After Terror, Eiffel Tower Menorah Brightens Paris - Chabad Magazine of New York, New York, United States for Tuesday, Kislev 26, 5776 · December 8, 2015

After Terror, Eiffel Tower Menorah Brightens Paris - Chabad Magazine of New York, New York, United States for Tuesday, Kislev 26, 5776 · December 8, 2015
Editor's Note:
Dear Friend,
Remember learning as a kid how bats are blind and how they fly around using an amazing anatomical radar mechanism built into their heads? The truth is, of course, that bats see well enough, and that their echolocation system (which actually works more like sonar than radar) is an extra ability they’re blessed with.
But imagine you still believed that. And imagine a bat lecturing a rabbit on the superiority of radar over eyesight as a navigational system. His lecture is so logical, complex and eloquent that the bat almost convinces the poor rabbit to close his eyes and give up seeing altogether. But as the rabbit walks to the radar store to purchase a system for himself, the simple truth hits him: “Wait a minute. The bat is really convincing. But gosh, things are so lovely and so real in the sunlight!”
This is just a little fable to keep in mind this Chanukah, when we celebrate the Maccabees’ victory over the Greek regime that wanted to impose its worldview on the Jews of ancient Israel. Whenever you hear the word “Greek,” please think of the bat. Think of how colourless, cold and crepuscular the world would be without the light of the Torah.
Michael Chighel,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team.Your Chanukah Toolkit

A Brief How-To Guide to Chanukah and Menorah
Who lights the menorah, when and how? What are the Chanukah prayers and traditions? This brief Chanukah tutorial will allow you to breeze through the Chanukah menorah-lighting ceremony.

What to Expect at a Public Menorah Lighting
By Menachem Posner
It’s Chanukah (sometimes spelled “Hanukkah” and pronounced HAH-new-kah), and you are planning on attending a public menorah lighting. Here’s what you need to know.

Read More on the Chanukah Megasite
Chanukah Reading

Kabbalistic Numerology and the Miracle of Chanukah
By Karen Wolfers-Rapaport
There’s a natural order to our beautiful world.

A Soul Comes Home on Chanukah
By Dobra Levitt
He listened quietly, then handed me a brochure. “There’s a seminar coming up on Chanukah, in Crown Heights, in Brooklyn. It’s for college students and others. You stay with a family over Shabbat. You might want to go.”
Chanukah News

After Terror, Eiffel Tower Menorah Brightens Paris
By Chabad.org Staff
Adding light to a city that has seen significant darkness this year.

Webcasts to Bring Menorah-Lightings to a Global Audience
By Chabad.org Staff
Join Chanukah celebrations from Paris, Jerusalem, Calgary, Florida, New York, Washington, D.C., U.S. military bases and more.

New York Mayor De Blasio’s Response to Vandalized Menorah: Light It Even Brighter
By Mordechai Lightstone
Rabbis say the incidents ‘will only unite us, strengthen us and encourage us to do even more’
Your Questions

Why Do I Hear Blessings at Public Menorah Lightings?
By Yehuda Shurpin
Now, isn’t the mitzvah just to light the menorah at home? So why were the blessings recited at the public ceremony?
On Aging

Aging Is for Apes
By Tzvi Freeman
It turns out you get old when you stop growing up, and you grow up by remaining a child.

Her Last Request Fulfilled
By Ann Goldberg
She was recuperating from an operation for a broken leg, and though she had been experiencing some occasional breathing problems since the operation, there had been no indication that anything was wrong, apart from her inability to walk.
Parshah

The Prostration of the Shepherds
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
For Joseph's dreams to be fulfilled, Jacob had to mourn the loss of his beloved son for twenty-two years, and Joseph had to experience slavery and incarceration, and his brothers, anguished remorse, for that same period. Why was it so important that Jacob and his sons "bow down" to Joseph?

To Wait Without Despair
By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Whatever happened to Joseph was the result of someone else’s deed: those of his father, his brothers, his master’s wife, the chief jailer, or G‑d himself. Joseph was the ball thrown by hands other than his own.
Lifestyle

10 Festive Recipes to Make this Chanukah
By Miriam Szokovski

For the Kids: Dreidel Snow Globe
By Chana Scop
Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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This Week's Features:

Printable Magazine

The Hidden Message of Chanukah

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MULTIMEDIA

Listen: Chanukah's Greatest Hits
by Chayim B. Alevsky
Listen

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/2055183/jewish/Chanukahs-Greatest-Hits-All-Tracks.htm
http://www.chabad.org/2055183

Making Space
To create space for the other is not to absent yourself and abandon them, but to be present in the right kind of way: to cultivate an environment in which the other can develop their individuality and ultimately enter into a fully reciprocal relationship.
By Eli Rubin
Watch (48:50)

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Your Chanukah Toolkit    A Brief How-To Guide to Chanukah and Menorah

The Chanukah lights are lit in the evenings preceding each of the eight days of Chanukah, beginning with Sunday night, December 6, 2015, after nightfall. Please see the section “Special Shabbat Requirements” for special instructions regarding lighting the candles before Shabbat. Both men and women are obligated to light the Chanukah menorah, or to participate in the household menorah lighting. Children should be encouraged to light their own menorahs. Students and singles who live in dormitories or their own apartments should kindle menorahs in their own rooms. Many have the custom to place the menorah in a doorway opposite the mezuzah (such is the custom of Chabad-Lubavitch), so that the two mitzvot ofmezuzah and Chanukah surround the person. Others place it on a windowsill facing a public thoroughfare. (If placed on the windowsill, it should be no higher than 20 cubits—about 29 feet—above street level.) The Chanukah lights should consist of lamps or candles—i.e., a flammable fuel that feeds a visible flame via a wick. The most ideal way to fulfill the mitzvah is with cotton wicks in olive oil, or beeswax candles; paraffin candles or other types of candles or lamps are also acceptable, but not gas lights or electric lights. (If circumstances do not allow the use of an open flame, a proper rabbinical authority should be consulted.) The lamps or candles must contain enough fuel, at the time of the lighting, to burn until half an hour after nightfall. (“Nightfall” is the point at which it grows dark enough for three average-sized stars to be visible—about 20–30 minutes after sunset, depending on the location.) The lamps or candles should be arranged in a straight row, and should be of equal height. The shamash—the “servant” candle that kindles the other lights—should be placed apart from the rest (higher, outside the row, etc.). On the first night of Chanukah, one light is kindled on the right side of the menorah. On the following night add a second light to the left of the first, and kindle the new light first, proceeding from left to right, and so on each night. The Chanukah lights are kindled in the evening preceding each of the eight days of Chanukah. The custom of many communities (and such is the Chabad-Lubavitch custom) is to light the menorah shortly after sunset; other communities light it at nightfall. In either case, the menorah must contain enough fuel at the time of the lighting to burn until 30 minutes after nightfall. Note: The standard Chanukah candles last only approximately 30 minutes. If using those candles, then light after nightfall every night (aside from Friday—see below). If one did not kindle the Chanukah lights early in the evening, they can be kindled later, as long as there are people in the streets (or others awake in the house). IMPORTANT: It is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat, which extends from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall on Saturday night. Therefore, on Friday evening, December 11, the Chanukah lights should be kindled early, before the Shabbat lights, which are lit 18 minutes before sundown. Additional oil or larger candles should be used for the Chanukah lights, to make sure they will last a full half hour after nightfall—the standard 30-minute Chanukah candles cannot be used on Friday. From the time the Shabbat candles are lit (Friday evening) until Shabbat ends (after nightfall Saturday night) and until the havdalah prayer (separating Shabbat from the weekday) is recited, the Chanukah menorah should not be relit, moved or prepared. Chanukah lights for Saturday night are kindled only after Shabbat ends after nightfall. On the first night of Chanukah (Sunday, December 6, 2015) , recite all three blessings. On all subsequent nights, recite blessings number 1 and 2. 1. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light. 1. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lo-hei-noo Meh-lech Ha-olam A-sher Ki-deh-sha-noo Beh-mitz-vo-tav Veh-tzi-va-noo Leh-had-lik Ner Cha-noo-kah. 2. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time. 2. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lo-hei-nu Meh-lech Ha-olam Sheh-a-sa Nee-sim La-avo-tei-noo Ba-ya-mim Ha-hem Bee-z’man Ha-zeh. 3. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion. 3. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lo-hei-noo Me-lech Ha-olam Sheh-heh-cheh-ya-noo Veh-kee-yeh-ma-noo Veh-hee-gee-a-noo Liz-man Ha-zeh. After kindling the lights, the Haneirot Halalu prayer is recited. One is not to benefit from the light of the candles, only from the shamash and other sources of light. For the first half hour when the candles are burning, it is customary to sit by the candles and tell stories relating to the holiday. Work should not be done in the proximity of the burning candles. Women have a custom to refrain from household work during the half hour that the lights are burning, to honor the brave Jewish women who played a significant role in the Chanukah story. During the eight days of Chanukah, we add the Al HaNissim liturgy to the amidah (daily silent prayer) and the Grace After Meals. The complete Hallel prayer (see your prayerbook) is also said in the morning service. A portion of the Torah is read daily in the synagogue during morning prayers. It is customary to increase one’s daily giving to charity. On Fridays we give double the amount, to account for Shabbat. Because of the great significance of oil in the story of the Chanukah miracle, it is traditional to serve foods cooked in oil. Among the most popular Chanukah dishes are potato latkes (pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts). It is also customary to eat dairy foods on Chanukah, in commemoration of the bravery of Yehudit. Click here to find out more. It is traditional to give all children Chanukah gelt(money). Of course, this beautiful custom adds to the children’s happiness and festive spirit. In addition, it gives adults an opportunity to give the children positive reinforcement for exemplary behavior, such as diligence in their studies and acts of charity. Chanukah gelt is given to children after lighting the menorah. The children should be encouraged to give charity from a portion of their money. Video: The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains the importance of Chanukah Gelt © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Your Chanukah Toolkit    What to Expect at a Public Menorah Lighting     By Menachem Posner

