Addition to the blessings for the candles
Blessed are you, the heroes of these days and this time, heroes who conquer their evil inclinations. Heroes like me and you. Humans.
These Candles (Hanerot Halalu)
These candles we light are in memory of all the things the newspapers didn’t mention, all the miracles that were not crowned and glorified, all the salvations that occurred behind the scenes, all the comforts that were not illuminated.
Who is a hero? The one who overcomes their evil urge, in this time and these days. For all the eight days of Hanukkah, let us keep these hidden heroisms close to our hearts, see them and give thanks and praise for the miracles, wonders, and salvations you all performed, and you perform still. Be blessed on this Festival of Light, you who perform acts of heroism.
Rabbi Dan Porat
The Hanukkah song “We are carrying torches” (Anu nosim lapidim) was originally called “The Miracle of the Brave Heart.” The original name comes from the first verse of the poem, which is not included in the sung version. What gives a person the strength to stand up and act, to change things, to struggle for what they believe in, to live – and even to risk their life – for something bigger than themselves? The possibility of heroism is itself a kind of miracle, suggests Aharon Ze’ev, who wrote the song. We light the light of heroism in honor of the human potential to change and to be changed, to stand firm, and to inspire ourselves and others.
A flame that flickers in every human soul
Sometimes the same flame burns in the hearts of different people. An example is the flame that flickers in the souls of Jews and Arabs who are able to look beyond the keeping of a bloody score and to see a hand still stretched out and open.
Think, too, of the flickering flame in the souls of soldiers who bravely go out to face the enemy, but who also find the strength to hold their fire, to see the faces of the mothers and children on both sides of the dividing line. They listen to the flame that slowly whispers, “The gun you hold can not only spill blood, but also cherish life.”
A similar flame flickers in the soul of people of different faiths and opinions who find the strength to be unpopular and to come together to form a menorah of countless shades and colors. They light lights that do not scorch each other, but enjoy the different hues that shimmer together in beauty, reviving the Hanukkiyah of quiet heroism that shines in the innermost essence of the world.
And let us bless and remember the small flame that flickers in the soul of every human. The flame that can burn and grow in strength, spreading light, and making the human a source of light and heroism.