Dear all,
Chanukah celebrates the miracle of a small group of Jews who were able to overcome enemy forces who tried to annihilate us. Our sages later created the now familiar story of the oil for the Eternal Light in the desecrated Temple that only should have lasted one day – but lasted eight, when more oil became available.
Some people focus on the heroic miracle. Others focus on the spiritual. All are called upon to think about the miracles we encounter today.
The miracle that two men can brings twins into the world.
(And the miracle that we haven’t yet gone crazy raising them!)
The miracle of science working around the clock to fight a pandemic.
The miracle of a young person with stage fright chanting from Torah at his Bar Mitzvah.
The miracle of salmon swimming upstream to their birth place.
The miracle of people in different parts of the world being able to have a family reunion via social media.
Look, there are some miracles that just seem to happen. But in truth, most miracles happen because of hard work that sets them into motion. So we don’t look to heaven to bring upon a miracle. We look to one another and create miracles at any given moment in time.
So go out and BE the miracle!
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
