In the movie “Demolition Man” the bad guy, played by Wesley Snipes, reprograms the computer lighting so it responds to the verbal command “illuminate” instead of “lights on” and “de-luminate” instead of “lights off.” I’ve never particularly liked Wesley Snipes, nor do I like “bad guys,” but this particular scene always makes me smile a little. It’s probably because the the way he says it makes it sound like a clever joke. “E-luminate! De-luminate!”

I’ve been thinking a lot about light and darkness. Of course they are powerful metaphors, based on the primeval fear of darkness. Good = light = daytime, when predators can be seen from a distance. Evil = dark = night-time, when predators can sneak up on us.

It seems that so much of my life has occurred in the night-time. This is a natural result of growing up in the North, where very long nights spanned many winter months. And it didn’t help that my parents often worked late, so I was home alone in the darkness (and afraid…)  But even in my adult years, my dreams often depict night scenes.

I would like more of my life to occur in the daytime. But where I currently live, for much of the year, the sun is too powerful for my fragile skin to spend much time outdoors. So I have become an “indoor gal.” And that’s not who I want to be! I want to be an “outdoor gal” spending time in nature.

And I want to bring more light into the world, in whatever small ways I can. There’s enough people bringing darkness into the world.  I want to be one of the “good guys.”

I ran across an article on the Chabad website recently about “Mitzvot and Customs.” And it says:

Illuminating the home with the glow of Torah and mitzvot is primarily the role of the woman — the tone-setter of the household. This is reflected in the woman’s obligation and privilege to light the Shabbat and Jewish holiday candles.

That’s what I want to do, the person I want to be.  One who brings light and happiness into the home.  Having a clean home, with a festive candle-lit dinner on Friday night, is a wonderful step towards encouraging an atmosphere of happiness.  And it’s something I used to do, long ago.  I even baked Challah bread.

What is so special about Sabbath candles?  In today’s electric world, they merely seem quaint.  But not long ago, light in the evening was scarce, and expensive.  Most homes had very little light after dark, unless there was a roaring fire in an open fireplace (which frankly is not that efficient compared to a closed stove.  But I digress.)  So on the Sabbath, when extra special food was provided, extra special lighting was provided in the form of multiple candles — two special ones in addition to what is needed for regular light.

While animals are afraid of fire, humans have a special connection to it.  How many times have you been mesmerized, staring into the flames of a fireplace, campfire, or candle?

Many cultures have myths about how mankind “discovered” or “created” fire.  On the website “My Jewish Learning” we find this interesting thought about fire:

Fire is universally recognized as one of the basic elements of the world. It is mysterious, frightening, mesmerizing. Its attraction is almost irresistible. In the Kabbalah, the image of a multicolored flame emanating from a candle is taken as a metaphor for God’s relation to the world and man. The flame is a single entity, yet it appears to be undergoing constant change. The flame adheres to, relies on, and appears to emanate from the candle, yet is a distinct and separate entity. The white interior of the flame is constant, but its exterior is always in motion and changes color.

Can I get my messy house in order in time for a nice candle-lit dinner this Friday?  We’ll see!

Can I avoid the temptation to say mean things behind someone’s back (de-luminating the world) and be kinder and more understanding (illuminating the world)?  This is a daily struggle for me, and old habits are hard to break.  This is one I really want to get rid of, so I’m certainly going to try harder!