There is a story in the Talmud of Adam, the first man. It goes as such:
“When Adam saw the days gradually getting shorter, he said “Woe is me! Perhaps because I have sinned, the world around me is growing darker and darker, and is about to return to chaos. He then sat for eight days in fast and prayer. But when the winter solstice arrived, and he saw the days getting longer and longer, he said, “Such is the way of the world,” and proceeded to observe eight days of festivities. The years after, he observed both the eight days before and the eight days after the solstice as days of festivity.” — Babylonian Talmud, Avoda Zarah 8a
Adam, being the first human experiencing the seasons, fears the darkness, but once the truth is revealed that this is a yearly occurrence, he celebrates both the light and the dark.
Tonight is the winter solstice. Our days will now become longer. As the light returns, I hope we can reflect on what this winter gave us. Were there moments in the darkness that held us back? Did we fear, like Adam in his first year, for the coming winter? Or did we celebrate the yearly cycles of our Earth and the opportunities they provide?
— Rabbinic Intern Hannah Bender