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Hanukkah Reflection: In the Image of the Divine

Dec 20, 2016 — Categories: ,

At this year's White House Hanukkah celebration, President Obama spoke of the need to see those who are not like us and recognize their dignity, not just those who are similar to us. His words call to mind Jewish tradition's foundational belief that we are created b'tzelem elohim, in the image of the Divine. From the outset, there is something godly, perhaps otherworldly within us. When we look into the eyes of another, it should be like seeing the face of God.

Hanukkah Reflection: In the Image of the Divine

Rabbi Lisa Gelber

At this year's White House Hanukkah celebration, President Obama spoke of the need to see those who are not like us and recognize their dignity, not just those who are similar to us. His words call to mind Jewish tradition's foundational belief that we are created b'tzelem elohim, in the image of the Divine. From the outset, there is something godly, perhaps otherworldly within us. When we look into the eyes of another, it should be like seeing the face of God.

Our ancestor Jacob names this for us as he reunites with the brother whom he has manipulated and cheated, and from whom he fled. Having brought gifts to his long estranged brother, Jacob pleads with Esau to accept his offerings, for to see your face is like seeing the face of God (Genesis, 33:10). What exactly did Jacob mean by this? Perhaps, just as God would accept me at this time, so too do you. Or maybe, now I see within you what I previously ignored, a soul, open, worthy, human.

This brings us back to the President's remarks. It is not only upon us to witness the dignity within those who look, act or experience life as we do. Our world is not only about those whose family structure resembles ours, whose life experience (at least what we know of it) rings true to our own. We must cast our judgment aside and open our hearts to those whose lives are differently complicated, messy and even unfamiliar to ours.

The dark days of winter call on us to open our eyes, to see what we would rather ignore. Your next door neighbor who bravely saved, planned and snuck away to the shelter with her child to escape the physical and emotional rage of a life partner known as an "upstanding citizen." The business woman who regularly appears in her office at a Fortune 500 company with sunglasses in winter and long sleeves during warmer months to hide torturous encounters with her abuser. The young adult who pleads with her friends not to tell anyone about the marks on her wrist from a boyfriend who restrained her as she finally tried to escape the ongoing barrage of venomous comments spewed at her about her family, friends and her lack of worth.

These women, and so many more, wear the face of God. They are not their circumstance. They cannot be ignored. They could easily be you or I. Perhaps they were. Perhaps they are. Jewish tradition teaches that the lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah serves to publicize the miracle, pirsumei nisa. As such, the Hanukkah Menorah is used solely for this purpose. We don't use it to light our homes, read or keep warm. The rabbis, in their pursuit of making things work for us in the real world, hold up the shammash - the helper candle - as the solution for those who might derive benefit from the Hanukkah Menorah.

The sole purpose of the shammash is to light the other candles. It shares of itself and brings out the light in the individual flames so that they may burn on their own. The flames stand together, without hierarchy as the holiday unfolds. Each candle illuminates its surroundings as best it can. Together the flames form one unit - the Hanukkah Menorah - reminding us that faith and moral vision can triumph over adversity (Barack Obama, reflecting on the life of Shimon Peres).

This year, be a shammash. Stand up tall. Help shine the light into places that must be exposed. Bring out the flame in another so that they might find their place among the holy wicks whose light is just waiting to be ignited. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being." May the divine breath move through each of us this year as we raise up the light of another and in so doing illuminate the face of God.

Hag Urim Sameach – may you enjoy a joyful festival of light

Rabbi Lisa Gelber

Rabbi Lisa Gelber is co-editor of A Journey Towards Freedom: a Haggadah for Victims of Domestic Violence, among other DV resources. She currently serves as Rabbi in Residence for The Epstein School. Lisa lives, writes, and is beginning to run again in Atlanta with her daughter Zahara.

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