A beautiful thing about Jewish life is our constant flow of events and exercises. Each Mitzvah, every holiday, beckons us further along our personal road of self-actualization; and each elevates our conciousness in some manner or form.
Sounds empowering. But, in a way, it also sounds tiring. Why can't we just leave well enough alone? You know: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Or "be satisfied with what you have".
In truth, I DO need to find satisfaction with my present situation when it comes to my car, clothing, house etc.
But my life's moral/spiritual journey is different. That's all about progress.
Just standing still on life's road is actually regressing. In the words of the Talmud: "One who doesn't INcrease, DEcreases".
Why? Because living a value-based life means being on the edge, constantly watching for the opportunities and challenges that arise. I need to always be searching, looking for ways to reach my potential.
I should generally be comfortable with who I am, but I should never abandon the vision of who I can become.
I need to keep growing, because self-satisfaction leads to complacency, and moral-growth paralysis. It's the feeling of "If I'm good enough, why grow?"
So Chanukah teaches us an important life-lesson. Even though we lit x candles yesterday, we need to burn even brighter today.
Because life is about growth, and about consistently increasing the light we bring to the world. Sounds a bit daunting. But I guess that's the price of a meaningful life.