As Chanukah concludes and the eight flames have been fully kindled, the light does not fade—it deepens. We now touch a light that is beyond candles and beyond time, a light of eternity that enters our very being and accompanies us throughout the year. Chanukah has a beginning and an end, but its essence does not. There is, in truth, a “ninth flame”—an invisible flame—that represents the eternal impact of every act of light, every prayer, every moment of courage. We have seen this in our own time, in people who endured unspeakable darkness and yet revealed an indestructible inner flame, sustained by faith, prayer, and the refusal to surrender hope. Some returned to their families; others live on in a way we never wished—but all have touched eternity.
This is the secret of the Chanukah lights that never go out. The Ramban explains that when Aaron was commanded to “raise” the flames of the Menorah, it meant lighting them until they could rise on their own—empowered, self-sustaining. Though the Menorah in the Temple was extinguished through destruction, the Chanukah lights were never extinguished. They burn specifically in darkness, at the doorway, facing outward, illuminating even a hostile world. They burn eight flames, not seven, because they represent transcendence—an eternal fire in the collective soul of our people. The message is clear: wherever you go, transform the moment into something eternal. A mitzvah, a kind word, a spark of truth—these outlive the moment and ignite souls for generations. Light a flame, and make sure it continues to burn. That is the light of eternity, and it is entrusted to each of us.
