Sparks of Light: Eighth Night

Mesechet Shabbat 21b discusses the halachot of Chanukah candle lighting. The halacha is for one person to light one candle each night. It continues that ‘mehadrin’ (a higher level) would be for everyone in the house to light their own menorah and the ‘mehadrin min hamehadrin’ (even higher level) would be to light one candle the first night, two the second night, etc.

Without getting into the complexities of the different understandings of the Gemara, it is interesting to note that what became the accepted Chanukah lighting practice in today’s time is something that is not only ‘mehadrin’, but ‘mehadrin min hamehadrin’.

In life, there are things that are clearly prohibited or clearly permitted. Then there’s that fun, large, unclear area of things that don’t fall into either category. Sometimes when we find ourselves in a community, a family, or a school, these borderline concepts get decided for us one way or the other, and that can leave a feeling of resentment. I think the trick is to change the way we view that unclear area, or as I like to call it, sensitivities.

The message I take from candle lighting is that sometimes we can choose to do the ‘mehadrin min hamehadrin’, and it’s not difficult to do so. Yes, those sensitivities are not mandated of us, but imagine what life could look like if we accepted them on ourselves. Sensitivities like texting a classmate (who you may not be friends with) when they don’t come to school. Sensitivities like avoiding music with inappropriate words or content. Sensitivities like inviting someone over who you know is having a hard time socially.

Let’s try and take the message of ‘mehadrin min hamehadrin’ into our own lives, and strive to do more than what is expected of us. This can help enrich and inspire us to be better Jews and a better community.