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December 3, 2023 – 8:23 pm | 52 views

The Maccabees won the war one battle at a time. The odds they took on were impossible, but they never thought about the future escalations. Their only concern was with the battle in front of them.
Their first military skirmish was against a minor garrison of soldiers. It was not difficult …

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You Are Good

December 17, 2022 – 10:04 pm | 546 views
you are good

The Chanukah lights broadcast a simple message: you are good. Sometimes we think that if we lose our job, our relationships fail, we succumb to addiction, or are plagued by obsessions, if we are afflicted by doubts and insecurity, if we are sensitive and easily hurt, if we are manipulative …

The Modern Chanukah

December 10, 2022 – 9:34 pm | 3,419 views
modern-chanukah

I want to tell you about the modern Chanukah message, but first we must begin with the old Chanukah tale.
“The strong in the hands of the weak, the many in the hands of the few.” This is how our liturgy describes the Chanukah miracle. The strong are the Syrian Greek …

Chanukah: The Dreidel

November 27, 2021 – 7:49 pm | 11,723 views
dreidel

The dreidel for Chanukah and the gragger (Ra’ashan) for Purim have the exact same structure, have you ever noticed? Both have a round bulb from which a stem protrudes. The difference is that the dreidel’s stem protrudes from the top of the dreidel and points upward, the gragger’s stem protrudes …

Chanukah: The Unstable Flame

December 5, 2020 – 10:19 pm | 1,080 views
unsteable-flame-innerstream.ca

Oils that produce an unstable flame may not be used for Shabbat candles because Shabbat candles must be stable and pleasant. An unstable flame that rises and dips, a flame that is constantly on the verge of extinction causes anxiety and Shabbat candles are meant to be peaceful and pleasing.
However, …

Chanukah: Spice Up Your Routine

December 21, 2019 – 11:16 pm | 1,443 views
routine-innerstream.ca

Routine can be boring. You do it every day and you grow tired of it. We are always looking for something new and exciting. Something to pique our interest and engage our curiosity. Routine doesn’t do the trick. We need something novel, something unusual, something unexpected. The problem with new …

Chanukah: Light in the Dark

December 2, 2018 – 9:50 pm | 1,766 views
light-innerstream.ca

The Chanukah candles usher light into darkness and warmth into cold. They are kindled as the sun sets and they are placed strategically in the window or doorway to catch the attention of passerby. This point is essential to Chanukah candles. After the streets have emptied of foot traffic, one …

Chanukah: The True Heroes

December 9, 2017 – 11:09 pm | 2,265 views
true-heroes-innerstrem.ca

The Women
The miracle of Chanukah has true heroes, and though we usually think of the Maccabees and the priests who kindled the miraculous lamps in the Temple, Chanukah’s true heroes are the women and children.
The Talmud tells us that although positive commandments bound by particular times, are usually non-binding on …

Chanukah: The Unbreakable Jewish Core

December 15, 2015 – 11:00 pm | 2,486 views
modern chanukah story - innerstream

The Seed
Chanukah is a festival saturated in oil so let’s ask an olive question. What is the most important part of the olive, the fruit or the seed? The fruit is beautiful and useful. It is filled with oil that can be extracted or it can be eaten as is. …