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From the Bimah
December 2005 - January 2006

A popular saying in Israel states: "If you don't believe in miracles, you're not a realist." When you think about it, believing in miracles should be second nature to us Jews. That we have existed for as long as we have indicates to me at least, miracles exist! The problem arises when we live our lives as if to depend on them.

Though life itself is a supreme miracle, it's important to note miracles can only exist within a human context. We are instrumental in bringing about miracles; and we must view ourselves as God's partners.

A joke is told of a person who constantly prays to God in order to win the lottery. After months of wishing and praying, God finally responds, "I understand you want to win the lottery, but you have to first buy a lottery ticket!"

The fun-filled holiday of Hanukkah is at its core, a manifestation of that divine [miraculous], partnership. After the Maccabees' military victory over the Syrians, the defiled Temple in Jerusalem was restored to its original sacred splendor.

The rededication of the Temple, along with the miracle that has come to define Hanukkah (the rabbinic story of the container of oil lasting eight days, along with the Maccabees' military conquest) would have been impossible had it not been for the un-relenting determination of a handful of Jews. Had the Hellenists prevailed, there would have been no resistance to the Syrians, no Temple, no Jews, no miracle.

So, as we light our Hanukkah candelabra's this month, let its light help illuminate the countless miracles found daily within our own lives. Let its warmth and beauty continually teach us that only "realists" believe in miracles.

Let its penetrating, mysterious glow continually enlighten God's world, as the holiday's timeless message inspires our souls. I wish you a very festive, happy and miraculous Hanukkah.

Rabbi Michael Gotlieb