Question:
I notice that lighting candles is a big part of Judaism. We light candles every
Friday for Shabbat, we light candles on every festival, and Chanukah is all
about candles. What is the connection between candles and spirituality?
Answer:
There is something about a candle that makes it more spiritual than
physical. A physical substance, when spread, becomes thin. Spirituality, when spread, expands
and grows.
When you use something physical, it is diminished. The more money you spend,
the less you have; the more gasoline you use, the more empty your tank becomes;
the more food you eat, the more you need to restock your pantry. But spiritual things
increase with use. If I use my wisdom to teach, the student learns, and I come
out wiser for it; if I share my love with another, I become more loving, not
less. When you give a spiritual gift, the recipient gains, and you lose nothing.
This is the spiritual property that candles share. When you use one candle to
light another, the original candle remains bright. Its light is not diminished
by being shared; on the contrary, the two candles together enhance each others'
brightness and increase light.
We sometimes worry that we may stretch ourselves too thin. In matters of
sprit, this is never the case. The more goodness we spread the more goodness we have. By making
a new friend you become a better friend to your old friends. By having another
child you open a new corridor of love in your heart that your other children
benefit from, too. By teaching more students, you become wiser.
Keep lighting your candles. There is an endless supply of light in your soul.
You will never run out of goodness.
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