Chanukah

Tonight is the 8th night of the celebration of Chanukah. Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the unveiling of the new temporary home of the Temple Institute’s Temple Menorah. The menorah was created approx. 8 years ago according to the strict regulations given forth in the Torah and other Jewish sources; thus, the menorah is kosher for service in the future 3rd Temple. The location is just off the staircase that leads from the Western Wall to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. (Visit http://www.templeinstitute.org/ for more information regarding it and other vessels for Temple worship.)

I decided to attend this unveiling. True to Israeli culture it didn’t start when stated and as I had arrived early I had time to go and pray at the Kotel (Western Wall). While there my thoughts turned to Chanukah and I was struck by the fact that I was in the country where the miracle that we were commemorating actually took place. And not only was I in the country but the city and I was actually standing a relatively short distance from the actual location of the sanctuary where the temple menorah stood and the miracle occurred. To add to that I had an actual visual of what the menorah looked like as I had just seen it the week before in the Cardo and we were about to rejoice in the progression of the new menorah to its destined location. Oh, that you could hold on to understandings and awe like that for a little longer.