I am sitting in my car waiting for the mechanic to call me in so he can change the oil at its 3000-mile checkup. My car has an lcd screen that tips me off when the oil life gets low. Those of you with cars know that, without oil, the engine would seize and the car would, G-d forbid, be kaput.
With Chanuka just a week and a half away, the lessons of the oil are many. Make sure you use the purest of oil in both your Chanuka Menora and your car. The purer the oil, the longer you have the opportunity to benefit from the body of the vehicle you are servicing.
It is important to take care of the exterior and interior. The human body is a gift from G-d and the ancient Greeks glorified the body. They forgot, however, that the body is merely the coat that warms the soul in the coldest winter nights and the hottest summer days. It is the soul, however, that justifies the body’s existence.
What do we put into our bodies? Jewish people are commanded to keep kosher for no other reason than G-d told us to do so. Since He is the One who wrote the owner’s manual for this body, it makes sense to use the highest-grade food to keep the body running according to spec. If that translates into kosher food... pass the sour cream for the latkes!
How do we dress? How do we speak? How do we eat?
Like I said, the Torah is our manual given to us by the Manufacturer. If we want to get the best mileage with what we got, we need to schedule those checkups, oil changes and regularly scheduled maintenance.
One oil change, 8 nights of Chanuka -- coming up!! – D.W., the Facebuker Rebbe
