Chanukah Never Ends

There is something beautiful about the last night of Chanukah. All the candles are lit. It feels like the Festival of Light has reached its full potential. The full menorahs challenge us to strive to reach ours.

Maybe the end of Chanukah is only the beginning.

In Chasidic thought, there is the idea of “Zot Chanukah – Zot v’od acheret - This has been Chanukah, but there is more of to come.” As Chanukah ends, there is a directive that it cannot end with Chanukah or with how Chanukah was observed this year. As the Bnei Yissachar, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, explains the name Chanukah is from the Hebrew word of chinuch, which means to educate or prepare. Chanukah has been preparing us – training us - for what comes next.

What comes next? What are we preparing for?

We are very familiar with the Talmudic rule that, ideally, the candles should be lit outside, but in times of danger, they can be lit inside on the table. If this is the case, why don’t we light outside anymore? Despite the rise in antisemitism, do we really fear lighting Chanukah candles outside? Why has this required ritual fallen out of practice?

Some answer that once we moved the Chanukah lights inside, that became the new normal, and we never brought them back outside. Others suggest the weather had something to do with continuing to light inside. The cold and wind allowed the lights to remain indoors – even if one finds oneself in balmier climates.

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon provides an illuminating insight based on a teaching of the Sefat Emet. We want to disseminate a great light; we want to transmit our messages to everyone. However, to influence the outside world, we need to first build our internal world. We must first gather all our inner strengths before we can go outside in a serious and profound way. Put differently, lighting Chanukah candles inside for 8 nights has been our training for continuing to bring light to the darkness even after Chanukah.

We may no longer be lighting, but we still need to bring the light.

On this week’s parsha, the Sefat Emet expands upon this idea:

“Parshat Mikeitz – and this whole time of year – teaches us the value of preparation. We must prepare ourselves with the holiness revealed to us this time of year. We must deeply internalize all the light we see and feel so that it we continue to benefit from its illumination during the dark times which will sure follow in which the light is hidden.”

Zot v’od acheret. Take a long look at the fully lit menorah. Take a mental snapshot. Carry that beauty and inspiration forward for the many nights on which there won’t be any lighting.

While writing this, I saw a video of worshippers evacuating the Kotel plaza during Kabbalat Shabbat services. The darkness is returning, but we cannot let the light go out. It has been 70 days since the war in Israel began. From both a military and resilience standpoint, we cannot think that we’re near the finish line. We need lots of light to keep penetrating the darkness.

Chanukah is all about the survival, continuity, and relevance of Judaism throughout the ages. Chanukah also provided us an opportunity – a powerful opportunity – to illuminate our homes, our souls, and our families and give us strength to light up our world.

While Chanukah is ending, let us keep the light – the light of Torah, the light of Judaism, the light of chesed, and the light within our souls – shining.

It may be getting dark outside, but the light of Chanukah – the light we’ve lit over Chanukah – shines on.