EREV CHANUKAH THOUGHTS

It's brought that Chanukah is related to the concept of bikur cholim visiting the sick). When the Jewish people were thriving, we had a Bais HaMikdash and would come to visit Hashem three times a year. But now the Bais HaMikdash has long been destroyed, and we're submerged in the darkness and emptiness of the exile. We're sick and tired, so we can't visit Hashem anymore. So He comes to us, bringing with Him the awesome light of Chanukah.

It's quite possible that this concept is hinted in the way we light the Chanukah candles. The ideal height where they should be lit is above three tefachim and below ten tefachim (somewhere between 24 and 80 centimeters). Does this remind you of something? To me, the implication is obvious: this is just the height of the bed where a sick person is laid up!

So if your head is pounding, your mood is lousy, and you can't find a single reason why it's good to be alive - don't worry; this is exactly the way it's meant to be. It just means that you're sick, like all of us these days. Otherwise, what would you need Chanukah for?

But tonight, Hashem is coming to visit you in your own home, and I promise you that everything - yes, everything! - will slowly start to change.

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