See the Miracles

One of the important themes of Chanukah is פרסומי ניסא, advertising the miracle. We are to proudly acknowledge the miracle of Chanukah by placing our Menorah in a place that can be seen by passersby.

Many place their Menorahs in windows facing the street. Some even purchase a glass case to house their Chanukia, as it is called in Hebrew, and place it in front of their house, closer to the street.

There is even a Halachic ruling, that if someone lives on a corner house that faces two streets, he must place two Menorahs, each one facing a different street.

This also serves to avoid the suspicion of nosy neighbors. They might suspect him of not lighting the candles, because he didn’t look into the right window.

The point of all of this, is that we clearly recognize the miracles that Hashem performed for us in those days, as He does in our times.

We have a responsibility to count our blessings every day. What we take for granted as nature, is really miraculous. Seeing these “natural” miracles, helps us appreciate life itself. It greatly helps us to look at life in a positive manner. We should feel humbled by all of the kindness we receive from Above.

Perhaps Chanukah is a wake up call for us to count our blessings, and show appreciation for all that we have. We should keep this thought in mind, as we proudly display our Menorahs, for everyone to see.