As we prepare to usher in the Jewish month of Kislev this Thursday night, we can see the days growing shorter. We can feel the air growing colder. And yet, our Jewish calendar calls upon us not to retreat into the light and warmth of our homes, but to step into the cold darkness and share what light and warmth we have to offer.
According to our Torah, creation begins illumination. God’s first gift to the universe is the opportunity for clarity – the ability to uncover meaning and direction in the midst of uncertainty. In the very same chapter, God charges humanity with the same task – to provide meaning and direction for a world mired in doubt and ambiguity.
We find this lesson repeated in the tale of the Maccabees that we celebrate in the month of Kislev. Beset by war, oppression, and fear, they chose to offer the opportunity for direction and meaning. And when they finally reclaimed the Temple, only to discover one small jar of oil—barely enough for a single night, they chose to kindle it, not out of confidence but out of conviction: a refusal to let darkness dictate their spirit. The miracle of these days, then, was not only that the oil endured but that they had the resolve to light it at all.
As we enter Kislev, may we remember that light is not merely found—it is made. Every time we step into the cold night to offer comfort and support to one another, we become partners in creation once more, kindling light and meaning where darkness and despair once prevailed.
Rabbi Josh Knobel