I spoke to one of my greatest teachers today. She’s about 3 feet tall, she knows all her colors, she loves to draw, and I see her each day at Schiff Preschool. She asked me a question that I’ve been asked dozens of times before, but this time I gave an answer that was totally different. She asked me, “What does a rabbi do?” Immediately, I thought of all the people I get to teach, from our smallest to our tallest. Then, I thought about all the simchas I get to be a part of; how the smiles at baby namings, b’nai mitzvah, weddings, and more, are contagious and bring light to our souls. I thought of a many more things a rabbi gets to do. But in the end, I told my teacher that a rabbi’s job is to make friends. Just like on Chanukah when we add candles to increase the holiness of the moment, when we add friends, when we expand our community, we also bring in holiness. Hillel’s great ruling for Chanukah was to add a candle for each night because as the holiday goes on, each night is … [Read more...]