HanuCalendar

Happy Hannukah!
The 25-day countdown to Hanukkah (Chanukah) begins on the last day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan and continues through the month of Kislev, ending with the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle on the 25th of Kislev.

Counting down the days to Hanukkah can be a fun and educational tradition. Each day brings a little poem, phrase, story, or tale, all centered around lighting the spark.

Come back each day for a new Daily Spark: a thought, a story, a bit of wisdom, or something to make you smile as we count down to Hanukkah.

You can make your own calendar, or bring home a beautiful, handmade HanuCalendar from Oryx at www.oryxbristolvt.com. You can also get a set of 25 little gifts and notes to fill it, making each day of the countdown a little more special.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 
30 Cheshvan, 5787

יהי אור

“Let there be light.” — Genesis 1:3

Today is the first day of our calendar. It is also the last day of the month of Cheshvan and the beginning of Kislev. On the 25th day of Kislev, we will light the first candle of Hanukkah.

For today's inspiration, we turn to the very first appearance of the word light in the Bible.

In the beginning, creation started with a simple command: "Let there be light." The first step in creating the world was bringing light into the darkness.

There is a lesson here for our own lives. We need to recognize the difference between light and darkness, separate the two, and make room for more light in our everyday lives.

Darkness is simply the absence of light. Even the smallest spark can push it away.

Be the spark.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 
1 Kislev, 5787

וְעָשִׂיתָ מְנֹרַת זָהָב טָהוֹר, מִקְשָׁה תֵּעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה; יְרֵכָהּ וְקָנָהּ, גְּבִיעֶיהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ מִמֶּנָּה יִהְיוּ׃

Make a Menorah of pure gold. Its base and shaft, cups, knobs, and flowers shall be hammered from a single piece.

— Exodus 25:31

The Menorah is one of the most recognizable symbols of Hanukkah.

In the Torah, we find the instructions for making the golden Menorah that would illuminate the Tabernacle. Its branches, cups, knobs, and flowers were all to be made from a single piece of gold.

More than a thousand years later, the Maccabees defeated the Greek army, reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem, and rededicated it. They were once again able to restore the Temple service and light its Menorah.

Jewish tradition remembers two miracles associated with Hanukkah: the military victory and the miracle of the oil. According to the rabbinic account, a small sealed jug of pure oil, enough for just one day, miraculously kept the Temple Menorah burning for eight days.

Throughout Jewish history, different generations have emphasized different aspects of this story. The ancient accounts focus on the victory and the rededication of the Temple, while later rabbinic tradition gives particular prominence to the miracle of the oil. Over time, the lighting of the Hanukkah candles became the central ritual and one of the holiday's most enduring symbols.

The Menorah connects all these chapters of our history: the ancient instructions in the Torah, the rededication of the Temple, and the lights we kindle today.

Keep the Spark.