"A pencil maker told the pencil 5 important lessons just before putting it in the box:

1. Everything you do will always leave a mark.
2. You can always correct the mistakes you make.
3. What is important is what is inside of you.
4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpenings which will only make you better.
5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you."  Author Unknown

"At this time of year, when the sun is most hidden, the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the rays of hope and light.  Indeed, the physical darkness of this time of year can be a metaphor for the darkness that often envelopes us at times of illness and loss of a loved one, when the world sometimes feels dark and cold.  At such times, we yearn for the sun, and the light and warmth that it provides.  Often, it is through simple and unrecognized miracles that we are able to feel the warmth of hope and light." 
Rabbi Rafael Goldstein

"Is not Hanukkah a symbol of Israel, and its light a symbol of his immortality?"  Leo Jung