Thousands attended the menorah lighting at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, despite near-freezing temperatures. (Photo: David Osipov) It’s Chanukah (sometimes spelled “Hanukkah” and pronounced HAH-new-kah), and you are planning on attending a public menorah lighting. Here’s what you need to know. In Advance First of all, there is nothing you need to bring and no particular way to dress. If you are a guy, you may want to have something—preferably a kippah—to cover your head. Also, if it is going to be an outdoor menorah, you may be outside for some time, so dress accordingly. Artist Dominic Alves captured this image of a snowy Chanukah in Brighton, UK. This event is truly open to the public, so please invite your neighbors, friends, neighbors’ friends, and friends’ neighbors. Obviously, kids are more than welcome. Wait. Why Are We Doing This? Chanukah marks the miraculous victory of a ragtag band of Jewish freedom fighters who ousted the powerful Syrian Greeks from the Holy Land well over 2,000 years ago. It was a victory of religious freedom against an oppressive regime of heavy-handed pagans who tried to force their culture and beliefs on the Jewish people. Then, upon entering the newly liberated Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the victorious Jewish armies found a small jar of pure olive oil with which to kindle the lamp that always burned there. Miraculously, the oil—which was enough for just one day—burned for eight days, the time it took to bring fresh supplies. Onlookers view the lighting of the first candle on a menorah at the Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem, outside the Old City's Jaffa Gate. Even in Israel, Chabad has heightened awareness of Chanukah for millions of residents and tourists from around the world. (Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90) The sages declared that lights be lit in every Jewish home to commemorate the miracle, publicly marking G‑d’s providence for His people and the triumph of light over darkness. In recent times, the celebration spilled from Jewish homes and synagogues into the public arena, with Chabad Lubavitch–sponsored public menorahs appearing in public squares, government buildings, shopping malls and common areas all over the world. It’s a global phenomenon, and you are part of it! In 1975, Chabad Rabbi Chaim Drizin in San Francisco made arrangements to light an oversized wooden menorah in the city’s Union Square. Bill Graham—a child survivor of the Holocaust and a well-known music promoter—donated the construction of the 22-foot-tall mahogany menorah. To this day, it's called the Bill Graham menorah. (Photo: www.billgrahammenorah.org) What to Expect The centerpiece of the program will be the lighting of an oversized menorah (me-NO-rah), the candelabra lit in honor of the Chanukah holiday. In Israel it is called a chanukiyah, but Jews in the rest of the world use the traditional term “menorah,” which means “lamp” in Hebrew. Every night of Chanukah, an additional flame will be lit, until all eight will all be burning on the 8th night of Chanukah (the central flame is not among the 8; it is considered a “helper” flame to light the others). In addition to some short blessings before the lighting and some songs after, there is not much else that needs to be on the program. "The Three Cantors" sing at the National Menorah Lighting in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Ron Sachs) You can expect there to be some light refreshments, often doughnuts or potato pancakes called latkes (LOT-kehs). You can read why here. These kids in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, were glad to get indoors to warm up and enjoy some Chanukah treats. The program may very well include crafts for kids, Jewish music, and even a genial fellow dressed up as Judah the Maccabee, the hero of the Chanukah story (he’ll be happy to pose for a picture with you). Three-year-old D.J. Becker paints a menorah at a Chanukah workshop sponsored by Chabad at St. Johns County in Florida and Lowe's home-improvement store. Sometimes public menorah lightings are held in tandem with cartop-menorah parades. So if you see a string of vehicles with lights mounted on top, know that they are part of the program. Las Vegas awash in even more light from these menorahs. If You Are a Public Official You may be called up to kindle the menorah or even say one of the blessings. Feel free to ask the rabbi to review your part with you, so you’ll be sure to know what to do when. You can freshen up on your pronunciation of the blessings here, and hear some of the traditional tunes here. If you are asked to give a talk, you can find lots of great content and info at the Chanukah Megasite. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addresses the crowd at the National Menorah lighting, as Rabbi Levi Shemtov, left, and Rabbi Abraham Shemtov look on. (Photo: Ron Sachs) Things to Know Even if you attend a public lighting—and even if you were the one to light the menorah—you still need to do so at home with all the usual blessings and prayers. On the subject of blessings, it is possible that the traditional blessings will not be recited before the kindling of the public menorah. Why is that? Probably because the lighting you see does not conform to Jewish law. Here are two common reasons why: a) the menorah is powered by electricity instead of old-fashioned fuel and wick; b) the menorah is not being kindled at the prescribed time (on the eight evenings of Chanukah after sunset). You can assume that you are more than welcome to take pictures and videos. Post them on social media and let everyone know where you are. After all, the purpose of Chanukah is to #sharethelight. The Most Important Thing to Know There’s a good chance that someone is distributing menorah kits. If you do not have a menorah of your own, please take one and use it. If you already have a menorah, please take a kit and share it with a friend who can use one. The “menorah” menorah was constructed out of 1,770 rectangular kits, purchased with donations that far exceeded expectations. Happy Chanukah! Some Helpful Links: Looking for a public menorah lighting? We’ve got thousands of events listed here. Invited to a conventional Chanukah party? Learn what to expect here. Curious how these public menorah lightings became common? Read up on it here. Need instructions on how to light your own menorah? Learn what to do here. Want to watch public menorahs lit in major cities throughout the world? Jewish.tv offers an online archive of Chanukah menorah lightings going back more than two decades! Need more Chanukah info? We’ve got you covered here. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Your Chanukah Toolkit    Read More on the Chanukah Megasite

