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Time seemed to stop the instant the synagogue lights dimmed. The glow of Chanukah candles expanded the liminal space of Jewish being. The flickering lights seemed to have their own breath, their own heart, mirroring the beat of mine. Around the room I saw soft outlines of humanity, a collective One, bathed in candlelight. I gazed at the wide variety of menorahs gracing the table in front of the bimah, wood and metal, large and small – a blazing kaleidoscope of heritage and recollection. This powerful memory leads me to ponder. During the December frenzy, in which Chanukah has become more than it once was due to majority-culture pressure, what if we re-imagined the season? Each menorah, a storyteller; each candle, a Middot or trait in the Jewish ethics tradition of Mussar. The first candle, which invites us into the magic and warmth of Chanukah encompasses Hakarat Ha’Tov, meaning gratitude. I recall the comfort of my community as we sat together upholding the practice of our ancestors. I recognized that we were bound by a covenant beyond space, gleaming in the same light as congregations in Cuba and India, Morocco and Greece. What if we looked at a glowing December taper with appreciation for each other and for our relationship with others? How would that change us?

The second candle holds the flame of Kavod or honor. Honor in reference to the Middot traits refers to respecting all people. I suggest that it can also mean respecting the potential for divinity in all people, which I admit is not an easy feat. Yet, what are we if not named for Jacob, the God-wrestler? If I imagine the Divine, that which is Unknown as my reference to God, then the most Jewish thing I can do is find myself in the thicket of divinity, trying to see my way forward, to break down and re-build my understanding of the path. Humanity’s track of what could be – holiness aside from titles and achievements. The sanctity of the soul, which has infinite potential, because it is part of the Ein Sof or Unknowable Essence. This is what the next candle can call on us to imagine.

The third candle glows with Anavah, or humility. For we do not comprehend Ein Sof and humans are not perfect beings. As I looked at the beautiful lights and various menorah designs that day in shul, I thought of how little I knew of their histories. What stories would the candleholders tell if they were able? What mysteries might they unveil? What lessons could their guardians share with me and with the world? In December’s time of rest, might we save a space for learning, for challenging ourselves to seek new truths and expand what we know about each other?

Savlanut – patience welcomes us with the fourth candle. December can be an intense month in the United States, particularly fraught with a variety of self-imposed deadlines and expectations from others. I remember when my nieces were children and part of the rush of holiday shopping for small hands and eager faces. The Toys R Us bedlam we encountered upon entering was a maelstrom of tossed clothes, household goods and trip-hazard isles strewn with abandoned toys. An unhappy child’s wail always seemed to echo from within the bowels of the store as we waited in endless lines. Plunking myself down on the sofa once home was a relief. In those lines amidst the store’s whirlwind, I had the opportunity each year to practice patience. While I certainly did not always achieve the goal the way I desired, the possibility was always present. Further, the possibility was a consistent present, or gift – an opportunity to flex that spiritual muscle. What new patterns are open to us when we lean into Savlanut?

The fifth candle steadies us with Menuchat Ha’ Nefesh or equanimity. Equanimity refers to a state of balance or inner peace, of which patience is a part. Finding one’s inner balance in times of great uncertainty can feel impossible. Yet, it is at our most conscious awareness that we can be authentic change agents, promoting our people’s desire for tikkun olam. Staring into the mesmerizing flames of the Chanukah candles that powerful evening at the synagogue, I felt a sense of serenity, knowing that at that moment, all was well, all was whole. In each instant there is an opportunity to consider how we are with ourselves and in our bodies. Before and soon can be ways to plan – and they can also be weights, stressing one’s sense of equilibrium. How can we act in ways that are most harmonious with promoting balance?

Bitachon or trust shines in the sixth candle. Trust doesn’t mean careless naivete but rather a sense of security in oneself and the surrounding world. Even in a time of great division, the universe seeks balance. That which lies dormant in the moment remains a future prospect. The inner spark in each of us, which I felt as I sat with my community on Chanukah, is part of the greater whole of sacred kindling alight in the world. It does not go out for its power rests in the inescapable essence of creation.

OmetzLev or courage empowers the seventh candle, bringing us the bravery to face each new day, something our ancestors did for generations. It was the daring of our predecessors that allowed them to envision a new hope, a better future. How might we also follow our dreams, hold fast to authenticity and chesed – that which loving-kindness demands we attempt, even if we fall short? Like our menorah candles, courage holds a flame against the wind, dancing and sparkling even while buffeted by strong forces.

Just as the eighth Shamash or helper candle lights the rest, rachamim or compassion illuminates the whole and has the power to uphold communal well-being. In trying times, compassion may be the hardest of all. It requires energy to see oneself in others and reach out to them, to provide the flicker to fulfill the flame of humanity in another person. Perhaps we do not always get there, but as our forebears did, we persist. We do not stop lighting the candles and gathering on Chanukah because we as Jews are required to find and hold dear those divine sparks. The vital force of Love with a capital L demands no less. How will you uphold Love today and in this season?