Up & Down

There is a Talmudic dispute as to the order of lighting Chanukah candles. The school of Shammai maintained that you begin with 8 lights on the first night and work your way down to one light on the final night. The school of Hillel, whose opinion we follow, maintains to begin with one light and work your way up to eight. What is the meaning behind this dispute?

The fire of the Chanukah candles can be seen as a fire purging all that is impure from the person. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a holy fire bringing light and passionate heat within the person. Which perspective is true? They both are. The fire symbolizes both aspects, the ridding of that which is harmful, and the embodiment of that which is good.

The dispute as to the order of lighting centers around which perspective is primary. The House of Shamai is of the opinion that the burning fire purging the evil is the primary perspective. Therefore the first day needs the greatest fire; each succeeding day with there being less evil, the fire diminishes. According to the School of Hillel the fire represents the good in the person, the longer the fire burns the more good in the person. Each day the fire increases.

Outside

Ideally Chanukah candles are meant to be placed outside of the home, by the street. This is an allusion to the fact that the light of the spirituality of the Torah is so great that even when one leaves the protective cocoon of the home, and wanders out into a dark world full of temptations and challenges to one's belief system, the light can still win out. Even those who are found in places devoid of all Jewish Spirituality can be brought back by the light of the Chanukah candles.