成人快手

Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue:

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It鈥檚 the first day of Chanukah today.听 If you鈥檝e ever been in a Jewish area around dusk at this time of the year, you鈥檒l see Chanukah menorah-lamps peeking through the windows of homes and shops.

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Chanukah celebrates the end of a threat to Jewish religion and culture many centuries ago.听 The lamp recalls the original oil candelabrum in the Jerusalem Temple, which was relit once the danger had passed.听 It was a moment of defiance, turning the lights back on after years of darkness and oppression.听 Tradition has it that when the rebels re-entered the Temple, the tiny phial of oil they found in the rubble burned for eight days rather than one.听 We replay that miracle each year as Chanukah progresses: we light one candle on the first evening and eight on the final evening.听 To give you an idea 鈥� imagine if your mobile phone was at 10%, but lasted for eight days without recharging!

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Chanukah is a favourite time of year. The candles brighten up the long, dark evenings, the kids receive Chanukah gelt 鈥� cash, or gifts. There are delicious seasonal foods - doughnuts and latkes, potato pancakes, all fried to recall that miracle of the oil long ago. And it鈥檚 a chance to think about another miracle - the very existence of the Jewish people despite repeated attempts - like the Chanukah story - to wipe us from the history books.

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At our home - at least on the days when we can get everyone together at the same time - we light our menorahs, sing Chanukah songs and eat those fried treats.听 But we also just sit and look at the flickering lights for a few moments and think about what they mean to us and how they connect our family to past generations and to the future.

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Jewish sources teach that the Chanukah lights are for 鈥榣ooking鈥� but not 鈥榰sing鈥� 鈥� a line that actually appears in one of the songs we sing around our menorah.听 It鈥檚 a profound idea 鈥� we are often so busy that we forget to stop to think about what we are experiencing.听 Chanukah is too important to let the moment pass without contemplating a few big, important ideas.听 Sometime, I believe we need to be able to just stop, look and allow ourselves pause for thought.