Dear Friends,
As I write this, we are about to light the first candle of Chanukah. Chanukah, which means “dedication,” commemorates the rededication of the great Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees in the 2nd Century, BCE. The famous story of the oil is first mentioned only many years later in the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 21b):
When the Seleucid Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the holy oil. And when the Hasmonean monarchy [i.e, the Maccabees] emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil to light the menorah for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the menorah for eight days. The next year the Sages made [Chanukah] a holiday, with psalms of thanksgiving…
What the story leaves out — and I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot over the last year — is how the ancient Jews observed Chanukah in that first year. It would not have been a relaxing, luxurious holiday like we celebrate today. The sacred objects had been desecrated, and the space defiled with the remains of sacrificed pigs. There was much to clean and repair. I imagine the “rededication” only came to fruition in stages. For the eight nights following the victory, the miracle alone was enough. But then it was time to get to work.
The ancient Jewish community could not restore everything overnight. As with any major renovation project, it took sweat, patience, generosity, and time to become reality. So it is with our own “rededication” — we can see it happening in stages. Earlier this fall, many in our community signed a wall of dedication, to be installed behind the ark. Later, the lower lobby was ready for gathering, and we have been joyfully singing, praying, and connecting there with folks of all ages and stages. Very soon, we will be able to gather in our brand new community room, adjacent to the south building entrance and accessible to all. Thanks to the generosity of our families and the hard work of our volunteers, it is only a matter of time until we will celebrate the rededication of our own sanctuary.
This Chanukah, the sweet taste of anticipation is on all our lips. Like our ancient ancestors, there is so much for us to be thankful for this year. There is so much light ahead at TBT.
Wishing all of our families a joyful Chanukah of abundance,
Rabbi Danny Moss