Grab the Light

Friday is the first day of the month filled with light - Kislev!   At the end of the month we have Chanukah,  the beautiful “Festival of Lights,” with its message of increasing light.  There are also two celebrations of redemption relating to this Chanukah message.  The “Alter Rebbe,” Rabbi Schneur Zalman, first Rebbe and founder of Chabad, brought a new light of Torah to the world.  He enabled us to deeply understand the mystical secrets of Torah, thereby combatting the darkness that enveloped the Jewish world and preparing the way for the revelation of Moshiach.  This light was almost extinguished when he was falsely accused of rebellion against the Czar and arrested on capital charges.  On the 19th of Kislev he was released with great honor, and the light expanded much more than it had before.

 

His son Rabbi Dov Ber continued to spread this light after his passing,  who was also falsely accused of rebellion and arrested.  He was released from prison on the 10th of Kislev, and his teachings and spreading of the light of Torah are legendary.  These events are directly connected to the Parsha that we read this week.  Yitzchak thought that giving Esav great blessings would turn him around and bring him into the family fold, whose mission was to spread the light of holiness in the world.  Rivkah understood Esav’s character and knew that giving Esav more blessings would cause him to strengthen the darkness, so she orchestrated the events so that Yaakov would receive the blessings, and thus use them for light.  Esav decided to kill Yaakov, and Yaakov was forced into exile for many years.

 

Throughout our history we have seen that major efforts to spread light are often challenged by darkness, and it takes great personal sacrifice to continue this vital work.  This was the case beginning with Avraham who was thrown into a furnace for his belief in one G-d and his work to spread goodness and light.  It happened to Yitzchak whom Yishmael wanted to kill, and to Yaakov with his brother Esav and then his uncle Lavan, who also wanted to annihilate him and his family.  It happened to the leaders of Torah in recent generations, as it has happened throughout our history. 

 

There are many messages in these stories, messages of faith, hope, perseverance and breakthrough success.  All of these go hand-in-hand.  We should never get discouraged if we find that our dedication to doing the right thing, especially when it is transforming darkness, meets resistance and difficulties.  We learn from our great leaders that as long as we follow Hashem’s directives in the Torah, nothing can stop the progression of goodness.

 

There is another day in Kislev that is significant in the spreading of light.  It was on the 14th of Kislev, when he married the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneerson, thereby preparing the way for him to assume the leadership position. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, was one of the most transformational Jewish leaders of all time.  He refused to be intimidated by the great darkness in the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust, and he refused to allow the prevalent secularism to discourage him.  He sent young families all over the world to spread the light of Torah and goodness, and has transformed the face of Judaism in many ways.  

 

So tonight we enter a period suffused with light, and time filled with messages of hope and inspiration.  If you think the world is filled with darkness, there is nothing that can stop you from fighting that darkness, because all you really need to do is bring a little light.  And if you think that is impossible for you because of your challenges and difficulties, take a page out of the books of these great leaders.  They were not just extraordinary individuals who did extraordinary things.  They were our forefathers and our inspirational leaders.  Their work paved the way for us to follow in their footsteps. 

 

So let’s grab the opportunity of this month filled with light and triumph over darkness.  Do a mitzvah today, and we will finish the job of transforming the entire world to a place filled with goodness and light.