Gimmel - 3 Ways to Take the Pot - Lessons From Hanukkah

By The Rev. Christopher Smith. Posted on Dec 15th 2012.

Hanukkah is an eight day Jewish celebration that can teach us much about improving our lives.

Hanukkah (or Chanukah or one of many other spellings) is a Jewish festival that comes around the time of Christmas. Many people know it for the progressive lighting of the candles on its nine branched menorah, for latkes or potato pancakes, for gift giving, for singing and for dreidels. From a religious standpoint, there are many holidays that are more important in Judaism, but culturally many more people have heard of it than more significant Jewish holidays. Each of us can learn lessons from Hanukkah about winning in life. Here are three things we can learn from this festival:

1. Doing something right can pay off. The root of the Hanukkah festival is in Maccabees where it is described how the people only had enough appropriate oil to light a lamp for one night but it lasted for eight nights until more sacred oil could be prepared. When we are faced with a situation that appears impossible, it is common for us to want to give up and not even try or to do something that we would not be that happy about. It is important when we face such a situation to maintain our integrity and to not try and cut corners in what we are trying to do. Similarly, even without having an idea of how it will turn out, we are able to approach the situation and proceed to see how it will turn out. The sacred writings don’t talk about what the people would have done if a miracle had not happened – but they went forward waiting to face that situation when the situation was upon them. By doing our part and trying to still do things right leaves open the possibility that something else will happen or even that a miracle will occur. You may find that someone else is able to help you on your journey of making these decisions. For people of faith, it is often possible to see the way that faithful responses have occurred in the past and to use this as a source of hope for how you proceed and this is part of the reason that the candles are lit at Hanukkah.

More from YourTango: How I Honor My Dad On Father's Day (And Every Day)

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The Rev. Christopher Smith

Counselor/Therapist

The Rev. Christopher L. Smith, LMFT has served as a national leader around mental health issues both within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and in professional counseling organizations. He works directly with individuals, couples, families and supervisees as the Clinical Director of Seeking Shalom in New York City. He also brings his insight to help a wider audience through writing, speaking and consultations.

Location: New York, NY

Credentials: LAC, LMFT, LMHC, MDiv, MS, SAP

Specialties: Couples/Marital Issues, Forgiveness, Spiritual

Website: http://www.SeekingShalom.org

Other Articles/News by The Rev. Christopher Smith:

How I Honor My Dad On Father's Day (And Every Day)

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My own father died right after Father's Day — a story that has taken some time to be able to tell but which you can read more about. While, in general, we do not think about the mortality of our parents, my father's death was particularly difficult for a number of reasons (not the least of which was that he was only 60 and had not been ... Read more

A Couple's Guide To Joint Finances

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Couples have to work out a way to take care of financial matters that they both are involved in and this can be as source of conflict within the relationship. These decisions are all about the money — the rent or mortgage payments, the dollars that are spent on the electric bill, the increasing cost of cable or satellite television and the necessary ... Read more

The Unforgettable Money Lesson I Learned from My Father

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As my father’s death is tied to Father’s Day and as I seek to honor him in the way I live, around Father’s Day I think about the lessons I learned from him and how they have been influential in guiding how I respond to life with wholeness and peace. Many lessons come to mind when I start reflecting, but one about money brings a smile to my ... Read more