BS’D
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chana bas Dina Frimit, a newborn baby, who is recovering from heart surgery. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
The main avodah during the festival of Chanukah is to light a candle; to dispel the immense darkness with a flicker of light. During the eight days of Chanukah a tremendous G-dly light pours onto this world through a small act done here below, whether one deserves it or not. In fact we see this through the spinning of the dreidel. The dreidel needs to be twisted on top in order for the bottom to twirl around. The flow of blessings during the next eight days is from Heaven to Earth initiated by a small act we do in this world.
The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh ztk’l based his teachings on this particular concept; a little light removes a lot of darkness. The Jewish people are not meant to battle with the darkness, but instead to strike a match of light thus dispersing the impact of negativity and confusion.
Practically speaking let’s take for example the state of sadness; symbolic of darkness. Instead of fighting the gloom we need to inject light, also known as joy, into our current state. That means turning on the music, going for a walk to enjoy nature’s scenery, doing a mitzvah which automatically fills the soul with light, dialing 1-800-ALMIGHTY picking up the ‘phone and speaking to Hashem’ or reading Tehillim, to name some suggestions. We should not try to convince ourselves why we shouldn’t be sad rather light up our lives and disperse the glum.
When we light the Chanukah candles, a seemingly ‘small act’, we open the gateways for an incredible radiant light to shine forth. The reason being the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles professes our emuna in Hashem; a sign of Jewish hope and G-dly clarity, a trust in G-dly justice and the ultimate fulfillment of Hashem’s promises to the Jewish People.
