Light the Flame and Watch it Glow


Happy Shabbat Chanuka! 

I went to the lighting of the "biggest Menorah in the world!" by Central Park on Tuesday night. 

It was quite the sight to be seen. 

We were standing there among the crowd and my sister and I were wondering how many of the people there where actually Jewish and how many just stopped to watch the spectacle. 

Its at events like this that you just feel proud to be Jewish and Chabad is at its best.
It is heartwarming to walk down the dirty streets of Manhattan and see men in black hats and peyot handing out Menorahs and literally spreading light. 

That is the nature of light. It only takes a little bit to dispel vast amounts of darkness. It follows then that as Jews, one of the smallest (perhaps the loudest) but still one of the smallest of the world's minorities it is our job to be a light onto the nations. 

I was recently at The Brooklyn Museum ( now that I have loads of time) and was looking at some pretty dark looking art. Paintings depicting the heart of the woods or stormy seas...but there is always some light shining in...some sparks of inspiration midst the gloom and doom. 

I was talking to someone about how insane the world is these days. Ferguson, Israel, Pakistan, Australia...Philli...it just seems to be never ending...and the truth is that this is not new.  HIstory is riddled with calamity. The world is really a depressing place and history shows what a terrible place Earth can be.,.Yet at the same time, there is always the light that ultimately shines through...We can choose to focus on the light or the dark..the choice is up to us...



My sister and I were talking and she mentioned how really it is incredible what a smile can do. I try to smile at people as much as possible.. your face is reshut Harabin public property...The Mishnah in Avot (1:15) states, "Greet every person b'sever panim yafot (with a pleasant countenance). 

It makes such a difference to others and even in yourself. Studies show that you really can fake it till you make it. Smiling when you are in a bad mood really does make you feel better...(granted we don't always want to feel better and want to wallow in our gloom) 


Such an easy way to bring light to the world i think...just smile :) 


Comments

  1. I started consciously smiling, too. It really is amazing what difference it makes, how it does make someone cheer up and smile at the next person. I've worked on doing it on days when I'm sad or upset, because it's not the other person's fault I'm having a bad day, then when they smile you feel better. Smile on, smile on!

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