What is Chanukah (Hanukkah)? Chanukah FAQs Chanukah Observances The Menorah More » The Story of Chanukah Miracle of the Maccabees (Audio) Yehudit Chanah and Her Seven Sons More » Menorah Lighting Guide Chanukah Recipes How to Play Dreidel Chanukah Texts & Prayers More » The Miracle Chanukah Stories Chanukah Today Light More »   Other Cities   |  Advanced Search Chanukah with the Rebbe Do-It-Yourself Chanukah Itche Kadoozy Adventure KabbalaToons: A Little Light What If? Miracles Candle Time Other Languages:   עברית  |  Cesky  |  Deutsch  |  Español  |  Français  |  Italiano  |  Magyar  |  Português  |  русский  |  Svenska Virtual Chanukah (Hanukkah 2015) is a project of American Friends of Lubavitch, Ronald O. Perelman, Nat. Chairman Made possible in part by the Abramson Family Foundation Produced by Chabad Lubavitch Media Center | Powered by Chabad.org  © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chanukah Reading    Kabbalistic Numerology and the Miracle of Chanukah     By Karen Wolfers-Rapaport

Illustration by Sefira Ross. There’s a natural order to our beautiful world. Day follows night. Sunset follows sunrise. In the autumn, the leaves turn to rust. In the spring, we witness revival. Nature flows in a rhythmic cadence. Time presses on. This is the physical world. And it is represented by the number seven. Where do we see the number seven? Think about it. There are seven colors in the rainbow. There are seven days of the week. There are seven directions, including the center. There are seven basic music notes. Seven symbolizes that which has reached completion within the framework of natural law. When do we feel it? Whenever we have harnessed the necessary strength and energy to complete and master something, we have achieved a seven. Where do we see the number seven?A runner may feel like a seven when he crosses the finish line. A retiree may feel like a seven upon entering his twilight years. A seven may be the sigh of relief as a medical student finishes final exams. Seven is how I feel after a productive day. Seven represents the earthly masterpieces of our lives. Then there is eight. The number eight represents the metaphysical world—the world beyond our primary senses. The world we can’t smell or touch. Eight is one step above the natural order. Our sixth sense, if you will. Our connectivity. Our spirit. Eight is the infinite power of love to overcome what seems impossible. Eight is the experience of transcending an unimaginable feat. Eight is the slice of eternity under the wedding canopy. Interestingly, even the mathematical symbol for infinity looks like the number eight lying on its side. Eight fills our lives with heavenly depth and meaning. Chanukah lasts eight days. Chanukah commemorates a miracle. Miracles fall under the number eight. They are not natural. They are supernatural. During the days of old, when Jews suffered under the yoke of the Greek empire, Jews were forbidden to practice their religion openly. With a small band of believers, Judah HaMaccabee led a revolt, taking back his city and freeing his people. In victory, the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple and found a vial of pure olive oil. The oil was used to light the seven-branched menorah, an important part of the Holy Temple rituals. Although there was only enough oil to burn for one day, the oil continued to burn for eight. The Greeks were an advanced, educated civilization, but one firmly rooted in the world of seven. To them, the world of transcendence was an abomination. Their ultimate goal was to extinguish spirituality. Yet the offspring of Abraham had been selected to take G‑d’s creation and elevate it to a higher level. To connect the world of seven to the world of eight. The Greeks could only subtract eight from seven; they couldn’t add it. But we are here and they are not. On Their goal was to extinguish spiritualityChanukah we celebrate the merging of seven and eight, the melding of worldly oil with otherworldly luminance. We affirm our survival as a nation, proclaiming that a culture that thrives only in the world of seven, that severs itself from the divine, is no longer consequential. “Zot Chanukah,” the eighth and final day of this festival, means “this is Chanukah.” On this day, the integration of seven and eight reaches its peak. It is the ultimate opportunity to join the profound with the everyday. To rejoice in the art of living within the laws of nature while being sustained by the One above. Chanukah is a time to reflect on how we can best synthesize seven and eight in our own lives. How do we combine determination with faith? How do we mesh ambition with vision? How do we focus on the here and now while yearning for eternity? The fusion of these two numbers can create powerful moments and miracles in our own life stories. Wishing you a Happy Chanukah filled with peace, light and blessings! Karen Wolfers-Rapaport is a psychotherapist specializing in Narrative Therapy. She holds a BA from UCLA, and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She received her training from Tufts University. In addition to her therapeutic work and freelance writing, Karen works with families from Israel’s Prime Minister’s office and Ministry of Defense, teaching them English in preparation for their diplomatic posts abroad. A proud mother, she is blessed to live in Israel. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chanukah Reading    A Soul Comes Home on Chanukah     By Dobra Levitt

