The Nailbiter
I am excited to announce that I have resolved to try my hardest to refrain from biting my nails throughout the 8 days of Chanukah! My daughter Hindy has agreed to join me on this campaign!
When we hear "Chanukah," what comes to mind is family get-togethers, the aroma of latkes and doughnuts, and the lights of the menorah. But there is a much deeper dimension to Chanukah, one that has inspired me to embark upon this anti-nail-biting campaign.
The mystics attribute the trait of "mesirus nefesh" to the Festival of Lights. Mesirus nefesh means self-sacrifice, and it is an integral component of the Chanukah message. The Maccabees put everything they had on the line to defend the honor of our ancient traditions. They, a weak and small army, were even willing to enter into battle against the mighty and huge Greek army: the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. They understood that the deeper dimension of Chanukah, represented by the tiny but mighty flame of the menorah, is mesirus nefesh. They showed the willingness and the ability to sacrifice, stretch and go beyond their comfort zone for the sake of growth, truth, and in their case, survival.
The Biblical commentators teach us that Chanukah is connected to the Patriarch Isaac. Isaac was willing be the sacrifice of the akeidah, the "Binding of Isaac," also the ultimate example of mesirus nefesh. Ever since that time, Chanukah continues to challenge us to tap into a spark of mesirus nefesh in our own lives.
Thank G-d, we live in a free society, and the threats of anti-semitism, while serious and real, remain rare. So, in order for us to connect with the message and meaning of Chanukah, we each need to look at our lives and ask ourselves what we can do to stretch ourselves and go beyond our comfort zone during the eight days of Chanukah. What method of self-sacrifice can we demonstrate?
Refraining from nail-biting might not be such an obvious area of spiritual growth, and I know that I share this vice with even the likes of Lebron James, but for me it is an important part of personal growth, an opportunity to exercise self-control and discipline, as well as make my wife and mother happy. :) I have been struggling with this bad habit for the past forty years. I totally relate with Mark Twain's famous line, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times." I figure that if I put it out there, it might challenge me and make it easier to leave this bad habit behind, at least for the duration of Chanukah.
What will your Chanukah challenge be?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Koval
