This past Sunday, I played a Hanukkah “would you rather” game with the religious school students, as in “would you rather eat sufganiot (donuts) or gelt (chocolate coins)? Most of the answers were fairly predictable with the exception of one. When I asked them whether they would rather have Hanukkah at home or on vacation, almost every one of the students chose the former. Especially during the pandemic, I was surprised there was not a yearning to get away. The students all just wanted to light the Hanukkah menorah in their own homes.
Jacob, in this week’s Torah portion, Vayeshev, understands this all too well. After traveling thousands of miles back and forth between his family home in Mesopotamia and Canaan, he is fully exhausted. Vayshev literally means “he settled down,’ or “he sat.” While going away can be tempting, sometimes just having the familiar is so much more meaningful.
This is the state that we find ourselves this year. Regardless of where we “would rather” be. Worse, even small gatherings can be problematic and potentially dangerous. We, at CSS, recognize the sadness that comes with this and have organized Zoom candle lighting gatherings at 6:45 for each night of the holiday and have a “Hanukkah Special” debuting after Friday night services tonight, as well as Latke Boxes on Tuesday. Hopefully, these types of activities will help us see beyond the constraints that have been placed before us during the pandemic, and, like with Jacob and his family, help us find the blessings of this particular moment in time.
Happy Hanukkah and Shabbat Shalom. May there be joy, laughter, and light in your household tonight and throughout the rest of the holiday,
Rabbi Alex