Illustration by Sefira Ross. In my freshman year of college in Philadelphia, on the last day of the semester, I went up to my professor of Physical Science and asked him if he believed in G‑d. Looking back, I am struck by how ingenuous I was, and how troubled by the question. His answer, kindly given—“One cannot help but believe in a Creator”—satisfied my mind for the time being. But it would take many more years before I found an answer that would stick. I grew up in a family that strongly identified with its Jewishness. Everyone had unquestioning, simple faith in “the good L‑rd,” as my father called Him. So I don’t know where my need to search for Him came from. All I know is that my mind couldn’t settle on a G‑d who I felt was abstracted It would take many years until I found an answerfrom my life. Something in me compelled me to seek a “personal G‑d” who knew me and understood everything I was going through in my life. (I think back with a smile to that girl so unversed in chassidic thought. I wanted a G‑d who knew me? Who knew my life? How could He not know me? He is my life! That girl had a ways to go, but she would get there.) So after university, and after I had already begun teaching high school English, I embarked on what I know now was a spiritual quest. Over the course of almost five years I traveled from Philadelphia to Jerusalem, back to Philadelphia, on to Montreal and then to Toronto, back to Philadelphia, on to Boston, with stopovers in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Cambridge, back to Philadelphia, and then on to Crown Heights, Brooklyn—the last stop of an inner journey. My first trip, in answer to what I experienced as “an inner call,” was to Jerusalem. I found an apartment right away in the holy city, and two students to tutor. I took a part-time job weeding plants at the Hebrew University’s Botanical Gardens (searching for my roots, as it were). I loved the air and the stones, and thought the black-garbed men and religious women “picturesque.” (In the Holy Land, I was outside the picture frame looking in—it took more years of searching before I was ready to step inside.) But I began feeling lonely, and within six months—together with my brother, who had come to get me—I was on a plane back to the States. During this early searching time, I discovered Martin Buber’s two-volume Tales of the Hassidim in a bookstore in Philadelphia. From then on, in all my travels, I carried one of those pale blue volumes with me. “Who were the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they should be so familiar to me and such comfort to me in strange cities?” I asked myself. Montreal. Toronto. Heading now into the last lap. Back home in Philadelphia, I suddenly wanted to listen to Jewish music—just as, not long before that, I had suddenly wanted to light Shabbat candles. In a small shop I found a record with a cover depicting an artist’s vision of chassidim with uplifted hands singing at a long festive table, where a bowl of bright fruit and a very big fish were happily placed. The artist, I read on the back cover, was Rabbi Kleinman, and the songs without words were called niggunim. That painting and those wordless melodies were like messengers from a long-forgotten past. What were they so beautifully saying? “Did you ever hear of Lu-ba-vitch?” I asked a friend. “Oh, yes. There’s a Lubavitch center right in the Northeast . . .” The Northeast! How come I had never heard of them?Not far from where I grew up! How come I never heard of them? I called the center, left my name and address since the rabbi wasn’t there at the moment, then went as scheduled to Boston. In Boston, I met a very nice group of professionals who kept Shabbat by having a kind of soul-picnic in their suburban countryside Shabbat day, singing and telling traditional stories. They were sincere, and I was sincere in joining them, but somehow I knew I wanted more. When I returned to Philadelphia, a message was waiting for me from the Lubavitch center I had contacted. I made an appointment with Rabbi Shemtov, and I remember the day I sat opposite him at his desk, telling him my story. He listened quietly, then handed me a brochure. “There’s a seminar coming up on Chanukah, in Crown Heights, in Brooklyn. It’s for college students and others. You stay with a family over Shabbat. You might want to go.” I took the brochure, and knew on the spot that I absolutely had to travel to New York. December. Cold. I packed a skirt for Shabbat, and wore the most conservative clothes I thought would do for the train trip: navy blue wool slacks, white blouse, black boots, my black wool winter coat. When I emerged from the dark subway station at Kingston Avenue into the “light” of Crown Heights and the Festival of Lights, I did not know that this would be the turning point of my life. No grandiose chapter title such as “Her Life’s Turning Point” was written in the winter sky, as I, curious and dimly aware, stepped forth into the cold, gray day, noticing the soft, wet snowflakes beginning to fall, and the few chassidim in the street. Before I arrived at the house of my “family,” however, I was keenly aware of one thing—the slacks were “wrong.” Zahavah, the lady of the home, sat me down at her kitchen table over a cup of coffee and apologized for having to bustle around to prepare for Shabbat while we talked. The whole time, she never said anything about the slacks—Lubavitchers are known to be accepting. I felt relaxed, even happy, asking her questions, trying to understand her answers. On Friday night, two young women came to escort me to shul. Why did I feel as if I had always known them? Stranger still, why did I feel as if they already knew me? They made me feel at home, like someone in their family. And then we came to the shul, known as “770,” which I found strangest of all. Through the brown-tinted glass in the women’s section above, I could see a thousand black-hatted men singing, a long narrow table covered with a glowing white Shabbat cloth, and the Rebbe in his chair. I felt a collision of worlds—what had I to do with that sea of hats? I was drawn to the mystical ideas expressed at the seminar, I felt a collision of worldsalthough I only vaguely understood them. What affected me the most was the warmth of the community, how the people were, how they lived—I recognized instinctively that it was true. When the seminar was over and I walked back along Kingston Avenue (wearing my skirt), the thought came to me: “The Jewish people are a holy people.” I had never encountered in my life anything I would have known or called holiness. Two months later, I would return and delve deep into those mystical concepts in earnest at the women’s seminary. My soul had come home on Chanukah. Dobra Levitt lives in Jerusalem, where she writes, edits and teaches creative writing. She recently published a memoir called The Fish in the Yellow in the Paper. Woven throughout the entire book are the Chabad concepts she first encountered at the seminar in Crown Heights on Chanukah. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chanukah News    After Terror, Eiffel Tower Menorah Brightens Paris          By Chabad.org Staff

The grand menorah-lighting took place in Paris this evening with an estimated 6,000 people in attendance. (Photo: Thierry Guez) Just weeks after terrorists murdered 130 people on the streets of Paris, an estimated 6,000 people gathered tonight at the Eiffel Tower to watch the lighting of a 30-foot-tall menorah on the first night of Chanukah. The annual public menorah-lighting at the base of the iconic Eiffel Tower—a decades-old French tradition—is organized annually by Chabad-Lubavitch. The eight-day holiday began after sundown on Sunday, Dec. 6. Before the event started, individuals milled about in the 50-degree weather—fairly mild for a European evening in December. Parents held young children, while others clapped along to the live music, waiting patiently as the crowd grew larger and the speakers became more animated. “Quelle joie extraordinaire!”—“What extraordinary joy!” rang out in the night air. “Chanukah celebrates the freedom of expression, both individually and collectively. It demonstrates the superiority of light over darkness, of right over might, of hope over fear,” was the refrain heard over and over again. “Each mitzvah is a light.” In addition to moving introductory speeches by officials, children recited the 12 pesukim (Torah passages) with verve. Clips were also shown from Israel of the simultaneous outdoor menorah-lighting in Jerusalem, as well as the celebration and lighting in Netanya—just the tip of the iceberg in terms of exhuberant holiday-related programs around the world. Children read the 12 pesukim (Torah passages) with vigor and joy. (Photo: Thierry Guez) The first candle on the giant menorah was lit by Chief Rabbi of France Haim Korsia. In French, he said: “For more than 2,200 years, the Jewish people have kindled the lights with hope in mankind and an affirmation of their belief in God.” After the lighting, he added: “You see beyond the Chanukah lights, the first light that ushers in the possible. Earlier, my friend reminded me that I am the spiritual adviser for a ground army, whose motto is: ‘Anything beyond the possible.’ ” His words were followed by by a rousing rendition of “Maoz Tzur” (“Rock of Ages”). In addition to the sizable crowd of local residents and guests, the event was attended by leaders of the French Jewish community, members of the Paris city council and representatives of the French government. A guest appearance was also made by well-known actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who insisted that “good prevails over evil” and wished everyone a “Happy Chanukah!” He then proceded to dance with the crowd. A contributing factor to the large Chanukah attendance is that this is a traditional year of Hakhel, a time dedicated to promoting Jewish unity through Torah study, and public gatherings and celebrations. The Chanukah menorah at the base of the iconic Eiffel Tower. (Photo: Thierry Guez) ‘A Particularly Relevant Message’ The Eiffel Tower event is one of more than 30 different public menorah-lighting celebrations taking place across Paris and in about 100 nearby towns. It is part of a worldwide Chanukah campaign set into motion in 1973 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. He encouraged the establishment of menorahs in the public space to share the message of light and hope with everyone. Chief Rabbi of France Haim Korsia, right, with Ariel Goldman, president of the FSJU (Photo: Thierry Guez) Since that time, the public display of the holiday has become a staple of Jewish cultural and religious life. Chabad-Lubavitch will set up more than 15,000 large public menorahs in more than 80 countries around the world in the next eight days, including in front of landmarks such as the White House in Washington, D.C., the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Kremlin in Russia. “This year, Chanukah delivers a particularly relevant message,” said Rabbi Chaim Schneur Nisenbaum of the Complexe Scolaire Beth Haya Moushka school system in Paris. “In Paris, we very recently faced terrible attacks ... intended to put an end to the freedom of mind and opinion. In the historical times of Chanukah, the invaders of the land of Israel, the Greeks, had the same intention. But the Jews did not submit. “They knew that light is stronger than obscurity, and that nobody can douse it.” For Chanukah information—including locating public menorah-lightings—inspiration, recipes, events for the whole family and more, visit the Chabad.org Chanukah 2015 page here. The Eiffel Tower menorah-lighting festivities can be viewed below. Getting ready to light the first candle. (Photo: Thierry Guez) Lighting up the Paris skyline. (Photo: Thierry Guez) Arnold Schwarzenegger, well-known actor and former governor of California, makes a guest appearance in Paris and wishes all a "Happy Chanukah!" (Photo: Thierry Guez) Yehuda Yisraelevitch performs lively tunes as part of the Yosef Brahmi Band. (Photo: Thierry Guez) Schwarzenegger dances with the crowd at the festivities. (Photo: Thierry Guez) Thousands came out in full force to attend the lighting of the giant menorah, one of more than 30 different public menorah-lighting celebrations taking place across Paris and in about 100 nearby towns. (Photo: Thierry Guez) © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chanukah News    Webcasts to Bring Menorah-Lightings to a Global Audience          By Chabad.org Staff

