It is no coincidence that the only commandment that has an element of advertising directed at the street and the public comes in the wake of a confrontation with a global culture that sweeps away everything that stands in its way.
In such situations, the tendency is to retreat inward, to close oneself behind walls, to protect oneself from the erosion. However, the Sages teach that the way to deal with such a flood is by actually going outside.
When a global culture tries to sweep the public along with it, in the name of progress and innovation, it is impossible to protect the home while abandoning the street. Such an approach can give rise to a perception of 'be a Jew in your home and a human being when you go out.'.
The youth and young adults will absorb a message that Judaism and faith are a matter for the synagogue and the private home, but in life outside, different rules apply.
The days of Hanukkah present an opposite position.
Facing the winds blowing in the streets, we will go outside and light the light there. The Jew will place the menorah "on the outside of his house." He will not be content with lighting the candles behind the walls of the house, but will make 'Nisa' announcements - external announcements of the miracle of Hanukkah.
Culture comes and goes.
The ideological struggle behind the miracle of Hanukkah, between Jewish faith and general culture, does not belong to distant history. It is precisely the challenge facing us here and now.
In those days, it was Hellenistic culture, carried by the Greeks, and at this time we are faced with Western culture, equipped with innovative technology, which is trying to turn the entire world into one global village.
This culture determines what we eat, what we wear, what we read, what we sing, what we believe, what we worship and what we reject.
The Jew, who tries to adhere to his faith and the values of the Torah, sometimes feels the need to defend and apologize, to explain and justify himself. The world belongs to the young, while he clings to old values and an ancient Torah.
Placing the menorah outside sends a message that the Jewish faith is not deterred by the winds of time that blow in the open. The small flames of the Hanukkah candles have the power to illuminate not only the home but also the street. This is a Judaism that is confident in itself, that does not close itself off or hide, but stands proudly in the face of the coming and passing culture.
Lighthouse in the dark
Nowadays we are witnessing 'Nisa' advertisements on a scale never seen before in history. Giant menorahs are erected in the squares of the world's major cities, advertising the miracle of Hanukkah. On Fifth Avenue in New York and at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, in Red Square in Moscow and Trafalgar Square in London, in the squares of Rome and the streets of Buenos Aires.
Millions of Jews see the Hanukkah candles lighting up the darkness and warming their hearts.
Even masses of non-Jews are being exposed to the eternal Jewish light, which has seen kingdoms rise and fall, cultures come and go, values change and fashions change. The Jewish light remains pure and original, unaffected by the changes of time, and stands as a beacon, marking the right path.
The Chanukah candles give us the strength to be proud Jews, both when we are a minority and when the street is filled with foreign cultures.
We proudly carry the flame of the Jewish faith, by whose light the Jewish people have lived for thousands of years, maintaining a faithful family life and preserving their uniqueness. It is the light that will ultimately bring the entire world to redemption.
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