The Festival of Chanukah celebrates the re-dedication of the ancient Jerusalem Temple, an event which featured lighting the Temple's menorah lamp with a one-day supply of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. Hence we observe the eight-day winter holiday with a nightly lighting in our homes of a Chanukah menorah. We also daily recite special prayers of praise and thanks. Other customs recall the miracle by eating foods made with oil; by spinning a top or dreidel (with Hebrew letters abbreviating the phrase "a great miracle happened there"); and by giving coins ("Chanukah gelt") to children.

In a lecture given on the fifth night of the Chanukah festival, Professor Wiesel focuses on the special meaning of light to those who dwell in darkness and on the special role of giving thanks during the holidays of Chanukah and Purim. Both ideas are important for Professor Wiesel's teaching in general. In this case, the holiday of Chanukah and a unique lecture on the theme of "darkness" converge to provide him with an opportunity for searching reflections and learned analysis. May his words teach us how to look more keenly at the Chanukah lights as well as the darkness they are meant to vanquish. And may they also lead us to see the eight days of the Festival as an auspicious occasion for deepening and expanding our sense of gratitude.

Darkness, December 7, 1999 (the Fifth Night of Chanukah)
"Mai Chanukah," says the Talmud in the tractate Shabbat. Which means "what is Chanukah?" Chanukah, as all of us know, is the Festival of Lights. But then, if it is the Festival of Lights, why have we chosen the theme of "Darkness" for Chanukah? Chanukah is against darkness...

The reason is that there is a passage in the Zohar, the book of mystical splendor, that says that zman d'sharui bachashaycha, "whoever dwells in darkness," mistakeil b'orah, "looks at the light." And so Chanukah is perhaps for those who are in darkness, or who are afraid of darkness--and therefore we look at the candles. And if the candles could tell stories, they would be here...

Chanukah therefore means to look for light: in the Temple, when it was possible, and in ourselves--especially because the area of darkness is so dense in our very being.

There are two holidays, as we know, that are actually dedicated to gratitude. One is Chanukah, and the other is Purim. Why Chanukah? Because Antiochus Epiphanes had decreed that the Jewish religion should be abolished. But then the Maccabees came, and they fought, and they won. And even though there were very few of them, they vanquished the strong, the mighty, the powerful. Therefore we have to thank God for that miracle.

Purim was almost the same. Haman decided and managed to convince King Ahasueros, that the Jews should be exterminated: every Jewish man, woman, and child. And Haman was going to do it, if he had the approval of the king. And then God came with the help of Esther and her uncle Mordecai, and not a single Jew died. As a result, again, we declared Purim a time to thank God for that miracle.

Now, a question: on Chanukah, who or what was in danger? The Jewish soul, the Jewish spirit, the Jewish faith, the Jewish commitment to Torah. On Purim, in contrast, it was a physical threat.

Yet on Chanukah we have the Maccabees, who took up arms and fought the regime. On Purim, the Jews prayed and proclaimed days of fasting, as ordered by Queen Esther. But it seemingly should have been the other way around: on Chanukah, they should have fasted, and on Purim they should have fought.

But there is a beautiful reason for the response in each case being like it was: there was a covenant made between the Jewish people and the God of Israel, whereby God is supposed to protect his people. In exchange, our people is supposed to protect his law, the Torah. So when on Chanukah the Torah was in danger, we took up arms. But when on Purim we were in physical danger, we fasted and said to God: "Where are You? Do Your part!"

Therefore we have both Chanukah and Purim, and both really deal with gratitude, with what's called in Hebrew hoda’yah. And that's why we say on both holidays a special prayer of gratitude, al hanisim v'al hapurkan: "we thank You for the miracles."