The broadcast on Jewish.tv on the first night of Chanukah will link celebrations in Paris, Jerusalem and New York. (File Photo: Yaakov Guez) Throughout the eight days of Chanukah (with the exception of the Jewish Sabbath), Jewish.tv—the multimedia portal of Chabad.org—will broadcast major Chanukah events and celebrations around the world so viewers can celebrate the holiday with people around the globe during this Hakhel year, when it is especially customary for groups to join together for Torah study and the performance of good deeds. The Jewish.tv Chanukah broadcast page will be updated throughout the week of Chanukah. Sunday, December 6 - 1st Night of Chanukah Paris, Jerusalem, New York Live satellite link-up of menorah-lightings in three major cities on three continents. This French program, to be filled with music and song, is based out of Paris, and will hook up with menorah-lightings in Jerusalem, Israel and Brooklyn, New York. The broadcast begins at 2:15 p.m. EST (8:15 p.m. in Paris) on Sunday, December 6. Chanukah live from Paris, Jerusalem and New York can be viewed here. Washington, D.C. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addresses the crowd at the 2014 National Menorah lighting, as Rabbi Levi Shemtov, left, and Rabbi Abraham Shemtov look on. (Photo: Ron Sachs) Live broadcast of the lighting ceremony of the national Chanukah menorah located on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, D.C. Featuring the United States Marine Band and “The Three Cantors.” The broadcast will begin at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 6. The national menorah-lighting can be viewed here. Monday, December 7 - 2nd Night of Chanukah South Broward, Fla. The 36th Annual South Florida Chassidic Chanukah Festival in the special Hakhel year of unity features a full concert, including the popular Chassidic singer Avraham Fried. The broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m EST on Monday, Dec. 7. The Grand South Florida Chassidic Chanukah Festival can be viewed here. Calgary, Canada Rabbis and dignitaries from around Canada will be gathering for the 27th annual public menorah-lighting and Chanukah celebration in Calgary. The broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7. The Calgary community menorah-lighting can be viewed here. Wednesday, December 9 - 4th Night of Chanukah U.S. Military Bases Around the World Join U.S. service members in this first live video conference of menorah-lightings on U.S. military bases around the world. The broadcast will begin on Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. EST. U.S. Armed Services Worldwide Chanukah Celebration can be viewed here. Visit here to learn more about what to expect at public menorah-lightings. For Chanukah information—including locating public menorah-lightings—inspiration, recipes, events for the whole family and more, visit the Chabad.org Chanukah 2015 page here. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chanukah News    New York Mayor De Blasio’s Response to Vandalized Menorah: Light It Even Brighter          By Mordechai Lightstone

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, joins in the added second-night Chanukah menorah-lighting on Monday as a direct response to a vandalized menorah set up in Carl Schurz Park near Gracie Mansion. Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of the Upper East Side, is at the far left; in the center is Rabbi Elie Weinstock of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun. (Mayor's Office Photo/Ed Reed) A menorah in Manhattan’s Carl Schurz Park was found vandalized—not once, but twice over the course of a few days. The more recent incident was discovered on Monday morning, the day after the first night of the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. The park is home to Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined community members and rabbis to light the menorah again on Monday night, showing that New Yorkers do not give in to vandalism. Although event organizers had planned for just the Sunday-night menorah-lighting, the second lighting was a direct response to the incidents. “This is the epitome of who we are in this city. This is the epitome of who we are because even when confronted by hatred, by division, we stand up, we show our strength, we show our resilience, we show our love for one another, we show our embrace of all peoples, and yes, the light does triumph over the darkness,” said the mayor, who attested that it was a “powerful evening.” The menorah had been the centerpiece of a Sunday-night Chanukah celebration hosted by Chabad of the Upper East Side and Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun’s “KJ Beginners” learning program for adults. As many as 1,000 people attended. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is currently investigating the vandalism. According to Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of the Upper East Side, the menorah, which was erected last Thursday, had been toppled over sometime on Shabbat, causing some minor damage to it. A passer-by apparently picked up the menorah shortly afterwards and set it upright. The second toppling took place after Chanukah event on Sunday, which started at 6:30 p.m. and ended before 9 p.m., and caused more serious damage to the menorah and shattered the bulbs. Rabbi Elie Weinstock of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun said the acts of vandalism were especially troubling. “This Chanukah event has had such incredible energy and spirit, as it has grown over the past eight years. To wake up and see such an act of darkness is obviously very upsetting. We won’t, however, let it stop us.” This Manhattan menorah was vandalized twice over the course of a few days. The incidents are being investigated by the New York Police Department's Hate Crimes unit. Before Weinstock thanked the crowed and wished everyone a “Happy Chanukah” on Monday night, he noted that the answer to the battered menorah is one directly related to the holiday itself. “More light into this darkness,” he said. “That is how we will be successful as a community, as a city and as a world that seems to be more and more filled with darkness, we will respond with more and more light.” “We’re celebrating our religious freedom,” stressed Krasnianski. “We want to show the world that the Jewish response to hate is to fight darkness by increasing in light and joy. What happened last night will only unite us, strengthen us and encourage us to do even more.” After the event had ended, the mayor then walked home, accompanied by an entourage of Jewish community members and supporters. For Chanukah information—including locating public menorah-lightings—inspiration, recipes, events for the whole family and more, visit the Chabad.org Chanukah 2015 page here. Video of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at the Monday-night menorah-lighting can be viewed here. As many as 1,000 people attended the public menorah-lighting celebration on Sunday night. Dancing in New York on the first night of Chanukah. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Your Questions    Why Do I Hear Blessings at Public Menorah Lightings?     By Yehuda Shurpin

