Chanukah, the Season of Remembering and Welcoming Miracles

Okay…I’m over the scrooge phase. We are well into Chanukah now, actually half way through. I did manage to get out some of the decorations, although our new house (we’ve been in it a little over a year and a half) doesn’t have as many good places to put my little Chanukah candles and music boxes and such. I miss my house in Illinois at these times. It was so much larger, and, therefore, had many more options for putting little knick knacks around. California houses are too expensive to be large…but I put out a few decorations, placed a festive table cloth covered with dreidles and Chanukiot on the dinner table, and took down our chanukiot. I put some chocolate gelt into a few dreidle-shaped bowls, and, miracle of miracles, my house began to be transformed in Chanukah space and time. Not quite sacred space, but close.

I have to admit, though, I haven’t had much time to sit and meditate on the candles or to send out my invitation to the Shechinah. Maybe over the next few days with no school or work pressures – the kid’s winter break begins today. At least I’m in the mood, the house feels festive and the table has become a misbeach, an altar, where each night we light our candles, say the blessings and then eat dinner together as we bask in the light of four -- yes, four -- chanukiot.

On Chanukah we not only remember the Jews’ fight against assimilation and for religious freedom, but also the miracle (myth?) of the one little jug of oil left in the desecrated Temple that once poured into the Temple lamp burned not for one day, as expected, but for eight. Truly a miracle – God’s hand in human events. I really want to focus on miracles for the next four days. I’ve been told by my “local Kabbalist” that the energy of Chanukah opens us up to receiving miracles. However, I firmly believe that focusing our attention on the miracles we want or need most puts us in synch with that energy. We need to know what we want, imagine having it now, offer gratitude to God for bringing it to us, and then open ourselves to the energy of these eight days (well…four now) so the miracles can flow to us. We need to stay positive and feeling good so we can allow in that which we desire.

I’ve been working so hard and could really use a miracle right now…in the middle of this miracle season. I’d like to see a pay off for all that I have done.

On good days, I feel that miracle coming. On bad days, my confidence wanes. So, I keep plugging on, moving forward, acting “as if” I’ve already received that miracle. Some days I fail at this miserably. While I know it is inevitable that I will have a bad day, I try to have as few as possible. I know that feeling good, remaining positive, keeps me open to the energy of miracles. Thus, I keep visualizing myself having what I want. I keep acting and praying “as if.”

Why? Because, just as Greg Braden (The God Code) explains, when we “pray for” something we affirm lack, but when we “pray” something, we affirm abundance. In other words, we don’t want to “pray for rain.” We want to “pray rain.” How do we do that? We visualize ourselves already having what we desire, becoming what we want to be. So, I act “as if” my miracle has arrived and I am enjoying it to the fullest extent possible.

Some days, though, it’s a miracle to be able to stay in that mental space. So, maybe the small miracle is to “be that which I want” – and really feel like it is true – for the next four days so I open myself to really becoming it.

So, when you light your Chanukah menorah, join me in remembering that this is the season of miracles. Pray “as if” and know the miracles are on their way sent upward and outward on the light of the 5, 6, 7, 8 candles. Let’s take the time in front of our personal Chanukiot to ask for the miracles we want and to know that all that we want and need in our lives is now coming to us for the highest good of all concerned. (That’s a great statement with which to end any petitionery prayer, by the way.)

Ken yehe ratzon. May it be God’s will.

Bah humbug...It's Chanukah

Bah humbug. Can a Jew say that? Is there a way to say it in Yiddish or Hebrew? Well, I don’t know of one, so I’ll stick with Bah humbug.

I’ve been writing about getting in the mood for the holidays (see my recent news releases), and I can do that when it comes to the actual observance of Chanukah – you know, lighting the candles and such, but I’m having a heck of a time getting there during the initial phase. You know which one I mean? Shopping.

The thought of fighting the crowds to find eight presents for each of my children just does not excite me, nor does trying to fit this job into my too-busy schedule. So, what’s a mom to do?

I suppose I could go ahead and use my favorite trick…catalogue shopping from the convenience of my home. And I can do that for a few things with my daughter. For my son, no way exists. Nothing he wants is in a catalogue. So, I guess I’m off to the stores.

Actually, my husband is off to the stores. That’s my other trick… “Well, I’m just not sure what to buy, honey, so maybe you could go get it.” That works great with technological items, like the Ipod my daughter wants. It works okay on the drums my son wants, too. CDs my husband can handle, too, but the rest is up to me.

I hate just buying to buy. I want to purchase 8 meaningful gifts or at least gifts the kids really want. As they have gotten older – 12 and 14 – however, it has become harder and harder, especially since most of what they want is very expensive. That leaves little money left over for the smaller trinkets for the other nights.

I usually combine all my sisters and my in-laws gifts into Chanukah to help come up with those eight nights of gifts. It defrays costs a bit, too.

I haven’t gotten out my Chanukah decorations yet either. The box is fairly easily accessible, but I just don’t have the energy. Will anyone even notice if the dreidle-covered table cloth doesn’t show up this year?

You know what? I’ll notice. So, this weekend…after Shabbat, I’ll haul out the box and do the decorating. You know why? Because without doing so I won’t have walked my talk. I won’t have practiced what I preach.

If in no other way than this, I can make Chanukah meaningful and spiritual. By creating a sacred space for the eight days by decorating, I take what could be a holiday celebration devoid of meaning and spirituality and make it possible at least to make room for God. I create a mishkan, a sanctuary in which we can bring in the light of God with our lighting of the candles. I create a mikdash, a dwelling place for the Divine, so God can join us on Chanukah.

I’m not sure I can make the gifts too spiritual or meaningful…I mean, really, is there meaning or spirituality in giving an Ipod or some bongos? Well…like everything else, within them resides a spark of God. So, I guess if I look at it from a different perspective, anything I give is at least spirit-full if not also meaning-full.

So, off I go to the stores…along with everyone else…to listen to Christmas – not Chanukah – music, and to fight the crowds and to shop. And on Sunday, I’ll get in the spirit of the holiday. I promise. I’ll create a space for God to join us, and God willing, She will. Ken yehe ratzon.