Rabbi Moishe Steigmann

Light #27

Fire has a remarkable quality.

Unlike fire, most things in life, if shared, diminish. If I have a pizza and share half with you, then my portion diminishes as yours increases. That is a near universal truism.

Fire — or light — is an exception. When one lit candle lights another, the both of the flames burn as brightly as the first. When light between two rooms is barred by a closed door, the simple act of removing the barrier illuminates the second room without diminishing visibility in the first.

Light grows upon itself, brightening the new without dimming the old.

So, too, is it with the light within each one of us. The more that we share it with others, the more that their light is given space to shine alongside — not in place — of our own.

I am grateful for the light that I have to share. I am grateful for the light that so many have shared with me — both purposeful and unexpected. And I am grateful for the opportunity to help make this world even just a slightly brighter place.

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