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Light Inside the Dark
This Hebrew year we began a new column with Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, who is offering a 12-part column exploring the spiritual and psychological wisdom of each Hebrew month. Drawing from Torah, Kabbalah, Mussar, and seasonal awareness, each installment will highlight core themes, practices, and reflections to help ground us in sacred time. Join us on this monthly journey through the Jewish calendar.
Kislev is the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, when counting from Nissan. In the northern hemisphere it usually falls in November and December, when the days are short, the nights are long, and winter begins to settle in. Nature rests. Much of the visible growth of the year pauses and moves underground. Spiritually, Kislev invites us to do something similar. This is a time to slow our pace, turn inward, and give more attention to our inner life. We are asked to find comfort in the darkness and to notice the small, steady lights that live inside us. Quiet, stillness, and rest become spiritual practices, like sitting solid and calm “like a mountain.”
According to Kabbalah, each month has a particular energy that can support our soul’s growth. For Kislev, a few key symbols help guide us:
Letter: Samech (ס) Tribe: Benjamin Constellation (mazal): Sagittarius,
Element: Fire Inner sense: Sleep and dreams
Samech is often seen as a circle or wheel. It hints at the ongoing cycle of transformation and self-growth, similar to the Hero’s Journey. Life brings ups and downs, light and dark, clarity and confusion. Samech whispers that we do not travel this journey alone. There is support around us and within us, even when we cannot see it clearly. The tribe of Benjamin is associated with a fierce, protective energy. Midrash describes him as a “wolf,” held close “in the heart of God’s bosom.” This image can encourage us to face hard truths, patterns, or habits that no longer serve us, while knowing we are still held in love. The sign of Sagittarius is the archer, holding a bow drawn toward a distant point. The bow can remind us of the rainbow in Genesis, the sign of a covenant that life on earth will be protected and respected. It can also remind us of the courage of the Maccabees in the Hanukkah story. In both cases, Kislev asks us: What are you aiming your life toward now? Where does your deep intention want to land?
Kislev is connected to the sense of sleep. Sleep is not just absence of activity. In sleep we dream, integrate, and process. Our dreams may bring images, insights, or feelings that help us move forward in life. This month is a good time to:
- Pay attention to your dreams.
- Notice recurring symbols or emotions.
- Set a small intention before sleep, such as: “May I receive guidance for my next step.”
Kabbalah speaks of seeking the inner “oil of wisdom” (Chochmah) to kindle an inner flame. During Kislev, this can mean listening for flashes of insight, gentle intuitions, or new ways of seeing old situations. Often these arrive when we are quiet and not pushing.
Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev and continues into the next month, Tevet. It is the only major Jewish holiday that spans two Hebrew months. Historically, Hanukkah marks the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid (Syrian Greek) empire in the second century BCE, after harsh bans on central Jewish practices such as Shabbat and circumcision. The Temple in Jerusalem had been defiled. When the Maccabees reclaimed it, they searched for pure oil to rekindle the eternal light. Tradition tells us they found only enough oil for one day, and a miracle occurred: the flame burned for eight days, long enough to prepare new oil. The Temple was rededicated. The very name Hanukkah means “dedication.”
Kislev gives us a simple and powerful practice: lighting the Hanukkah candles. One way to work with this practice:
- As you light your menorah, imagine that you have a small holy temple inside you, a place that holds your deepest dreams and holiest visions.
- See your body as the candle and your soul as the flame.
- As you watch the candles, let your gaze soften. Notice the colors, the movement of the wick, the way the light pushes back the darkness around it.
You can gently move between eyes open and eyes closed. With eyes open, you take in the physical light. With eyes closed, you let the light travel inside, into memory, feeling, and imagination.
If you wish, you can ask a question to the light:
- “What do you want me to know this Kislev?”
- “What part of my life is ready for rededication?”
Keep a journal nearby. At the top of the page, you might write, “This is what the light of Hanukkah has to say to me…” Then write freely, without judging or editing. Learning to notice the unique gift of each month can strengthen resilience and emotional flexibility. Kislev, with its darkness, fire, sleep, and dreams, offers tools for expanded consciousness and deeper trust.
As we move through the month, may we:
- Rest a little more.
- Listen more closely to our dreams and inner wisdom.
- Aim our lives with clear intention, like an archer drawing a bow.
- Tend our inner flame with care and dedication.
Blessings to you and yours for a meaningful Kislev and a joyous Hanukkah.
Rabbi Charna
Check out Shulchan.net for more information about R’Charna’s offerings
Here is a list of Rabbi Charna’s monthly columns in the series:
