It was a Friday morning, and I stood there cooking with my brand-new bottle of extra-virgin olive oil bought for making delicious food for Shabbat. I put it down for a moment on a stool. There I was rushing, from one thing to the next. I forgot to take it and put it back on the countertop.

Someone came byOil spilled onto the newly mopped floor and accidently knocked the bottle down. It crashed and broke. Oil spilled onto the newly mopped floor. I knew that the spill wasn’t worth making anyone feel bad about it or putting myself down for being so careless by leaving it unattended. I bent down and started cleaning up the mess.

Note to self: Buy a new bottle of oil. But each time I went to the supermarket, I was in a rush, and for “some reason” I kept forgetting to get it.

Thursday arrived; it was almost Shabbat. I still hadn’t purchased any olive oil.

A massage client of mine, a regular, who has now also become a friend, called: “Do you have time for me this morning?”

“Yes!” I replied.

She came an hour later. I opened the door to her smiling face. In her hand she had a bag, a present for me. What would you give your massage therapist? A nice cream or scented candle? That would make sense. There could be a thousand things that she could have brought me as an unexpected, thoughtful gift.

What was it ... that surprise in her bag?

A bottle of olive oil!

Coincidence? No, of course not. This was one of the million “little” events that happen in my life where if I’m open to seeing it, G‑d lets me know. “I’m here. I’m watching out for you. I’m in control of even the smallest detail.” It’s what is referred to as hashgachah pratit, Divine supervision of the individual (or Divine Providence). It’s what I like to refer to as sparks of light and warmth, as “kisses” from G‑d.


Imagine the miracles, big miracles, that the few Jewish fighters saw in their war with the powerful Greek army more than 2,100 years ago. We can imagine it because we, too, have seen similar “big” miracles in our days. You hear about someone saved from a terrible disaster. You hear about a battle won by a small army against many invading countries. Miraculous children born after decades of waiting. Miraculous surgeries and recoveries.

Sometimes, I wonder if we’ve become so used to miracles that we almost take them for granted? You hear something, you give it a moment’s thought, and then you move on. But they are still big miracles.

And so, we celebrate the holiday of Chanukah with an additional prayer and song giving thanksgiving and praise for the big miracles of the past and the miracles of the present. But then we also light the menorah, and in doing so, we remember the little miracles: G‑d’s little kisses.

When the warriorsWe remember the miracles: G‑d’s little kisses returned to the Holy Temple after winning the battle against the invading Greek army, they found it defiled and in a wreck. How demoralizing and disheartening it was to return to see the Holy Temple in shambles! The battle that they won proved to the world that there was a G‑d and He was powerful. Yes, this was a G‑d Who created the world and Who could perform miracles. But now what? What about finding purity, holiness and a Divine spark in everyday life?

They began to clean up the mess and searched for a supply of pure olive oil to rekindle the menorah. Maybe there would be a big miracle, and a huge vat of oil would be found? Nope. At last, they did find one small bottle of pure untouched olive oil. It wasn’t a big miracle that a small bottle would go overlooked by the Greeks and untouched. But it was Divine Providence of a small detail, and it showed them that G‑d doesn’t only exist “up there” in the Heavens, in big events and big miracles. G‑d exists down here as well. In the smallest, most minuscule events and details of our lives. The same G‑d Who helped them win the war was the same G‑d Who made sure that a bit of oil would be there exactly when they needed it. For eight days that oil burned. Why eight days? Because that was precisely the amount of time needed to make more oil. No more, no less. Divine Supervision down to the smallest detail.

When we light the menorah each night of Chanukah, we bear witness to all the millions of events that happen daily in our lives of Divine Providence. When we light the menorah, it’s our opportunity to pray and ask for illumination to see the “light” of G‑d’s “kisses.” To know and to see that He’s not just “up there” in major events and miracles. He’s down here as well, watching over and in control of every aspect of our lives.