The Shalom that We Seek is Provided by Chanukah

This week’s Dvar Torah is dedicated to the memory of the 15 souls who were murdered on Sunday in Sydney, Australia, at a Chanukah festival at Bondi Beach; and as a merit for healing for the dozens of Jews physically injured and the hundreds of Jews who were directly impacted by this terror incident.

We must give credit to the Rambam for “saving Chanukah” from rabbinic oblivion. Unlike the Talmud, Maimonides has an entire section of Halacha dedicated to the Laws of Chanukah (shared with the laws of Purim, the other rabbinic holiday). Among those laws, the Rambam includes some unusually flowery and complimentary words about the holiday (Laws of Chanukah 4:12): “The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lamps is very dear. A person should be very careful in its observance to publicize the miracle and thus increase our praise of God and our expression of thanks for the miracles which He wrought on our behalf. Even if a person has no resources for food except [what he receives] from charity, he should pawn or sell his garments and purchase oil and lamps to kindle them in fulfillment of the mitzvah.”

We see here how the Rambam embraces and encourages the celebration of Chanukah first and foremost as a pretext for expressing gratitude. Grateful people are happier people. Grateful people get more accomplished. Grateful people are less likely to take things, and people, for granted. Celebrating Chanukah for eight days focused on gratitude to Hashem should enable us to be more grateful in all areas of our life. Perhaps this is how we should understand this unusual rule that one must sell their clothes to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah lights. Even after the poor person sells his clothing, s/he must still express gratitude. Expressing gratitude for the holiday will inevitably lead the person to find other reasons to be grateful, even in the midst of their difficult financial situation. Perhaps they are grateful for their health or their family or their life. And if the poor guy who has to sell his clothes to buy Chanukah candles can be grateful, then how much more so must we, who are not forced to sell our clothing to buy Chanukah candles, express gratitude on Chanukah for all of the blessings that we have.

As important as Chanukah candles are, the Rambam notes in a subsequent Halacha that there is one mitzvah, one light, that is more important. (14:14) “If a person has the opportunity to fulfill only one of two mitzvot, lighting a lamp for one's home [i.e., Sabbath candles] or lighting a Chanukah lamp - the lamp for one's home receives priority, since it generates peace within the home….And the entire Torah was given to bring about peace within the world….” Shabbat candles take priority over Chanukah candles because Shabbat candles foster Shalom Bayit, peace and harmony within the home. Consider these words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt’l:  “Why did Judaism, alone among the civilizations of the ancient world, survive? Because it valued the home more than the battlefield, marriage more than military grandeur, and children more than generals. Peace in the home mattered to our ancestors more than the greatest military victory” A shul cannot replace the role that families play in the development and health of Jews and the Jewish People. Nonetheless, our shul is committed to supporting individuals and families spiritually, emotionally, and religiously as they navigate the challenges of life in the 21^st century. This commitment extends to women, men, and children; single individuals and married folks; families with children, single parent households, and couples without children. While Shalom Bayit is often associated with the spousal relationship, we seek to bring more Shalom, more peace and Godliness, to our Beit Knesset and to every home in our kehillah.