Illustration by Sefira Ross. I recently had the pleasure of attending a public menorah lighting (a beautiful event that brought the whole Jewish community together), and I noticed that they recited the blessings before lighting the menorah. I was always under the impression that you only make a blessing if you are actually fulfilling a mitzvah. Now, isn’t the mitzvah just to light the menorah at home? So why were the blessings recited at the public ceremony? Reply The closest example to public menorah lightings is the kindling of the menorah in the synagogue during the Chanukah festival. Let’s start there and then work back to the jumbo public menorahs. Lighting in the Synagogue Although not mentioned in the Talmud, the custom to light the menorah in the synagogue—and recite blessings when doing so—is codified in the Code of Jewish Law.1 A number of reasons are given for this lighting: 1) It is for the benefit of those who lack the knowledge or inclination to perform the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah menorah on their own.2 2) It serves guests and travelers who may be visiting the community.3 3) Our rabbis teach us that a synagogue is considered a mikdash me’at, a micro version of the Holy Temple.4 It is therefore a most appropriate place to commemorate (and somewhat replicate) the miracle of the Temple menorah. 5 4) It is in order to publicize the miracle (pirsumei nisa), as it is a sanctification of G‑d’s name when so many people gather in public to hear the blessings and witness the lighting.6 5) The custom began after Jews were no longer able to light their own menorahs outside their front doorways, as was originally intended. Although the concept of publicizing the miracle still exists with regard to family members, to accomplish a more encompassing and ideal expression of publicizing the miracle of Chanukah, the custom was instituted to light in the synagogue.7 Whatever the reason, the synagogue lighting is seen as sufficiently significant that it warrants blessings beforehand, just like the home lighting.8 Public Menorah Lighting We can now turn to the thousands of public menorah lightings that take place in malls and town squares all across the globe. There are indeed some who are of the opinion that since synagogue lighting is somewhat of an anomaly, without a Talmudic precedent, we cannot extend the law to other situations, so one should only recite the blessings for kindling ceremonies that actually take place in the synagogue.9 (This would ring especially true according to the third reason, that we light the menorah in the synagogue since it is a miniature Temple.)10 Yet, even according to this line of reasoning, many rule that if a minyan (quorum of ten men for prayer) for afternoon or evening services is held at the public menorah ceremony, then the place would be considered like a synagogue, and one would be able to light with the blessings.11 Others, however, point out that the primary reason for lighting the menorah in the synagogue is in order to publicize the miracle of Chanukah. Accordingly, the same reasoning should apply to an even greater extent to lighting the menorah in a public place like the mall or city square. And the same argument can be made for many of the other reasons listed above. It is for this reason that blessings are recited at the vast majority of public menorah lightings, even outside of the synagogue.12 Of course, this assumes that you are lighting a “kosher” menorah, with properly spaced fuel-burning flames, and are lighting at the right time of evening. Otherwise, it is clear that the menorah is purely symbolic and warrants no blessings. Why It’s Important Especially now, with the clouds of darkness once again gathering and threatening our nation and all that is good, it is most important to let the message of the Chanukah lights shine brightly for all to see—the message that good and light will, in the end, always triumph over darkness. You can see public menorah lightings around the world here. Or better yet, join one near you! Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin responds to questions for Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi service. FOOTNOTES 1. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 671:7. 2. Kol Bo 44, quoted in Beit Yosef on Tur, Orach Chaim 671; Orchot Chaim, Hilchot Chanukah 17. 3. Tanya Rabosi 35; see also Beit Yosef on Tur, Orach Chaim 671, who seems to cite this reason in the name of the Kol Bo. 4. Talmud Megillah 29a, based on the verse in Ezekiel 11:16. 5. Sefer Hamanhig, Hilchot Chanukah 148; Kol Bo 44. 6. Kol Bo, quoted in Beit Yosef on Tur, Orach Chaim 671. 7. Responsum of Rabbi Yitzchak ben Sheshet (Rivash) 101. 8. While some (see Shibolei Haleket 185; Chacham Tzvi 88, Maharam Schik, Yoreh Deiah 374, quoting the Chatam Sofer) are of the opinion that even in a synagogue, one should not make the blessings, the halachah is that not only do you recite the blessings when lighting in the synagogue, but even one who will light at home says the blessings both when lighting in the synagogue and when lighting at home. 9. Minchat Yitzchak 6:65; Tzitz Eliezer 15:30; Shevet Halevi 4:65; Az Nidabru 6:75, quoting Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach. He himself, however, disagrees and holds one should indeed recite the blessings. 10. See Shevet Halevi 4:65. 11. Torat Hamoadim 7:15; Yalkut Yosef Moadim, pg. 204; Chikrai Minhagim, vol. 1, p. 205 (original edition). 12. See Responsum Az Nidabru 5:37, 6:75, 11:32; Yalkut Yosef, Chanukah 671:10, quoting Rabbi Ovadia Yosef; Yad Natan 2:25, Mishneh Sachir 202, Beit Mordechai 41; Rabbi Yosef Heller in Haorot U’biurim, vol. 721; Netivot Bsdeh Hashlichut 1:13. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

On Aging    Aging Is for Apes     By Tzvi Freeman

Illustration by Sefira Ross. “Old people are apes,” said Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. It begins as soon as you figure you know who you are. From that point on, you simply ape the character you’ve assigned yourself—and you get worse and worse at it as you go. And that’s called growing old. Which is now becoming a major issue for me. For years, my motto was, “I have found the elixir of eternal youth, and it is immaturity.” When people would ask, “Where did you grow up?” I would respond, “Why do you make assumptions?” "Old people are apes"But hey, I just rolled over the 60 mark a few weeks back. I’ve got to gain at least some semblance of dignity. I’m a grandfather, for heaven’s sake, several times over. People come asking for advice, as though I learned something from all my mistakes. But old? G‑d forbid. Rabbi Nachman of Breslev agreed with me. “To become old,” he said, “is a grave sin.” It makes sense. Life is forever new. “Old” is something that sits there, looking the same today as yesterday, as it will tomorrow—just a little, well, older. Here’s a tidbit: “Old” and “sleeping” are spelled exactly the same in Hebrew, ישן. You get old by sleeping through life. Hebrew is neat. In all of Hebrew literature, you’ll never find the term “old” applied to a living being. Wine can be old. A house can be old. You could be reading this article in two months from now, and by then, by Internet standards, it will be old. But there’s no such thing as person who’s a a ישן an old man, or woman. You say “zaken,” and that, they say, is a contraction of the phrase “zeh shekanah chochmah”—one who has acquired wisdom. But in Hebrew, even an animal is not called old. So I figure I have two things to do with life. One is to grow up. The other is to remain forever a child. If it’s a standoff between the two, the second trumps, hands down. But is there really a conflict? Could it be that growing up is all about remaining a child as long as you can? That sounds ridiculous, but then, so does quantum physics, aerodynamics and Frisbee football. And like all that stuff, it works. Even the ancient pharaoh who interviewed Jacob got it. HeHow do you collect days? didn’t ask Jacob, “How old are you, old man?” He asked, “How many are the days of your life?” As though days are not things that do something to you (i.e. make you old), but things you do something with—i.e. collect. How do you collect days? By starting each one as a newborn child, full of wonder, entering each experience expecting to be surprised, always willing to try new things, putting all your strength into pulling yourself forward no matter how little you appear to move, standing up again no matter how many times you’ve fallen down, and running ahead no matter how many times you smash into a wall. Laughing at stupid things, celebrating the small stuff and smiling to any stranger. Never decide, “I’m a pessimist, that’s just who I am.” Tomorrow, you can be an optimist. Never decide, “I’m not a believer. I don’t do Shabbat candles. I don’t wrap leather boxes. I’m not going to be a hypocrite.” You’re only a hypocrite when you’re stuck in the mud and pretend you’re still moving. But if you’re alive, you do it by changing your mind and changing your way of life, again and again. Because the only guy who never changes is the one six feet under. Or the one who stopped being a child and started being an ape. Once you start repeating the same day over and over again, once you say, “been there, done that, am that,” once you’ve decided who you are and what this world is about, you’ve stopped collecting days, you’ve stopped acquiring wisdom and a part of you has already died. The days are collecting you. They’ve started making you old. I'm planning to live foreverMy father-in-law, an Argentinean Kabbalist who doubled by day as a professor of computer science, used to say, “There are people who have seventy years of experience, and there are people who have experienced a year seventy times.” It turns out you get old when you stop growing up, and you grow up by remaining a child. Because every day has a new lesson to teach, one that no other day can ever tell you. And that’s how you gain wisdom, to become a zaken. Describing Abraham, Sarah and King David in their later years, the Torah says “they came into their days.” They invested all of themselves into each and every day they lived. That’s a lot of wisdom to acquire. A lot of childhood to share. As for me, I’m planning to live forever. So far, so good. Each day is another forever. Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing, visitFreeman Files subscription. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

