Ahh Chanukah! Winter can feel cold in every sense. It is a season when nothing seems to grow, and sometimes we feel that way inside as well. But in His kindness, Hashem installed a light right in the middle of this time. Chanukah is a spiritual battery that can carry us through the entire winter, through any whole period when growth feels hidden.
The secret of Chanukah is that the light of these days is the Ohr HaGanuz, the hidden light that Hashem embedded into creation itself at the very beginning. The very light that allowed Adam HaRishon to see from one end of the world to the other.
Reb Yussie Zakutinsky explains that when we look at the world, we usually see two distinct elements. We can sometimes see the parts that feel spiritual, but the parts that feel like regular physical life seem to block us from seeing that constantly. But Adam saw something else entirely. There was nothing blocking the light of Hashem from shining through everything. He saw that every detail of the world was made by Hashem, filled with Hashem, and revealing Hashem. That is the meaning of seeing from one end of the world to the other. It is a clarity of vision that is accessible if we only work towards it.
When we tap into the Ohr HaGanuz during Chanukah, we experience a bit of that clarity. It allows us to bring a new perspective into our lives. Suddenly, we can look at our situations, even the difficult or confusing ones, and see that they are not empty or dark. They are filled with Hashem’s presence. We begin to recognize Hashem everywhere, not only in the obviously holy moments.
As you let the light of Chanukah in, allow it to be a doorway into a life that feels a lot more like Gan Eden. May the ideas here help you carry that clarity with you throughout the winter season.
The TYH Family
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 62 Chanukah.