Defending Your Life

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

Here is Hanukkah. And we retell the stories of the occurrences that took place 2,174years ago. We remember the salvation of a people and their faith that resonates to today. Truth be told, if it were not for Hanukkah there would be no faith to cling to.

The last jar of oil represented the last best hope of humanity to forever enshrine in their memory the beginning of life. The flame that burned enabled countless generations to cling to the possibility of a future filled with greatness and connection to a concept of Holiness and fulfillment. The light that emanated from the Candelabra still brightens our path to the understanding of the uniqueness in each of us.

Hanukkah is also a time to consider the value of life. Each of us is constantly fighting battles of survival. We go through life as though it were some exercise such as weight lifting or jogging or dieting. When will we be able to stop and understand that life is more than self gratification or unnecessary indulgence? When will be able to put aside “I can’t” to ”I can?” When will we begin to defend our lives as though they matter?

I recently watched a movie titled “Defending Your Life” in which humans, upon death, are sent to a staging area to begin the process of explaining their experiences during their lifetime. It was rather amazing to watch the principal players engaged in describing details of their lives from childhood to the time of their death.

As you can imagine, there were scenes of childhood disappointments and adult frustrations. We have all had them in some form or another. Whether it was the neighborhood bully taunting us or the awkwardness of adolescence or the insecurities of dating and seeking acceptance, each of us has traveled that road once or twice.

What would we say in defense of our lives? Who would we call to explain our experiments in growing up, defining them as innocent blips in the test of life’s experiences? Were there so many “I can’t’s” instead of “I cans?” When we are asked to answer for our deeds and misdeeds will we be able to stand defiant and say that what we did we do because we believed in what we were doing? Or will we be forced to admit that we could have done better and perhaps with more time things would have been different.

There is a classic expression (author unknown) that states:
When you die
God and the Angels
Will hold you accountable
For all the pleasures you
Were allowed in life
That you denied yourself.

We were all created in the image of God and yet we are all unique. But we all represent the oneness of creation. Together, as one human family, we are united in our quest for justice and mercy. We search for the light that will guide us in making this world good. Our responsibility lies in being helpful and charitable. More than that, however, we are obligated to enhance our lives by reaching out to not only touch someone but to accept the gifts we sometimes shun aside needlessly.

In the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” the authors relate a story about “I can” and “I can’t” in which is described a lesson for all of us. We need to learn to bury the “I can’t” so that our lives will have meaning. We bury the “I can’t” so that when the time comes to defend our lives we will have realized that life is to live.

Only then can we appreciate that burying “I can’t” enabled a band of zealots the opportunity to take control of their lives so that we are able to enjoy this season. Hanukkah is filled with “I can” and because of this outlook we will not have to worry about defending ourselves because we didn’t turn our backs on the gift of the burning light of our endurance.