On Aging    Her Last Request Fulfilled     By Ann Goldberg

Illustration by Sefira Ross. I couldn’t believe it. Just the night before, all the children and grandchildren were in our home in Jerusalem celebrating Chanukah. It is the one time of the year we always try to get everyone together, now that the families, thank G‑d, have all grown so much in number that we can’t all get together on Shabbat or Yom Tov. Of course, there is always the inevitable discussion as to which day of Chanukah to have the get-together. Telephone calls and emails fly back and forth, but it’s impossible to please everyone, and no matter what day we finally decide on, there is always at least one family who has to cancel something in order to be there, and others who just can’t make it. It's impossible to please everyoneThis time, someone had brought a chocolate fountain, and within a few moments, everyone and everything was covered in chocolate. The screams of delight from the children, coupled with the shouts of horror from their mothers, made it a noisy but fun evening. The next day, it all changed. At 10 a.m. Jerusalem time, my brother-in-law phoned to say that my mother had passed away while sitting in her chair at the Rehabilitation Hospital in London. She was recuperating from an operation for a broken leg, and though she had been experiencing some occasional breathing problems since the operation, there had been no indication that anything was wrong, apart from her inability to walk. Her leg was healing very well medically, but my mother couldn’t put any weight on it, so she remained wheelchair-bound. My sisters and I had taken turns being with her for two months during and after the operation, but that week she was alone, as her recuperation appeared to be progressing well, and we intended to return to England the following week to help her move to a nursing home. It took a while until the nurse realized my mother was no longer alive. She had been sitting peacefully in her chair reading, the nurse said, but I’d guess at that time of day, early morning in London, she was probably praying, maybe even saying Hallel,which she loved. But shocked and distraught as we were, my sisters and I knew why she had passed away. However, it was not something we could easily explain to the doctors or hospital staff. As I stared, unseeing, at the remaining brown marks on the wall and floor where we had yet to finish removing the chocolate stains, I marveled at how G‑d had fulfilled my mother’s final wish. She had always had a “special relationship” with Him. She spoke to Him and about Him constantly. He was always with her, taking care of her, as she lived alone. However much she loved us all, she needed her independence and was determined to stay in her own home until her final day on this earth. He had protected her when two men broke into her small ground-floor apartment and simply fled, leaving her thankfully untouched. A few months ago, when emergency responders found her after a fall in her apartment when she had broken her leg, she appeared to be in no pain, although, according to the volunteers, this was totally illogical, as her leg was broken in several places. But her inability to walk, and the size and layout of her apartment, meant it would be impossible for her to go back to the home she loved. The option of living with one of us was receding, since, if her breathing problems didn’t improve, she would need medical care 24/7. We were desperately searching for a nursing home that she might find acceptable, all the while knowing that it was an impossible task. There was nowhere she wanted to go other than back to her own apartment. We dreaded telling her it was not possible. But when we eventually did, she appeared to accept it quite calmly. I guess she simply had other ideas. I can almost see and hear her talking to her Best Friend, who had never let her down. She simply had other ideasAnd the only explanation was that He had heard her and fulfilled her final wish. She had gone peacefully and without pain, never having had to live anywhere other than her own home. During my last conversation with her the previous day, she had mentioned how pleased she was that the visiting Chabad rabbi had found her (she was the only Jewish person in her ward) and lit Chanukah candles for her. I can picture her sitting by the candles, singing “Haneirot Hallalu” and “Maoz Tzur” quietly. The whole extended family now knows in advance what day of Chanukah our family get-together will be. My mother’s yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) brings us all together. We no longer have the chocolate fountain because seeing one always reminds me of my mother’s last Chanukah. But on the fifth night of Chanukah, all of the Israeli branch of her family, numbering now, thank G‑d, more than 60, gather together to celebrate. And most important, my mother’s soul is elevated in heaven through the siyum (celebration after completing a unit of Torah study) that her great-grandsons make. Ann Goldberg and her family made aliyah from the UK over 30 years ago and live in Jerusalem. She is a web content and Israel travel writer and writing coach. She runs writing workshops and e-mail courses. For more information visit her website. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Parshah    The Prostration of the Shepherds     Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Illustration by Sefira Ross. And Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the supplier of food to all its people. And Joseph's brothers came and prostrated themselves to him ... and Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them... Genesis 42:6-9 Twenty years earlier, Joseph had dreamed two dreams which foretold the events of that day. In the first dream, "we were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves stood round it and bowed down to my sheaf." In the second, Joseph saw "the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down to me." Joseph's brothers, who were already jealous of their father's special affection for him, "hated him even more for his dreams and his words." Jacob was well aware of this, yet "he kept the matter in mind and awaited and anticipated its fulfillment" (Genesis 37:7; Rashi, ibid.). For that to happen, Jacob had to mourn the loss of his beloved son for twenty-two years, and Joseph had to experience slavery and incarceration, and his brothers, anguished remorse, for that same period. Twenty-two painful years so that the sons of Jacob might prostrate themselves before the viceroy of Egypt, who, unbeknownst to them, was the very dreamer they had sold into slavery. Why was it so important that this submission take place? Why did Jacob await and anticipate the fulfillment of Joseph's dreams, despite his realization of the terrible animosity they provoked among his children? The New Jew Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were shepherds, as were the sons of Jacob. They chose this vocation because they found the life of the shepherd -- a life of seclusion, communion with nature, and distance from the tumult and vanities of society -- most conducive to their spiritual pursuits. Tending their sheep in the valleys and on the hills of Canaan, they could turn their backs on the mundane affairs of man, contemplate the majesty of the Creator, and serve Him with a clear mind and tranquil heart. Joseph was different. He was a man of the world, a "fortuitous achiever" in commerce and politics. Sold into slavery, he was soon chief manager of his master's affairs. Thrown into jail, he was soon a high-ranking member of the prison administration. He went on to become viceroy of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh in the most powerful nation on earth, and sole supplier of food for the entire region. Yet none of this touched him. He remained the righteous Joseph who had studied Torah at the feet of his father. Slave, prisoner, ruler of millions, controller of an empire's wealth -- it made no difference: the same Joseph who had meditated in the hills and valleys of Canaan walked the streets of depraved Egypt. His spiritual and moral self derived utterly from within and was totally unaffected by his society, environment, or the occupation that claimed his involvement twenty-four hours a day. The conflict between Joseph and his brothers ran deeper than a multi-colored coat or a favorite son's share of his father's affections. It was a conflict between a spiritual tradition and a new worldliness, between a community of shepherds and a politician. The brothers could not accept that a person can lead a worldly existence without becoming worldly, that a person can remain one with G-d while inhabiting the palaces and government halls of pagan Egypt. For the first two hundred years of Jewish history, the shepherd's credo held sway. But Jacob knew that if his descendants were to survive the Egyptian galut (exile) -- and the millennia of Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Eastern, Western, economic, religious and cultural galuyot that history held in store for them -- this must be subordinated to the credo of Joseph. If the children of Israel are to pass through every social convulsion of the next four thousand years and persevere as G-d's people, they must become subjects of Joseph. Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson; adapted by Yanki Tauber. Originally published in Week in Review. Republished with the permission of MeaningfulLife.com. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@meaningfullife.com. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Parshah    To Wait Without Despair     By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Illustration by Sefira Ross. Something extraordinary happens between last week’s parsha and this week’s. It is almost as if the pause of a week between them were itself part of the story. Recall last week’s parsha about the childhood of Joseph, focusing not on what happened but on who made it happen. Throughout the entire roller-coaster ride of Joseph’s early life he is described as passive, not active; the done-to, not the doer; the object, not the subject, of verbs. ItWe do not dream because we want to was his father who loved him and gave him the richly embroidered cloak. It was his brothers who envied and hated him. He had dreams, but we do not dream because we want to but because, in some mysterious way still not yet fully understood, they come unbidden into our sleeping mind. His brothers, tending their flocks far from home, plotted to kill him. They threw him into a pit. He was sold as a slave. In Potiphar’s house he rose to a position of seniority, but the text goes out of its way to say that this was not because of Joseph himself, but because of G‑d: “G‑d was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that G‑d was with him, and that G‑d caused all that he did to prosper in his hands.” Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, and failed, but here too, Joseph was passive, not active. He did not seek her, she sought him. Eventually, “She caught hold of his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.” Using the garment as evidence, she had him imprisoned on a totally false charge. There was nothing Joseph could do to establish his innocence. In prison, again he became a leader, a manager, but again the Torah goes out of its way to attribute this not to Joseph but to Divine intervention: “G‑d was with Joseph and showed him kindness. He gave him favorin the sight of the chief jailer … Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because G‑d was with him; and whatever he did, G‑d made it prosper.” There he met Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker. They had dreams, and Joseph interpreted them, but insisted that it is not he but G‑d who was doing so: “Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to G‑d? Please tell them to me.’” There is nothing like this anywhere else in Tanakh. Whatever happened to Joseph was the result of someone else’s deed: those of his father, his brothers, his master’s wife, the chief jailer, or G‑d himself. Joseph was the ball thrown by hands other than his own. Then, for essentially the first time in the whole story, Joseph decided to take fate into his own hands. Knowing that the chief butler was about to be restored to his position, he asked him to bring his case to the attention of Pharaoh: “Remember me when it is well with you; please do me the kindness to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this place. For indeed I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into prison.” A double injustice had been done, and Joseph saw this as his one chance of regaining his freedom. But the end of the parsha delivers a devastating blow: “The chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, and forgothim.” The anticlimax is intense, emphasized by the double verb, “did not remember” and “forgot.” We sense Joseph waiting day after day for news. None comes. His last, best hope has gone. He will never go free. Or so it seems. To understand the power of this anticlimax, we must remember that only since the invention of printing and the availability of books have we been able to tell what happens next merely by turning a page. For many centuries, there were no printed books. People knew the biblical story primarily by listening to it week by week. Those who were hearing the story for the first time had to wait a week to discover what Joseph’s fate would be. The parsha break is thus a kind of real-life equivalent to the delay Joseph experienced in jail, which, as this week’s parsha begins by telling us, took “Two whole years.” It was then that Pharaoh had two dreams that no one in the court could interpret, prompting the chief butler to remember the man he had met in prison. Joseph was brought to Pharaoh, and within hours was transformed from zero to hero: from prisoner-without-hope to Viceroy of the greatest empire of the ancient world. Why this extraordinary chain of events? It is telling us something important, but what? Surely this: G‑d answers our prayers, but often not when we thought or how we thought. Joseph sought to get out of prison, and he did get out of prison. But not immediately, and not because the butler kept his promise. The story is telling us something fundamental about the relationship between our dreams and our achievements. Joseph was the great dreamer of the Torah, and his dreams for the most part came true. But not in a way he or anyone else could have anticipated. At the end of last week’s parsha – with Joseph still in prison – it seemed as if those dreams had ended in ignominious failure. We had to wait for a week, as he had to wait for two years, before discovering that it was not so. There is no achievement without effort. That is the first principle. G‑d saved Noah from the flood, but first Noah had to build the ark. G‑d promised Abraham the land, but first he had to buy the cave of Machpelah in which to bury Sarah. G‑d promised the Israelites the land, but they had to fight the battles. Joseph became a leader, as he dreamed he would. But first he had to hone his practical and administrative skills, first in Potiphar’s house, then in prison. Even when G‑d assures us that something will happen, it will not happen without our effort. A Divine promise is not a substitute for human responsibility. To the contrary, it is a call toresponsibility. Effort alone is not enoughBut effort alone is not enough. We need seyata di-Shemaya, “the help of Heaven.” We need the humility to acknowledge that we are dependent on forces not under our control. No one in Genesis invoked G‑d more often than Joseph. As Rashi (to Gen. 39: 3) says, “G‑d’s name was constantly in his mouth.” He credited G‑d for each of his successes. He recognized that without G‑d he could not have done what he did. Out of that humility came patience. Those who have achieved great things have often had this unusual combination of characteristics. On the one hand they work hard. They labor, they practice, they strive. On the other, they know that it will not be their hand alone that writes the script. It is not our efforts alone that decide the outcome. So we pray, and G‑d answers our prayers – but not always when or how we expected. (And of course, sometimes the answer is No). The Talmud (Niddah 70b) says it simply. It asks, What should you do to become rich? It answers: work hard and behave honestly. But, says the Talmud, many have tried this and did not become rich. Back comes the answer: You must pray to G‑d from whom all wealth comes. In which case, asks the Talmud, why work hard? Because, answers the Talmud: The one without the other is insufficient. We need both: human effort and Divine favour. We have to be, in a certain sense, patient and impatient: impatient with ourselves but patient in waiting for G‑d to bless our endeavors. The week-long delay between Joseph’s failed attempt to get out of jail and his eventual success is there to teach us this delicate balance. If we work hard enough, G‑d grants us success – but not when we want but, rather, when the time is right. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is the former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the British Commonwealth. To read more writings and teachings by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, or to join his e‑mail list, please visitwww.rabbisacks.org. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Lifestyle    10 Festive Recipes to Make this Chanukah     By Miriam Szokovski

