Illuminating Darkness
One of the major themes of Chanuka is “illuminating darkness”. We light the Chanukah lamps specifically after dark. Additionally, the Menorah is placed on the left side — the side associated with Gevura (restriction) in Kabala.
At a couple Chanukah gatherings, I have been asking people how they define darkness and the effort to light it up.
I have received some really interesting responses.
- Darkness is despair. Illuminating darkness means finding a “light at the end of the tunnel” — a reason for hope.
- Darkness is ignorance. Illuminating darkness means providing education — putting someone or putting oneself on the path to enlightenment and knowledge.
- Darkness is disconnection from faith. Illuminating darkness means reconnecting to your faith — rediscovering the faith that is in you.
- Darkness is a lack of clarity. Illuminating darkness is finding a place in your life where you can have clarity.
- Then there were some responses that went off this path. An interesting one: Darkness is what people use to cover up something that is not the way it’s supposed to be. Illuminating darkness means shining a light on a problem so that it can be corrected and cleaned up.
- But is darkness necessarily a bad thing? Certainly, we need light to engage with the world and with the people around us. But darkness might represent the place we go for solitude, for personal reflection, for meditation. Perhaps illuminating darkness means uncovering the benefit in darkness.
- Another great insight: When one is a cold and dark place, light and warmth are particularly sweet. So illuminating darkness might mean experiencing the powerful benefit of light specifically when contrasted with darkness.
- I brought up the Chasidic concept of darkness being a source of light. This mystical idea is based on the truth that G-d is the Source of both darkness and light.
- Finally, I explored the Kabalistic metaphor of the flame that always seeks to surge upward. This is an analogy for the soul that lives in a state of constant longing for G-d. Consciously, we experience this as a need for meaning in our lives. If the light is the longing for a higher, more spiritual, more meaningful life, then the darkness would be everyday life — life that is focused on the material and is devoid of spirituality. “Illuminating the Darkness” would mean finding practices that could introduce spiritual meaning into our material lives — practices such as gratitude to G-d for His Blessings, daily prayer, giving charity to share material wealth with others, etc.