MONROE, CT — Rabbi Israel Stock, of Chabad Lubavitch of Southern Connecticut, stood in front of the lit Menorah during a ceremony on the sixth night of Chanukah Monday, while speaking to the small crowd that had gathered.
He called everyone’s attention to the spaces for eight candles, representing each night of the Jewish holiday, then to a ninth one at the top, which represents the Shamash, which means servant. Its job is to light the other lights, according to Stock.
Stock said Chanukah lights represent the victory of good over evil, of mind over matter, of spirituality over physicality, a victory of the Jewish people, perseverance and light over darkness.
“But there is one message I’d like to focus on, the message of the Shamash,” he said. “The menorah represents spreading light. The Shamash teaches us that it’s not enough to be a candle for yourself. It’s not enough to illuminate in your own space. You have to illuminate someone else’s life.”
After Chanukah ends, the rabbi encourages everyone to continue to spread their light to others.
“You influence one person and they illuminate someone else’s light and, before you know it, you have eight lights,” Stock said. “Each one is going to start lighting their own Menorah and, before you know it, you have a whole city illuminated.”
“Happy Chanukah everybody and I bless us all that we should all be like the Shamash, illuminate ourselves and, more importantly, illuminate others,” he said.
Among those attending the Menorah lighting ceremony were State Trooper Matthew Gamson, of Troop G, who gave the prayer before the lighting; Stock’s father, Rabbi Joseph Stock, who climbed a step ladder and lit the Menorah, and First Selectman Terry Rooney.
“The Jewish community in Monroe is always strong, happy, healthy, beautiful, wonderful people,” Rooney said, “and every year I come here the warm welcome that I get is second to none. Thank you every year for inviting me here. I know this is your holiday season and I wish all of you a happy, healthy and safe holiday season and a wonderful New Year.”
Standing tall
Rabbi Israel Stock shared a story he had heard of how one man shared his light with another.
A woman driving on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey stopped for gas and the gas station attendant, who was a dwarf named Vinny, noticed the picture of a man hanging from her dashboard. When he asked the driver who it was, she said it was her father.
Vinny became emotional and told the woman how customers are usually too uncomfortable to look him in the eye, because he is so short. But that her father did and would always take the time to talk to him when coming for gas.
The woman’s father had said, “I want to tell you that you are an inspiration for me, because you have every reason and every excuse to say, ‘oh, I’m not gonna come to work today. I’m gonna stay in bed.’ You have so many challenges in life, but you don’t. You still come out. You get up in the morning and you go out in the world and make a difference — and that’s why you’re my inspiration.”
But Vinny hadn’t seen the man in two years and asked what had happened. The woman told him her father had passed away.
Vinny was upset, gave his condolences and told her, “you should know your father made me feel tall.”
After Monday’s Menorah lighting ceremony ended, Rabbi Joseph Stock encouraged anyone who wanted a Menorah to take one home.
“Thank you so much to Trooper Gamson and to Mr. Rooney and the town of Monroe, and we should give a big round of applause to the Monroe Police Department and our public safety personnel, who are there 24/7 just to make sure that we are safe,” he said.
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