Ohev Shalom Voice
Kislev - December, 5768
Rabbi’s Message
They will go from strength to strength. (Psalm 84:8)
The Chanukah lights are lit in an ascending order, starting with one light the first night, continuing till eight lights the last night. This conforms with the Biblical rule of: ‘Going higher in holiness and not going lower”. (Shabbos 21B). This message comes to us on Chanukah, just a few weeks after celebrating the High Holidays, the time when we rose to a measure of spiritual heights, some of us in great measure and some in a lesser measure. Nonetheless, we all did rise.
Upon reaching our specific height, we are now told to go even higher. In every facet of spiritual life we are capable of rising in  learning, prayer and lovingkindness. As much time and effort as is extended in our learning periods, we can always find ways of improvement in both quantity and quality. We can find more minutes or even hours which we can take away from frivolous activities. Our concentration can be more intense if we choose to work a bit harder. As we increasingly review our studies, we acquire a greater power of retention and the capacity of our memory increases.
When praying we can do so with more intense concentration and with deeper emotional involvement. More effort must be used to pray in the synagogue and to be on time. Special care must be used to refrain from idle talk and other forms of disrespect. We can increase the value of our worship by extending courtesy to others and not insisting on our regular seat when someone else happens to occupy it and when someone else is given an honor we expected to receive.
Our lovingkindness takes many forms and they all need to be increased in both quantity and quality. Without hesitation we increase spending on personal matters as the need arises. So must we adjust our attitudes in spending for assistance to the needy, in supporting Torah education and in responding to appeals for support of synagogues.
In the area of extending a helping hand to someone, saying a kind word, giving emotional support, speaking a deserved compliment and otherwise being kind we must find more opportunities for these Mitzvos. We must make the recipient of our kindness aware that we look upon our kindness as sought after privilege, not a burden.
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