Shabbos 22

“One should treat the Hanukkah lights as if they are sacred.”

The Talmud continues the theme of the festival of lights with a discussion of where to place the Hanukkah lamp: below twenty cubits so that you can see it; within a handbreadth adjacent to a doorway; with differing opinions on whether it should be on the right or the left. We are told it is prohibited to use the light for any purpose except to honor the recapture of the temple and the miracle of the small ration of oil that lasted eight nights. 
The respectfully dissenting pair of Rav and Shmuel enter into a disagreement over the lighting of a Hanukkah lamp. Rav says that one may not light one Hanukkah lamp with another, while Shmuel allows it. They extend their dispute to the tying of ritual fringes from garment to garment and the dragging of objects.

We are told that what really matters is the sharing of the light: “lighting is simply an auxiliary action that facilitates the fulfillment of the essence of the mitzva, which is placing the lamp in a place where its light can be seen by the public.” Once again, we learn about the importance of intention. If one’s intention is to enjoy the light of the Hanukkah lamp for himself, he fails to fulfill the true purpose of the ritual, which is to share the light with others. 

Many of us are faced with lighting our lamps inside while we shelter in place. We are not able right now to go out into the world. We are isolated and scared and we don’t know what will happen next. Will we get sick? Will our loved ones get sick? Will we lose our jobs and our livelihood and our homes and the lives we have always known? I have to admit that I am scared to death of what can happen next and my life in New York City doesn’t work if I can’t go out in the world. But we are all in this together. No one is safe or immune from the impact of this virus. We need to support each other with the sharing of our light. 

Let’s light each other’s candles.