“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayeshev/Shabbos
Chanukah 5781
25 Kislev 5781/December 11, 2020
Mevorchim Chodesh Teves
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SPICE IT UP
If I was
making supper for my family, it would consist of Cheerios every night. The only
choice would be with milk or just plain cereal? My wife however, aside from
deciding what to make for supper, and investing the effort to actually make it,
with multiple children b”h invading our home, she also has to contend with
ungrateful children who don’t approve of that night’s supper (you thought this
only happened in your house?).
So, it’s
rare that she makes a supper which gets approval ratings from every child. (If
a mother bases her success as a mother on her children’s approval rating, she
can go straight to therapy...) But a few nights ago, she “nailed it” by making
chicken poppers. The critics gave rave reviews - “This is better than Dougies!”
“These are great, and I don’t need to eat them with a fork.” They especially
enjoyed the spicy sauce she made, that the poppers were doused in.
These
days we take our sauces very seriously. When you order a fleishig sandwich,
after finally deciding what kind of meat or chicken to order, which vegetables
you want, and if you want to add fried onions, you have to decide what sauces
to put on top. You have about fifteen seconds to pick two of the twelve
different sauces. And whichever ones you pick, the other people with you will
tell you that you should have picked the other ones.
What’s
with all the sauces, especially hot sauce?
It turns
out that there’s a scientific explanation for why people enjoy hot food.
Capsaicin is the chemical in spicy foods which makes them feel hot. When it
touches your tongue your body registers that sensation as pain. That in turn
triggers the release of endorphins, the “happy chemical”, that gives a person
an instant feeling of pleasure.
On a
simpler level, we like things that give a little kick to the more mundane
components of our life. We even talk about “spicing up” our lives.
On a
different note, addictions cause a person to chase after an elusive high that
ultimately makes the person feel even worse. The worst part of it is that it’s
really hard to get out of that destructive pattern.
There
are those who suggest that Americans are addicted to outrage. It’s become
increasingly more commonplace to hear people arguing heatedly over anything and
everything. It’s no longer limited to politics and sports. Now people scream
about their food not being prepared how they want it, about traffic, about
lines, and every other minor inconvenience. Part of the reason is that people
need some excitement and passion in their life to add some spice to their
otherwise dreary day.
My
rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein, would dolefully note that life is like a piece of
chewing gum - there’s a little bit of flavor and the rest is chew, chew, chew.
It’s up
to us to either add some flavor or find a way to appreciate and enjoy the
chewing.
One of
the rules of life is that the more one invests in something the more connected
he will feel with that investment and the more excited he will be when engaging
in it.
Part of
the beauty of holidays is that they add excitement to our lives. Many of our
fondest and most nostalgic memories revolve around holidays.
The
conscientious Jew does not only observe the holidays as a way to add excitement
to his life generally, but also in his Avodas Hashem. Each Yom Tov has its own
focus that we can grow in.
The
message of Chanukah is a message of hope, even in the darkest of times.
Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks a”h noted that, “Optimism is the belief that things will get
better. Hope is the faith that, together, we can make things better. Optimism
is a passive virtue, hope an active one. It takes no courage to be an optimist,
but it takes a great deal of courage to have hope.” Chanukah isn’t merely about
optimism, but about hope. It reminds us that no matter how bleak things are, we
can make a difference. Our yearning for greatness and willingness to fight for
our faith is the guarantee of our eternity.
In our
daily lives we may sometimes forget the great merit and opportunity we have to
be part of such a special people.
Some
like their latkes with applesauce, others with sour cream. Some like jelly
donuts, some like custard or cream. (Personally, I don’t discriminate when it
comes to donuts.)
But more
importantly, Chanukah spices up our Judaism by igniting our souls. The Chanukah
candles invigorate our spirit in a way that lingers long after the physical
candles have burned out.
Freilichen Chanukah
Sameiach,
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
R’ Dani and Chani Staum