The Gift of Dedication

By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.

Last Shabbat we announced the upcoming month of Kislev, which begins tonight with our monthly gift of Rosh Chodesh. In other words, we are officially in the “Chanukah Zone!” As we countdown to our Festival of Lights, let us each take a moment to consider the meaning of this holiday’s name. The word Chanukah means dedication, and in reference to the holiday, we recall the re-dedication of the Temple after its destruction.

We also see this word in our daily morning liturgy, as we recite Psalm 30 every morning. It begins with the words Mizmor shir Chanukat ha bayit l’David, A Psalm, A song for the dedication of the house, for David. Added to the liturgy in the 17th century under the influence of Lurianic mysticism, it mentions the name of God ten times. Because of this repetition, there seems to be a theme of dedication not only to the Temple, the “house,” but to God as well.

In this sense, Chanukah, as it appears in this Psalm, as a holiday, and as a core Jewish value, reminds us to consistently dedicate ourselves to our holy spaces and ultimately to God. Its repetition in Psalm 30 reminds us not to forget this theme, as we recite these words each morning, every day of the year. Chanukah is the only holiday which spans two Hebrew months, as it begins at the end of Kislev, and continues through the first days of Tevet. This reminds us that dedication of ourselves to God and the wider community is an eternal, timeless gift.

As we enter the month of Kislev this evening, let this be a reminder, during our countdown to the holiday, to dedicate ourselves to setting new goals for ourselves, to deepening our relationships with our fellow Jews, and through these actions, to recognizing God’s presence in our lives.

To connect our more modern theme of giving gifts on this festival, let us consider the gift of re-dedicating our relationships to ourselves, our community, and to the Divine.

Chodesh Tov!