![]() Viewed from this angle, teaching holds a mirror to the soul. The entanglements I experience in the classroom are often no more or less than the convolutions of my inner life. He writes, “As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together. In The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching, renowned educational scholar Parker Palmer describes how in order to be a good teacher, one must know themselves and understand their own voice. We shine our light outside into the streets and bring others into the experience as well. But that self- realization is not only internal. The Rabbis here teach us that Hanukkah holds within it the power and potential for self-awareness and self-understanding. We light in a time and place when passersby will see and experience the light, and be reminded of the miracle of Hanukkah. There is a charge to the Jewish community not only to light in their own homes and to deeply internalize the light and the miracle of Hanukkah but actually to ensure that that light is shined outwardly as well. The Rabbis suggested that when one has limited resources and must choose between which rituals to perform, the ritual of lighting the Hanukkah lamp takes precedence over other rituals, due to pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle. When we light the Hanukiot, the lights must face outward, toward the window. Interestingly, there is an additional aspect of the Hannukah lights that the Rabbis require. It is instead performed in and by each and every Jewish household. ![]() The lighting of the Hanukkah lights is not something external and passive that we witness. There is a deep sense of democratization and empowerment in their obligation to make this a home ritual. Yet, the rabbis insist that this ritual be done in the home. In many ways, it would have made more sense for us to light the Hanukkah lights in the synagogue, which is often referred to as a mikdash me’at, a mini-temple. In the traditional understanding, Hanukkah commemorates both the rededication of the Temple, as well as the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days, which afforded us the opportunity to light the Menorah in the Temple. Ner ish u’beito: Every home must have a Hanukkah light kindled each night. The Talmud, in Tractate Shabbat 21b, teaches us that the essential obligation of Hanukkah is to have a light kindled each day by a person and their household. How are Hanukkah, a holiday about rededication, and education connected? the very same root as the Hebrew word for hinuch, education. If we look closer we see that it comes from the Hebrew root ח.נ.כ. We usually translate the word Hanukkah as dedication, and we connect it with the rededication of the Temple. Deep in the cold and dark of winter, we are charged to kindle the Hanukiah for eight nights, each night lighting a new additional candle, which symbolizes our bringing more light, warmth, truth, and justice to the world. ![]() Hanukkah is one of the most beloved holidays in the Jewish calendar. Rabba Yaffa Epstein, Director of Education, N.A., Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
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