(Partially Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf. The Meditation section of this article is written
by Rabbi Debra Orenstein.)
It is the
Second Day of Chanukah!
Instructions for lighting the
Chanukah Menorah:
The Chanukah candles cannot be used
to light each other, which is why we use the Shamash Candle to light the
Menorah. It's not one of
the 8 Chanukah candles, so we set it in a place above the rest. The Shamash can
be made out of sweet-smelling beeswax. This
candle represents Y’shua, Jesus to Christians. Jewish people know it as
"the servant candle." This candle is higher and more
special than the others because it has more power, yet it is a servant to the
other candles, giving them life and light.
We place
candles in the Menorah from right to left, but we light the candles from left
to right.
On the first night we light one candle on the right side. On the second night we light the new, candle first, starting from the left and moving to the right. A new candle is added each night until we have eight candles and the Shamash on the eighth night. Chanukah, like the oil of the temple when it was rededicated, lasts for eight days.
Each night
as we add another candle and light them again we can recite special blessings. We can also meditate on the truth from
the illustrations found in God’s Word and the truth of the history of God’s
people throughout time to help us understand the full meaning of this special
time together and how Chanukah was a great miracle of God.
Many people delight in gathering and serving foods cooked in oil during this season in order to remember the miracle of the oil in the menorah lasting for eight days when there was thought to be only enough oil for one day.
BLESSING FOR
THE SECOND NIGHT OF CHANUKAH
We praise
you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us by Your Presence
and enjoins us to kindle the Chanukah lights.
We praise
You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed great miracles and deeds
many times over for our ancestors in the days of old during this season.
We praise You for the joy in the miracles that You continue
to show us each day of our lives.
We praise You O Lord our God, King
of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach
this season.
We praise You for Your provision of
our every need, even in the midst of hopelessness, You shine out Your Holy love
into our lives and turn our mourning to joy.
MEDITATION
FOR THE SECOND DAY:
This meditation is taken from
the teachings of Rabbi Debra Orenstein.
She has given us great insight into the miracle of the second candle we
light tonight.
The
miracle of the second candle is one of surprise, joy, and delight. With the benefit of
hindsight, and with the story so entrenched in Jewish culture and
consciousness, we have to work to imagine the shock and celebration that must
have ensued when the light burned past its time.
Picture the scene: Jews are gathered around the
newly purified Temple. They hold one another, celebrating the victory,
supporting one another over the losses. The light that is about to go out in
the Menorah represents another loss, another bit of damage inflicted by the
enemy. They want to bask in the Light and the victory for as long as it will
last.
There is a debate among the Jews over whether to
continue fighting for complete political independence, or to be satisfied with
having beaten the enemy back. The flame of the Menorah, now about to go out, is
a symbol that either side could invoke. “We have our menorah back: purify the
oil, focus on holy, and light the flame of faith again.” Or: “we must endure
more darkness. Therefore, purify the oil, focus on the holy, and don’t abandon
the fight until it is done. “
Before any of these thoughts are spoken, a buzz
starts to go through the crowd. First one person and then another realizes that
the flame has been burning “too long.” There is more light, more hope, than
they had dared to expect. Soon everyone is cheering and singing. The Light will
not go out! The political choice is still before them, but the spiritual
promise matters more.
The Light will not go out!
Take a few
quiet moments in front of the second candle or during the second day of Chanukah
and consider:
What are the miracles of joy, surprise, and delight in your life?
Was
there a time when you were you recovering from loss, and preparing to face the
future, when you got a gift – a sudden surge of hope, of Light, a promise for
the future?
FURTHER
COMMENTS OFFERED BY SHEILA GAIL LANDGRAF:
How
does the miracle of the light of Chanukah for the Jewish people relate when we
think of the state of America today?
What
can Americans learn from the Jewish people about hope and perseverance in a time
of trouble?
What
was the main thing that brought about this great miracle?
What did God do? What did the people do?
