By Toby Ehrlich
As Hanukkah approaches and we get ready to light candles for eight nights, the opportunity to reflect on finding light during the dark winter days is upon us. The Jewish custom is to start the holiday by lighting one candle the first night and then adding one additional candle each night until all eight candles are lit by the eighth night. The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 21b) describes an argument that occurred between two early Jewish schools of thought, Shammai and Hillel regarding the order of lighting the Hanukkah candles. According to the school of Shammai, the lighting of these candles is done as a countdown, starting from eight candles on the first night until one candle is left remaining on last night of the holiday. The current Jewish practice follows the opinion of the school of Hillel, in which one candle is lit the first night and then one candle is added each night of Hanukkah through the eighth night. The school of Hillel reasoned that for matters of ritual, it is appropriate to rise in holiness and not detract from holiness.
The desire to always rise spiritually is an aspiration which tugs at all people. Yet, the process of spiritual growth is fraught with tremendous challenge. Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, a world renowned psychiatrist in the greater Jewish community describes the process of reaching spiritual heights throughout life as a redemptive process, he says that, “G-d will redeem us when we are at our lowest level, but we can determine what constitutes a ‘lowest level.’ If we can understand to what spiritual heights we are capable of rising, then we can feel that our lack of spirituality is our lowest level. If we understand the level of perfection of character we can attain, then falling short of this can be our lowest level (Twerski on Prayer, p. 120).”
The premise underlying the Jewish custom of kindling the Hanukkah candles is embedded in Rabbi Twerski’s ideas. To rise in holiness requires a mindset that a person starts the path of growth from the moment of recognizing their lack of holiness. The single candle of the first night is symbolic of the first step. The first step provides just a sliver of light, yet it still shatters through the darkness. As more candles are added, the greater the light will shine until the menorah is full and glowing with light on the eighth night. Growing in holiness begins with the same sliver, or the moment of recognition. As one’s growth slowly rises, the sliver of light increasingly grows.
May this holiday season be one in which we reinvigorate ourselves and continue our spiritual growth, starting with a single step. From our home at the Wilf Campus to your home, may the Hanukkah candles shine brightly in your windows. Chag Hanukkah Sameach!
Rabbi Bryan Kinzbrunner Wilf Campus Chaplain recently returned from a trip taking 12 Older Adults some in their 90’s on a Wilf Campus Mission trip to Israel. The Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living includes, The Martin and Edith Stein Assisted Living Residence, The Martin and Edith Stein Hospice, The Lena and David T. Wilentz Senior Residence, Wilf at Home, Wilf Transport, and The Foundation. For more information contact us at 888-311-5231, or [email protected]. Visit us at www.wilfcampus.org or join us on www.facebook.com/wilfcampus.

