Hanukkah: Re-dedicating the Temple

I originally published this in 2006, but felt like it was worth surfacing again.  The theme of sacrifice and offerings is an ever present one for me, and has recently returned as a focus, particularly in my artwork.   As I got ready for my day today, I heard those who lead my country, and many others in the world talking about the need to make sacrifices — but none of them really willing to do so.    Across the globe we face economic, health, and humanitarian crises.  The day a politicians stop worrying about being re-elected or maintaining their party’s power, and just does the right thing – may be the day we usher in the era of Moshiach.

——

RE-DEDICATION

Once we had The Temple where we made sacrifices of precious blood and grain.
Now we we have temples where people pray, but few truly give offerings.

The darkness. The darkness. The darkness.

~Doesn’t the light always return?~

The light, it does return?

~It does return.~

Hanukkah?

~חנוכה~

The lights.   We light them.   The light returns.

We light the lights to remember. We light the lights to re-dedicate the temple or The Temple?

~Where is The Temple?~

Isn’t She everywhere? Is She the שכינה, the Presence? Isn’t the Presence everywhere and in everything.

~Yes~

Then I re-dedicate The Temple here.

~נס גדול היה שם~

Yes, but I am here –פה

I r e a c h to others who feel as I do.   And one becomes many.   I becomes we.   We together, reclaim our inheritance.

We re-dedicate the Earth, אדמה, as Temple.
We pour offerings of sweat, not blood.
We pour offerings of grain and oil.
We pour offerings of praise and care.
We care for our Temple,
Our Holy of Holies,
Through every action we take.
We light the lights…

~And it begins again~

[originally published December 14, 2006]

1 Comment

  1. We re-dedicate the Earth, אדמה, as Temple.
    We pour offerings of sweat, not blood.
    We pour offerings of grain and oil.
    We pour offerings of praise and care.

    That's really lovely.

    Chag urim sameach!