You Are The Wizard

During this month of miracles, nothing seems ordinary. Snowmen come to life on screen, people randomly break into song, love is lost and found again, and even the coldest of nights feel warmed by the bright displays of color. This Thursday, Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, begins, opening a rare portal of opportunity for us to connect with the real miracle behind all other miracles…

Here’s a quick—and for fans of Wicked, topical—analogy. Remember “the man behind the curtain” in The Wizard of Oz? Dorothy and her friends believed that their wishes would be granted by an all-powerful grand wizard who governed everything around them—as long as they obeyed his thunderous, borderline-oppressive voice. However, the so-called wizard turned out to be a smallish, gray-haired man bellowing through a heck of a sound system from behind a not-so-magical curtain. The jig was up, and the magic they had all believed in was gone.

But, was it?

The characters had all obeyed that booming voice even when it tested their courage. They followed the instructions even when asked to exhibit uncomfortable levels of empathy, intelligence, and determination. They faced adversity on their yellow brick path and discovered incredible friendship amongst the challenges. Those experiences, gifts, and qualities all remained even after this charlatan wizard was unmasked.

Unbeknownst to everyone, they were being led to a power greater than any wizard: the realization that they’d performed the miracles on their own! The real magic had been within them all along.

This brings me back to the greatest gift we’ve offered during Chanukah. This gift needs neither a package nor a sparkly, pretty bow. When we light the Chanukah menorah, we witness the source of all our miracles–the creative force behind the proverbial man behind the curtain. The candles’ light connects us with the greater Light, made brighter in the dark of winter. And when we connect wholly to this cosmic channel, anything and everything becomes possible.

The Rav wrote that we expand our capacity to usher in miracles when we go beyond merely seeing the light and instead practice being the light.

But how can we possibly be like light? It’s easier than you think. If you take a candle and light another with it, does the original flame diminish? Of course not! In fact, it’s the opposite: the original flame burns on just as brightly while having made the space even brighter through its sharing. Likewise, each of us has a unique way we can better the world. When we give of ourselves–not just to our families, but to our communities and to those beyond our circles–we enter into the light consciousness behind every miracle that ever was or will be.

The story of Chanukah tells of the ancient battle between the Maccabees and the Greeks, where a small band of soldiers overcame a mighty army. As Rav Berg explained in Days of Power, the Maccabees did not win because they had better weapons or because some giant hand swooped down from the sky to save them. Their victory was a product of the consciousness they brought into the fight. While the enemy wanted power and glory for themselves, the Maccabees fought for their people–to gain back the freedom that had been taken from them. Their intention in battle went beyond their own desires, therefore had the Light of the Creator on their side.

Later in the story, a small jar of pure oil, about a day’s worth, was discovered at the holy temple. Instead of lasting for one day, the oil lasted eight days.

This Light doesn’t belong to any one person, religion, group, or part of the world. It is for everyone, and it is up to us to use it to help banish the darkness. Even better, by helping to channel and reveal more Light where and when we can, we also create a circuit through which more blessings can flow back to us. The energy moves in both directions… and this is how we invite miracles into our lives.

You don’t have to celebrate Chanukah to tap into the potent energy of this time. Whether you are gazing at the stars, setting candles on a family table, or practicing another tradition or ritual related to the idea of light, you are part of a mystical whole that seeks connection, eradicates division, and uplifts the world. This is the true light consciousness.

Instead of believing in miracles, we can set out to help create them. The world needs us to pull back the curtains and shine in all the ways we can. Not just for eight days, but for the rest of the year and beyond.

I wish you a happy, bright, and extraordinary holiday in all the ways that are most meaningful for you and I invite you to notice the miracle behind all of the miracles in your life.