Downloading the Eighth Light: Chanukah, ‘Lucy,’ and the Torah as a Flash Drive Beyond Time

The annual revisiting of one of my favorite Jewish ironies, a classic for sure, where the preponderance of light, is realized only at the finale of the holiday, with all the lights kindled, and the fully illuminated Menora blazes with fiery warmth.

The irony of course lies in how the gaining of one hundred percent turbo light capacity, coincides with the briefest window of time with which to wield its fully charged power at maximall efficiency.

In truth, would the potency of the lights of Chanukah at their full capacity become "normalized" then it would have already been synthesized and sold as a street drug.

In the extraordinary moment in the film "Lucy," when Scarlett Johansson reaches "full brain capacity"— it necessarily forces her to (be) "out of time." I think the dynamic of the "short duration" of the 8th day of Chanuka comes from a similar place.

The question then would require us to shift our attention beyond the irony, and directed to the inevatable moments afterwards when the drop from full to zero capacity is so precipitous. What if anything, remains? And if so what are the possibilities of its application?

In, "Lucy," that same question

Is asked. And the answer is that she does indeed, leave something behind. A flash drive that she hands to Morgan Freemans character, Professor Norman, containing a highly concentrated form of the evolved knowledge ( the experience) she attained upon reaching "100 percent brain power." Though the "molecular transformation" this "caused" resulted in her becoming completely dematerialized, the "obelisk" like flash drive retains the information and knowledge that was gained, and stores those secrets "safely."

I love this so much as a metaphor for Torah itself, as the flash drive, holding Divine information in concentrated form. Thus allowing us to sift through what is fundamentally from a place that exists beyond our capacity to truly fathom; given the very real shortcomings of our allotted bandwidth —within the very framework and limits of those capacities.

Chanukah, at its core, IS a step "out of time." The Miracle of the oil lasting seven days more than it should have, was a brief reminder memo, re the flimsiness of time itself, and that it too, Just like us, is pressed into the service of a higher power. Time, is thus understood as A framework with which to regulate the infinite light of G-d sufficiently. Doing such, so as to sustain the illusionary framework of separateness required to uphold human consciousness.

The limited exposure to the limitless light generated by the spiritual fullness of eighth day power, like the fictional account (scientifically unsubstantiated of course, but perfect as a provocative, lush, and deeply moving metaphor) of achieving maximal brain power, is by design.

So I suppose a good question to ask ourselves, today, as we have the waning moments of this day winding down, yet still available, and experiently at our disposal, is to begin downloading whatever truth we have harvested in the lead up to, and fullness of, this light. What that looks like is something we must each ask of ourselves. Once downloaded it can be saved on this years post Chanukah flash drive, retaining the knowledge gained, whilst we were spellbound, dancing in the blissfulness of our eighth day dance, moving and flowing to the rhythm of the expanded consciousness available therein.

We still have a few moments to close ourselves off and lean meditatively, into the unlimited fullness of light, that is still here, if we listen and look

for it. Blaring, thumping with a power that bounces off the walls of our very souls, uninhibited by the pettiness of self consciousness, and unhindered by the tight restriction and regiments of human nature. A brief chance to still grab the experience, or even the IDEA of it, of being unfettered by the parameters and confinement of seven (th) day consciousness, that is the symbolic signature of our standard operational reality.

I have thought about mine. I am considering sharing it next week.

Till then however, we are "out of time" :))))

Much Love,

Wishing you all a Happy Chanukah and good Shabbos!

Rabbi Yossi