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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. These words, by spiritual teacher Gautama Buddha were reiterated by Rabbi Menashe P. Miller, a Lakewood, N.J., native, serving with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, during Hanukkah services Dec. 8 at the Provider Chapel at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
“Each person, like a candle, has the ability to give of themselves without taking anything away,” said Miller while welcoming various attendees and inviting them to sing the blessing, and light the menorah for the eighth night of celebration.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an annual Jewish celebration whose occurrence is determined by the Hebrew calendar, and begins at sunset of the 25th day of Kislev. According to the Jewish faith, Jewish believers were given a different calendar by God, which was lunar. They used four different calendars simultaneously 2,000 years ago.
Miller spoke of the history behind the very special night of celebration, and how it centers around the miraculous victory of the Maccabee army that was vastly outnumbered by the Greeks.
“The mere fact when we were few and they were many and we won is a miracle that warrants celebration for eight days,” said Miller.
Once the Maccabees regained control of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, they found that the consecrated oil for the six-foot, golden menorah had been tampered with. It had to be lit with pure olive oil, and after searching the temple, only one small vial of oil, enough for one day, was found. It would take seven days to get additional oil from the nearest orchard, but the victory warranted lighting the Menorah immediately. Miraculously, the oil burned for all eight days until the new oil was received.
“The light of the Menorah disbursed itself throughout the world so there would be war no more, only peace,” concluded Miller as he handed out Servant Candles in preparation for each individual to light his or her Menorah.
For Sgt. 1st Class Victor Icenhower, Class 1 non-commissioned officer for support operations with the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a Manhattan, Kan., native, this day is a special opportunity to recognize his family’s history.
“When my father helped liberate Dachau [the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany], we stopped speaking German in public,” he explained while connecting this to his father and his hidden roots in Judaism.
While Icenhower’s experiences focused on his past, a new member to the Jewish faith, Spc. Benjamin Stewart, with the HHC, 1-140th Aviation Battalion, 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, and a Sacramento, Calif., native, focused on his future.
“I always look forward to playing dreidel with my daughter, Rhiannon,” said Stewart, referring to a traditional game using a four-sided top with the words Nun, Gimmel, Hay and Pay on each of the four sides, which together translates to “a great miracle happened here.”
Whether individuals’ thoughts ran to past, present or future during the service far from their homes, the meaning of Hanukkah was well communicated: When darkness overwhelms, make more light through kindness and goodness. Do not underestimate the power of light.
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2010 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 61807 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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