On the sixth night and day of Chanukah we think about the wonders of lakes and sufganiot. Latkes are traditionally potato pancakes but can also be made out of other vegetables like sweet potato, spinach,carrot and even zucchini. Everyone has their favorite recipe some call for flour added others like their unadulterated with just the shredded vegetable mixed with a little egg and fried deeply in the oil. It is the oil that is the important part of the holiday celebration. That is why the Israeli favorite is the sufgania or jelly doughnut! They too are deep fried in oil.
These food choices are to remind us of the jar of oil-found by Judah Maccabees when they reclaimed the Tempe and rededicated it to the worship of the Jewish God. The story in the Talmud tells us there was but one jar of oil sealed with the proper kosher seal and it was that oil that never needed adding to during the eight-day celebration. It lasted and lasted beyond imagination!
So in tribute to this holiday of Chanukah we eat things dripping in oil or fried in oil. I guess you imagine Chanukah fried chicken and even Chanukah fried zucchini! Okay, perhaps not the most heart healthy holiday. But the foods that we eat are symbolic reminding us of that unique story of the oil that lasted.
On this sixth night and day of Chanukah-you might ask yourself how you are like the oil? How do you go and go and last beyond expectations? How does God grant you the wellness and how do you preserve your own wellness to keep moving forward in a life of goodness, wholeness and health? Perhaps you might not eat so many jelly doughnuts or even so many latkes this year. Perhaps just a light drizzle of olive oil on your salad as a reminder of the miracle of oil.
This sixth night and day of Chanukah as you kindle the chanukiah-dedicate this candle to a future filled with wellbeing both the spiritual and the physical and emotional wellbeing that will uplift you and indeed make you last and last and last! Happy Chanukah and Healthy Chanukah!