1. Traditional Potato Latkes Is it Chanukah without 'em? 2. Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato Latkes Add some color and flavor with these delicious ones. 3. Vegetable Latkes I can hardly claim these are healthy, because at the end of the day they are fried, but they do contain some healthier vegetables like zucchini, carrot and spinach, instead of just potato, potato, potato . . . 4. Beet Latkes Stuffed with Goat Cheese These babies are certainly non-traditional but they have proven themselves incredibly popular and delicious. 5. Corn Latkes 6. Dreidel-Shaped Ricotta Ravioli For the adventurous... 7. Fried Mozzarella Sticks These gooey, cheesy mozzarella sticks combine dairy and oil—two of Chanukah's traditional foods. 8. Chanukah Party Surprise Cake Don't tell anyone what's inside until you cut it open! 9. Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts) Soft and fluffy sufganiyot are a traditional Chanukah treat. Try making them this year. 10. Learn How to Decorate Doughnuts Beautifully Prefer frosted doughnuts to the traditional sufganiyot? Learn how to make them look aesthetically appealing. Miriam Szokovski is the author of the historical novel Exiled Down Under, and a member of the Chabad.org editorial team. She enjoys tinkering with recipes, and teaches cooking classes to young children. Miriam shares her love of cooking, baking and food photography on Chabad.org’s food blog, Cook It Kosher, and in the N’shei Chabad Newsletter. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Lifestyle    For the Kids: Dreidel Snow Globe     By Chana Scop

Make a snowglobe for Chanukah! You will need: 1 glass jar 2 dreidels (wood or plastic) Glitter Water Glycerin Hot glue Stuffing Directions: Decide if you’d like to use plastic or wooden dreidels. Wooden ones will get moldy from the water as time goes on, so if you’re using wooden dreidels, coat them with clear nail polish first. Use hot glue to attach the first dreidel to the inside of the jar lid. The dreidel should be lying down flat. Make sure it is not jutting out over the edge of the lid, so it fits in the jar. Then use hot glue to attach the second dreidel to the first one. This will be the dreidel that will be visible, so position it carefully. Place some stuffing around the base dreidel. Use the hot glue to attach it to the lid. Set the lid aside to dry. Do not continue if the glue isn’t fully dry. Fill the jar with water. Add 1-2 tablespoons of glycerin. Pour in some glitter. Mix. (The glycerin will make the glitter fall more slowly.) Make sure the jar is filled to the very top. Then screw the lid on tightly. Turn over and watch the glitter fall. Optional: Decorate the rim with ribbon or Washi tape. Decorate the outside of the jar with Chanukah stickers. Shake and enjoy watching the glitter fall. Happy Chanukah! Chana is a proud wife and mother of eight living in Mill Valley, California. She is inspired by the colors and textures of everyday life, and loves sharing her creative ideas with her community. Chana writes DIY projects, crafts and recipes celebrating her Jewish life and shlichus on her blog Chana’s Art Room, and is the co-director of Chabad of Mill Valley with her husband, Rabbi Hillel Scop. She also writes about a mother’s journey of raising a special-needs son on her other blog, Life of Blessing. She welcomes you to be a part of her creative and touching journey. © Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chabad.org Magazine   -   Editor: Yanki Tauber

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