There’s a wonderful teaching by Nachman of Breslov:

The Menorah and the eternal light bear witness to God’s presence in the world.  They remind us that only God can create light.  All we can do is to take one light and use it to light another.  And so, we find that everything is from God, the fire, and the light, and the oil, and the wicks – all of them are gifts from God.  But if we do not do our part, the world will be dark.  One candle will not light another.

This is the world that the Holy One wanted to create: a world that we would complete through our holiness down below.  This is the work of all of us, to kindle the light in each other’s souls.  This is the light that shines from shines from evening until morning, the light of the human soul.  And this is the light that reminds us that the Holy One dwells among us.  God could have lit the menorah by Himself.  But God wanted us to bring light to each other.

Times are dark right now. But we can still bring light to each other. And perhaps, that is God’s greatest gift to us. The One who created created light has trusted us to give light to each other.

Chad Sameach,
Art