Shabbat Candles Meditation
Lighting candles seems to play a prominent role in Judaism.
We light candles every Friday for Shabbos, we light candles on every festival, in
memory of a loved one we kindle a flame and Chanukah is all about candles.
What
is the meaning behind this focus?
There is something
about a flame that makes it more spiritual than physical.
When you use something physical, it is diminished. The more
money you spend, the less you have. The more gas you use, the emptier 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 smarter for it. If I share my love
with another, I become more loving, not less. When I give a spiritual gift, the
recipient gains, and I lose nothing.
There is no better
illustration of this than a candle. 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 other’s
brightness and increase light.
We sometimes worry that we may stretch ourselves too thin.
In matters of spirit, it isn't true. 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. And by spending time on meaningful pursuits, you realize how precious
each day is, and use your time better.
Keep lighting your
candles. There is a fire in your soul. You will never run out of light.
Rabbi Moss, Mendel Menachem Bluming and Chabad.org