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A story is told of King Solomon, who gave his most loyal servant a most difficult charge.  The King asked him to find something that would make him happy when he was sad and sad when he was happy.  The servant had never failed King Solomon yet, and was confident that if such an item existed in the world, he would find it.  Still the king, perhaps understanding how near to impossible the task would be, told the servant to take an entire year to fulfill his mission.

The servant wandered from town to town those many months, searching high and low for something that would make the king sad when he was happy and happy when he was sad.  There were small victories along the way.  An object that could cheer King Solomon up?  Done.  One that could bring him low?  Not so hard.  But try as he might, he could not find one thing with the capacity to do both.

On the last night of his search, he sat alone in a doorway with his head in his hands, despondent over his failure and afraid to return to the kingdom empty-handed.  That’s how a man passing by found him, and asked why he looked so unhappy.  When he heard the story, he smiled and said: “Come with me.  I have just the thing.”

The man led the servant to his humble jewelry shop.  He took a plain silver ring and engraved something on it in Hebrew.  The servant took the ring and saw the words “Gam Zeh Ya’avor” This too shall pass.  All at once he understood that a happy person looking at this ring would be reminded that her or his present joy would not last forever.  But a sad person’s heart might lift as these words bought a glimpse of better days to come.  Gratefully the servant sped home to King Solomon, his mission fulfilled.

We have all been searching like that servant over these past weeks – in vain perhaps, until he opened his eyes to the larger story Jewish wisdom tells.  The one that is just as true in the days of King Solomon as it is now; that there is no joy without sorrow, no triumph without a history of defeat, no wholeness that wasn’t broken at some time.

As hostages are incrementally released from Gaza, we rejoice.  At the same time, until they all come home, that final Shehechianu waits to be said.  The lights of Chanukah, with their message of warmth and hope, do not promise that darkness will never find us again.  What they just may demonstrate instead is the importance of lighting one candle more each night while we can.  This too, we affirm as that brightness spreads, even this shall pass.

And after the darkness, light.

Join us on Friday December 8 for our congregational celebration: Chanukah dinner at 5:30pm and Family Service featuring songs from our littlest sparks (pre-K and Kindergarten students!) at 6:30pm.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Gutterman