A Little Bit of Light

A brief thought as Chanuka winds down:

We in the mental health field spend much of our time repairing damage. Repair happens in different ways, through varied interventions, and often through the vehicle of the therapeutic relationship itself.

But sometimes repair seems impossible. Sometimes the walls are too high, the barriers too thick. Sometimes it seems as though time and money are spent in vain.

It is in those times that I think of that oft-quoted phrase, “A little bit of light dispels much darkness” (Bakhya ibn Pakuda). My Rebbi, Rabbi Avraham Baruch Rauch of WITS, would quote this often.

When the darkness is closing in, a little bit of light goes a long way. A reason to hope. A supportive smile. A joke, even. A sincere compliment. A safe place to just be. A therapeutic hour of undivided attention.

A little bit of light goes a long way.