Darkness (Hoshech)
חושך
We tend to equate light with good and darkness with bad. But darkness is the inseparable partner of light; indeed, we cannot see one without the other. Our modern world is lit up 24 hours a day; even when we turn off the lights at bedtime, our homes glow with blinking lights from our various electronic devices. We need dark nights as much as sunny days, to maintain our circadian rhythms, allow us rest and promote our health.
On a spiritual level, we may fear darkness because it symbolizes times of struggle or even despair. Yet we know from life experience that it is often those dark times of life that forge our greatest growth.
Conversely, darkness may be a gift, inviting us to restfulness, inwardness, intimacy. Natural beauty, art, and aesthetics require a balance of light and shadow. Modern theologians of many faiths are recognizing that darkness is just as necessary to our growth as light.
God “forms light and creates darkness” (Isaiah 45:7, quoted in the traditional Jewish morning prayers). Indeed, according to the Torah’s account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis, darkness exists before light is created. There is evening before there is morning, and so all Jewish holy days begin with sunset and not with sunrise.
So head out into the night and explore this Gateway of Darkness to explore the symbolism of darkness and night in Jewish Tradition and in your own life.
Choose your favorite Pathway, or follow them in order:
Losing the Dark
“Losing the Dark” is a joint production of the International Dark-Sky Association and Loch Ness Productions. It is available for free use in a variety of formats and languages. Listen to a Nighttime Podcast, or return to the Gateway of Darkness
Nighttime Podcasts
Nighttime can be a good time to turn off screens and snuggle in bed with a good book...or a great podcast. Nocturne is a very creative and thought-provoking podcast about life at night. I don't usually listen to it at night, because it's too interesting! Produced by...
Sharing Circle: Darkness
Enter the Sharing Circle to share your thoughts about Darkness and Night in our tradition and in your own life. Are you a night owl? Do you keep a lot of lights on to avoid the dark, or seek it out? What's your experience with dark skies? Have you ever seen the Milky...