The Earth was a vacant abyss, with darkness on the surface of the watery depths, and a great wind blowing on the surface of the water. – Genesis 1:2 As we enter the first Shabbat of the year, and we ...

Once a year, we do a double, magical lighting. The candles of Shabbat meet the candles of Hanukkah. In a year when we’ve seen so much darkness, this marriage of lights holds a special significance.

What could Shabbat candles and Jewish eternity possibly have to do with The New York Times – a “newspaper” not particularly renowned for its Jewish sympathies or for its support of the Jewish state?