Hannukah Reflections for 12-25-24: Our Common Humanity on the Holidays

Our sages of blessed memory tell us a legend about the origin of winter holidays. After Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden in the early fall (just after Rosh Hashanah), they noticed that the days were growing shorter and the nights longer and colder. As the darkest days of winter approached, Adam, having never experienced seasons before, began to worry: “Is God still angry at me? Will God let the light of the sun fade and disappear forever, undoing all of creation because of my mistake?!”

In response, Adam decided to spend eight days in fasting and prayer. When the winter solstice passed, he saw that the days were beginning to grow longer again and realized it was simply the natural cycle of the world. With this newfound understanding, Adam instituted an eight-day celebration. According to our sages, this became the origin of festivals like the Hellenistic Saturnalia and serves as at least part of the reason for the celebration of Hannukah in the winter.

The sages thought deeply about the importance and role of ritual. Why did they tell this story about winter solstice rituals? What were they hoping to teach us?

One clue lies in the way Adam interprets the events surrounding the solstice. He could have drawn a very different conclusion. For instance, he might have believed that his fasting and prayer led to God’s leniency and caused the days to lengthen. If that were the case, we might expect the annual commemoration to include fasting and supplication, with a celebration following only after God’s forgiveness—much like Yom Kippur precedes Sukkot. However, according to the story, Adam’s fasting was entirely unnecessary, based on a mistaken assumption. The lengthening of the days was inevitable.

This raises another question: Why did Adam institute a celebration at all? It’s not as though he was saved from destruction or granted forgiveness by God. One answer becomes clear when we remember that our sages, following Megillat Ta’anit (The Scroll of Fasting), believed it is prohibited to fast on Hannukah. Perhaps Adam wanted to commemorate these days with the exact opposite ritual from the one he initially practiced. He instituted a reminder not to fast!

But why? I would argue that Adam wanted to ensure he never returned to that place of despair—the kind of fear where one believes the sun might never rise again, that light and hope could be lost forever. In those moments, we must find room for light, joy, and hope.

We call Hannukah the Festival of Lights (Hag Urim), but celebrations and commemorations from many cultures remind us of a shared truth: human beings need hope, joy, and refuge from despair. This common humanity binds us together despite our differences. When the days grow short, we are reminded of how important it is to bring light into each other’s lives.

May this holiday season help us through the dark times and usher in an era of light—the light of peace and blessings.

From our family to yours,

Hag Urim Sameach! Have a Happy Hannukah!
Rabbi Dave

 


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