Lights: A Chanukah prayer in a time of war

It’s Chanukah. Candle-lighting time.
But we have been lighting candles all year.
And we so badly want these lights to be different.

Hashem, on this Festival of Lights, can we dare ask for more?
Show us Your light, share with us Your radiance, and bring forth our salvation.

God, may the candles we light this week bring with them a unique renewal of spirit.
Master of the Universe, reveal to us Your face in the flickering flames.
Almighty One, invite all that is truly bright in the reflection of Your pure light.

The lights of the memorial candles have become fixtures of our lives.
Every life snuffed short has left a void that no light will ever illuminate.
At each shiva, the light of the tall memorial candle burns softly, beckoning us to meet its gaze.
We find strength at the first-year azkarot, where resilience is marked by the yarzheit candles’ glow.
The many candles provide refuge in the small bits of light that gently brighten the dim, dark spaces of vigils, cemeteries, and memorial services.

But Hashem, on this Festival of Lights, can we dare ask for more?

The lights of Shabbat await us at the end of each long week.
Every Friday night, we set aside our phones, turn from the news, and focus on what really matters.
At each candle, we whisper quiet prayers for others’ well-being, and appreciate the light they carry.
We find strength in the light of our friends, our communities, our prayers, our relationship with You.
The light of the Torah portion provides refuge and anchors us with its ancient lens through which we understand our lives.

But Hashem, on this Festival of Lights, can we dare ask for more?

The light of Havdalah gives us hope for the days ahead.
Every Saturday night, we light the candle, feel the pull of the mundane, but choose to linger our eyes on the flames.
At each verse, we find meaning as we pray for “light and happiness and joy and honor.”
We find strength in the smell of the spices, in the burst of energy they provide, in the extra breath they encourage.
The lights shining off our nails provide refuge and give us pause before moving on.

But Hashem, on this Festival of Lights, can we dare ask for more?

Holiday lights guide us through our pain.
Every chag, we detach from the everyday challenges and try to transcend time.
At each familiar date, we say “Shehechiyanu,” thanking You “Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”
We find strength in the unique delicacies of the day, in the way they sustain us, comfort us and trigger our memories of happier days.
The lights of the stories of our ancestors provide refuge as we identify with them anew, more steadfast in our belief in what the end will bring.

But Hashem, on this Festival of Lights, can we dare ask for more?

The lights of Chanukah are consecrated; we don’t use them, but enjoy them.
Every Chanukah, we gaze intently at the candles, but this year, we focus on how the oil surpassed expectations, caught everyone by surprise and pulled off the unexpected.
At each glance, we promise not to take any of the miracle for granted because You, in Your great mercy, stood up for them in their time of distress…You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous.
We find strength in the miracles, the salvation, the mighty deeds, the victories and the battles which You performed in those days, at this time, and in these days, God willing, at this time.
The lights shining outside provide refuge from the dark as they refract the light of the prayers of thousands of yellow ribbons, allow us to accept each other’s support, and illuminate the way forward through all the grief.

This Chanukah, we pray that these candles usher in a renewal of Jewish spirit.
A light of hope, a light of resilience, a light of homecoming, a light of reunification, a light of healing, a light of faith… the light of God.
Master of the Universe, reveal to us Your face in the flickering flames.
Almighty One, invite all that is truly bright in the reflection of Your pure light.

Show us Your light, share with us Your radiance, and bring forth our salvation.

And let us establish these eight days of Chanukah as renewed days to express thanks and praise to Your great name.

“וקבעו שמונת ימי חנוכה אלו, להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול”

(This prayer first appeared in We will Sing Again: Chanukah Edition published by The SHVILLI Center. Click on the hyperlink for a free download of all 8 published Chanukah prayers.)