As winter persists, our inclination is to continue to seek the light that we warmed ourselves with during Chanukah. This reflex is not incorrect. Judaism seems to be all about light. We are to be a “light unto the nations”; we bring in our holidays by lighting candles, illuminating our hopes and joy. Though we often see darkness as dangerous, concealing what might be out to harm us, Trisha Arlin writes that “over millions of years, organisms evolved to thrive in the dark, eyes big and reflective… flourished under the stars and waning moon.”
There is beauty in darkness. It is in darkness we are called to reflect, to process, to recreate. In our Genesis creation story, God does not just create light, but darkness as well, signifying the importance and holiness of both. We see in our morning and evening prayers, Yotzer Or and Maariv Aravim, the significance of both light and darkness.
As the winter continues on, may we welcome these moments of quiet and shadow, allowing ourselves to evolve and flourish “under the stars and waning moon.” When we use this time to be with the darkness, when we reenter the light, it can propel us further. How can you use this winter time to reflect?
— Rabbinic Intern Hannah Bender