The Generations That Follow

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

If there is anything sure in this life it is the continuation of the generations. The journey of life contains so many experiences, but the glue that gives life meaning is the knowledge that when we are gone there will be another to take our place. That has been, and continues to be the design of creation. The very first understanding of continuity is the blessing given by God to “be fruitful and multiply.” The act of procreation is instinctive in every living being. Some of us live to create and some die in the process. It is a marvel to behold, whether humans, animals or plants.

The Ten Commandments regard the acknowledgement of parents as a fundamental part of the wonderment of creation. The blending of lives to ensure the fulfillment of God’s plan enables us to understand that one plus one equals two and even three and four and more. And there are other sacred writings that teach about the love of parents for their children; and the love of the children is for their children and that is the personification of the journey of life that has no end.

The world we live in, which we inherited from past generations, is a marvelous place. It is filled with such amazing blessings. And the greatest of these blessings is the foundation established by joining together in a ritual of love and connection. When we look at our reflection in the eyes of our beloved we see ourselves as well because that makes the union complete.

I am always amazed at the loving attention we get from each other. It is a bond that is so strong that it is evidently a blessing from God who created each of us in His image and who was present at the creation of our love and who has prepared for us a perpetual and wondrous fabric of life.

And yet, it is that sacred moment, the moment of confessing love and devotion that helps us understand the newness of life as it unfolds to usher in a new chapter of existence together. The joys and sorrows that will be shared can and should teach us to grow together in understanding and devotion.

So a new year begins and perhaps with it a new episode in the journey we embark upon as we start to bind ourselves to a new found love, a new enthusiasm for the excitement of blending body and soul. There is intoxication: The glow of anticipation. There is fulfillment: The gratification of completing the search for true love.

The generations continue because life is never ending and we are part of the chain that embraces continuity. Our love will endure through the storms of everyday existence because we commit to the sanctity of companionship.

We too will bring life to future generations and that will guarantee that everything has meaning. We bring hopes and dreams and faith in each other which will ennoble all who witness and share this love as we begin a new year.

All of this comes to mind when I think about the season just around the corner. Hanukkah has become so significant but for the wrong reasons. The essence of the holiday is the understanding that love conquers all: The love of God and the faith of our fathers. There can be no brighter light emanating from the Menorah than the light of understanding and faithfulness.

Brides and grooms remind me of this each and every time I unite them in marriage. There is a glow that brightens the path to completion. I am especially reminded of such radiance because the glow from the Menorah represents the glow of the hopes of humanity, the hopes of a couple just beginning the journey that will take them to strange places and even stranger occurrences.

The generations will follow as sure as love is in the air. Hanukkah helps us understand the true meaning of compassion and strength. Light not only represents awareness but it also enables us to find our way in the darkness that surrounds us. It doesn’t only matter that there was enough oil for one day or that it lasted for eight. It doesn’t only matter that a band of zealots overcame unimaginable odds to secure religious freedom for all. What does matter is that we remember and we tell the story, in whatever form, however we embellish it. What does really matter is that we are here to do just that and every faith on the face of the earth owes its existence to this insignificant feat that took place 2200 years ago.

That is continuity in its highest form and that is what love, the love of a bride and groom, represent to me as I watch the sparkle in an eye illuminate the whole world. What better blessing can we achieve this time of the year or any time of the year?