In the Talmudic discussion about the meaning of Hanukkah, there’s a famous makhloket/disagreement about whether one should light the candles in descending or ascending order. We follow the School of Hillel, which of course holds that we begin with one candle and add one each night. The reason is because “we ascend in holiness and do not descend.” It’s a lovely idea, but what does it actually mean to ascend in holiness? The Hasidic master Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (1740-1809) addresses this question in his commentary Kedushat Levi:
“… in that generation the people Israel had enjoyment and happiness from fulfilling the mitzvah of the menorah on its own terms… and each day there was more enjoyment and happiness from the fulfillment of yet another mitzvah… because with each mitzvah a person adds more holiness to themselves. And with each and every day more holiness and happiness is added due to the lighting of the lamps, therefore the School of Hillel holds that on the first night you light one, and from then on you continue to increase and that is [the meaning of] “we increase in holiness.”
R. Levi Yitzhak teaches us that the daily practice of mitzvot (in this case the mitzvah of lighting the Hanukkah lights) has a cumulative effect – adding a sense of the sacred that builds and intensifies over time. May we strive to bring light and blessing into the world through our daily acts, even the most mundane…and in so doing, ma’alin be-kodesh/contribute to an overflowing abundance of holiness!
Hag Urim Sameakh/Happy Festival of Lights!
Rabbi Adam Rubin, Ph.D.
Rabbi Morris J. Allen Chair in Rabbinics
