the time to act.
For the next eight days there is an opportunity that is infinitely valuable.
Avail yourself of the miraculous energies in the air.
Light up a physical Menorah.
By doing this physically you be will simultaneously kindling the spiritual Menorah within you. G-d’s light will shine in your soul.
All it takes is lighting that first light.
A bit of light dispels a lot of darkness.
Take the courageous act of kindling that first light.
Your world will be brighter for it.
The world at large will be brighter.
Once you start, you will be propelled to continue.
It will be ‘addictive’ in a good way.
One light won’t be enough for you anymore.
Two lights for the second night will satisfy you.
But not for long.
For the third night, two lights won’t ‘do it’ for you anymore.
Indulge in your increased spiritual appetite. Go ahead and light three lights.
Till you get to the full eight lights of Chanuka.
Once you reach eight you are in the groove.
Eight is symbolic of leaping to a spiritual gravity-free plane. Beyond the seven-day cycle of the natural world.
Shabbat Shalom
Chanuka Sameach
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS (We will be happy to send you a menorah anywhere in Thailand. Either email me [email protected] or call/WhatsApp Yossi Goldberg at +66817535071 or create your own by lining up ‘tea lights’).
PPS Our end of year Chanuka Campaign is up and running.
Would you consider an end of year Tzedaka gift to provide ‘oil’ and wherewithal to light up the lives of others, by providing humanitarian help, emotional support and spiritual inspiration?