Life Lessons from Not Using the Menorah Light for Personal Benefit

After I lit my candles for the first night of Chanukah yesterday, I sat here to begin writing this blog as I admire the beauty of lighting the menorah candles. Considering that Chanukah is considered a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, you would think I would run out of Chanukah topics to write about, but here we are. I meditate on the light itself and ask myself about a particular bit of Jewish law related to lighting the menorah. Based on a conversation between the Rabbis in the Talmud (Shabbat 21a-b), the consensus is that we are not to derive personal benefit from the light of the menorah. After reading a Chanukah insight from Aish HaTorah, I had to ask myself why and delve into the topic. 

I think a major reason is that not everything in life is meant for our personal, physical gain. This reinforces the notion that the world does not revolve around us. In Pirkei Avot (1:14), it says "If I'm not for myself, who will be," but also says "If I am only for myself, what am I?" Part of why we publicize lighting the menorah is because we are meant to bring light to the world. We are meant to inspire other people because the Jews as a people have historically been in that darkness. The menorah is the testimony of the resilience and triumph of a continuous tradition spanning over more than three millennia. In Tractate Shabbat, the Rabbis emphasize that the menorah is about commemorating the miracle that took place, not personal benefit. 

This segues into the idea of boundaries. There is a place and a time for physical benefit and other moments for spiritual benefit. We ought to value spiritual growth as an ends unto itself, to have it elevate the soul and guide us.  It also teaches us to be in the moment and focus on the miracle of Chanukah instead of ancillary benefits or multitasking. We are constantly on the move. Taking a moment to stop from the hustle and bustle to appreciate the dancing flames can lift us up. Given the major motif of thanksgiving in Chanukah, it gives us a time to stop and be thankful and think about our own personal miracles in life. That gratitude gives us a chance to pull ourselves out of whatever darkness we might be feeling in the moment and bask in the light.  

In short, this particular piece of Jewish law is meant to be a sacred beacon to inculcate hope and gratitude, inspire us to elevate ourselves and others one day at a time, and to better connect us to the divine and the world around us.