12/10/2020
Even before our most famous Hannukah song, Maor Tzur, was written in the 13th century, the Rabbis of the 8th century had their own poem that they recited when they lit candles. Tractate Sofrim, an amendment to the Talmud, writes that we say “hanerot halalu anu madlikin”, “We light these very lights.” The text is poetically vague allowing itself to map it onto the three classic Hannukah stories: the lasting of the remaining oil in the Temple, the Hasmoneon Revolt, and the triumph of Judith.
Only in the centuries following have some siddurim began to include “al hamilchamot, “upon the military victories”, alluding, like Maor Tzur to the focus of war in our Hannukah narrative. However, in the Spanish and Portuguese siddur, “al hamilchamot” has been altered to “al hanechamot”, upon the consolations, the moments of comfort.
My blessing for you this Hannukah is to recall the places in our lives, and in ourselves, where we usually only recognize tension and conflict; and to find a space for comfort there too. May our holy, light filled selves, illuminated by the sparks of the divine that we carry, act as those lights (hanerot halalu) that we remember are kindled for the sake of miracles, for the sake of wonder, for the sake of comfort.
