Swaying like a flame – Hanukkah Day 3

There is a relationship between the flame of the candle and prayer. According to Rabbi Nissan Mindel in his introduction to My Prayer:

Our soul has, in fact, been called the “candle of G‑d.” The flame of a candle is restless, striving upwards, to break away, as it were, from the wick and body of the candle; for such is the nature of fire—to strive upwards. Our soul, too, strives upwards, like the flame of the candle. Such is its nature, whether we are conscious of it, or not. This is also one of the reasons why a Jew naturally sways while praying. For prayer is the means whereby we attach ourselves to G‑d, with a soulful attachment of “spirit to spirit,” and in doing so our soul, as it were, flutters and soars upward, to be united with G‑d.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682090/jewish/The-Meaning-of-Prayer.htm

The ideal of prayer is the revelation of what is already living deep within ourselves. By reflecting, saying words and through a bit of movement, we are investing our whole selves into the process. Through this, we can bring light into our day.

Tonight, as you are watching the flames of the Chanukkah lights swaying, reflect on the candle as a symbol of the yearning of your soul, your spirit, to bring light into the world through the words and actions of prayer.

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