My brother quoted a beautiful thought from Rav Chaim Shmulevitz. Permit me to paraphrase. Why do we celebrate the slow-burning oil as opposed to, well, victory against all odds and staying alive? Rav Chaim Shmulevitz answers that it is often the little things that showcase love best. Hashem saved our lives, sure, but the big picture can get lost quickly in the minutiae of daily living. It is the small, subtle, often unexpected gifts that can show us He cares.

Chanuka is a great time to appreciate the good that we have in our lives. [Any day is, really: I’ve always heard that “Jews celebrate Thanksgiving every day”.] Of course, we’re alive. If we’re healthy, we can be grateful for that. These are true miracles. But it can be hard to be truly grateful for such big ticket items as life, health, family, shelter, and the like. These are things that we likely take for granted, and mustering up true feelings of thanks can be difficult.

This Chanuka, let’s focus on the little miracles of daily life. Finding parking in Brooklyn, for example, is surely a small miracle. What a great sense of relief you feel when you make it to the store just before they close, or when you didn’t get that ticket, or when the jelly from the donut just misses your shirt (and let’s not forgot the confectionary sugar)! I would guess that we feel G-d’s presence more in those moments than when we wake up and notice we’re alive and well.

So, when the train comes just as you enter the station, when you remember to shut the iron, when your baby smiles and your boss doesn’t yell, when the cholent is perfectly spiced, and even when you had a really good session with your therapist (or client!), remember: these are symbols of Hashem’s love. It’s His way of giving you a wink, a quick hug, or a kiss on the head.

How did Hashem wink at you today?

Shimmy Feintuch, LCSW CASAC-G maintains a private practice in Brooklyn, NY, and Washington Heights, NYC, with specialties in addictions and anxiety. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Contact: (530) 334-6882 or shimmyfeintuch@gmail.com. 

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