Eight Lights

Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe adapted By Rabbi Israel Rubin

A THOUGHT FOR EACH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH
"A MITZVAH IS AS A CANDLE"

	All eight Menorah candleholders stand ready on the first night of Chanukah. But we light only one, leaving the rest empty. The next night we light two candles, gradually lighting all eight. But for now, we start with one. In light of the above: we constantly aspire to increase our Torah and Mitzvot. After doing one Mitzvah yesterday, we increase and do more today. But rather than jump to accomplish it all overnight, we learn to take a step at a time.
	The sun and the moon determine our lifestyles. The sun is constant; the same big fiery ball appears every day in the sky. But the moon is always going through changes. It has its ups and downs; one day it is full, then it wanes, smaller and smaller. Yet even after it seems to have disappeared, it renews itself, and grows again. Even as we grow and change, we must retain our consistency.
	In the beginning, "G‑d said Let there be Light." The reference here is not to actual physical light. This is actually the Divine Mission Statement. The ultimate goal and purpose of all creation is that the Divine Light should shine and transform every-thing, even darkness itself.
	The Talmud mentions: "We are day laborers." This means more than 'we quit at sun-down. ' Symbolically, our mission is to spread light positively, rather than exhaust our energies negatively battling darkness. We do not eradicate or sweep away Evil and Darkness with a broom. By adding Light, the Darkness fades away.
	SEEING THE LIGHT Entering a room with no light, the man was overwhelmed by the darkness. "Don't worry," said his friend, "The darkness hits you only at first; soon your eyes will get accustomed to it." "That's our problem" he replied. "Torah teaches us to distinguish between light and dark. Unfortunately, by becoming accustomed and accepting the situation, we begin to think of the darkness as light."
	LASER POWER Some complain that Halachic "restric-tions" stifle their religious inspiration. On the contrary, the Torah's strict rulings enhance our light, for without restriction, our initial inspiration can diffuse and dissipate. Like the concentrated Laser beam, the Torah's focus restricts the light from going all over the place, intensifying it into a powerful beam.
	We light our Shabbos Candles before dark, inside our home. By contrast, Chanukah candles are lit only after dark, at the window facing outside to the street. Shabbos Candles illuminate us with-in, but Chanukah lights also illuminate the outer darkness.
	Fond of light, The Baal Shem Tov said: "The Hebrew word for light is 'Or', the numerical equivalent of 'Raz' (mystic secret) for inner Torah secrets illuminate our perspective." (Hayom Yom Elul 6). We commemorate the rekindling of the Temple's Menorah of seven branches, with our Chanukah Menorah of eight lights. "Eight" is not just the digit after "seven." Symbolically, "Seven" represents the natural world, created in six days and completed on the Seventh, Shabbat while "Eight" represents the supernatural Infinite. The seven-lamp Menorah illuminated the natural world, but Chanukah reflects the era of Moshiach, beyond limitation. Before daybreak, at the end of the long dark night, we may tend to fall asleep. Let's remain awake and aware for the dawn of Redemption.