Meditation for the End of Chanukah

The miracle didn’t end
After eight days.
The miracle was about hearts,
The miracle was about hands,
Rededicated to the service
Of G-d and humanity,
Rededicated to Torah and mitzvot,
Rededicated to the Soul of the Universe.

The miracle didn’t end
After eight days of consecrated oil ran out,
Eight days of consecrated oil
Burning radiant in holy testimony
To G-d’s saving power.
The miracles of love and hope
Still shine luminous
In your heart.

We are surrounded by light.
We are sources of light.
We are mirrors of G-d’s light.

And so, we are called to serve the Most High,
With prayer and song,
With chesed and g’milut chasadim,
With tikkun and tikkun olam,
With ahava and ahavat chinam.
The miracle is ours now.
We will carry it into the world.
We will be the light itself.
The light of justice,
The light of peace.  

—  © 2020 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com

Alden Solovy is a liturgist, poet, author and teacher. Recently, he has been the 2019-2020 Liturgist-in-Residence at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Israel. He is active in men’s personal growth work. His books include This Grateful Heart: Psalms for a New Day, 2017 and This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings, 2019. His website is    www.tobendlight.com.

Mitzvot – Commandments or good deeds
Chesed – Loving-Kindness
G’milut chasadim – Acts of loving-kindness
Tikkun – Repairing
Tikkun olam – Repairing the world
Ahava – Love
Avahat chinam – Unconditional love, love with no strings attached, no judgement

These words, like many Hebrew words do not translate precisely into English. This is an attempt to use simple meanings that help understand the prayer