A miracle occurred
and they lit the Menorah from it [which lasted] for eight days. The following year the Sages instituted these days and made them into holy days with recitation of Hallel and [also] the special thanksgiving prayer of Al Hanissim.
There is a question asked in the Maamorim by our Rebbes and leaders [In a book called Torah Ohr and in Sharei Orah and in the Maamorim of the Tzemach Tzedek and in the Maamorim of the Rebbes that succeeded him]
Three Miracles of Chanukah
In fact, three miracles happened on Chanukah. 1. The triumph in battle. 2. Finding the oil. 3. The oil burning for eight days.
Why is Chanukah commemorated with lamps?
The Alter Rebbe points out that the miracle of Chanukah has been established with lamps unlike the other miracles as it the miracle of the exodus from Egypt is commemorated by eating Matzah and the miracle of Purim by days of feasting and joy because opposite to their exile whilst in Egypt with the mortar and bricks and in the times of the wicked Homon he wanted to destroy them ... whereas the Chanuka story happened at a time when Yisroel was on its own land and not exiled and only the Torah was exiled so that they should forget the Torah and to give up on the Mitzvah performance therefore it is commemorated through kindling lamps as in the Possuk that states “For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light, and disciplining rebukes are the way of life.”
Why Hallel and Thanksgiving?
Some of what the Mitale Rebbe says: the reason why Chanukah was established with Hallel praise and submission and thanks is Because Yiddishe Neshomoh souls are called the lights of Hashem as the Possuk in Tehilim 18.29 states “For You ... my lamp; Hashem, my G-d, lights my darkness” as there are two types of light the first is a white light which illuminates from a very high place .... But in the times of the Chashmonoim they fell very low because the Klipah overpowered them to try and make them forget Torah ...... and extinguished their light .... And they needed a more powerful light that came from Hashem’s very essence .... And that is why we light the menorah by the street to illuminate the coarse darkness .... With a light which comes from a very high place ... which is why we praise Hashem and thank Hashem which has to do with Channukah lamps .... and this is why we commemorate the cruse of oil which happened on the 25th of Kislev even though it is dwarfed by the miracle of winning the war which culminated on the 24th of Kislev ... this is because the real celebration is the return of Torah and Mitzvos which comes from the lofty supernal level of Chochma and this level is symbolised by oil hence the lighting of Chanuka oil lamps.
Deeper Kabbalistic Meaning
Some of what is written in the Sefer Hamitzvos 71.1 (Derech Mitzvosechah). The Tzemach Tzedek quotes the Pri Eitz Chayim explaining the difference between Shabbos and Yom tov versus Chanukah and Purim and explains that Shabbos and Yom Tov are a very lofty unity of Zun face to face which ascends through to the very lofty level of Kesser and unite there with the supernal Middos. Whereas Chanukah and Purim only reach as high as Nehi like a weekday but they receive from Hod of Zoh itself not through Yaakov but then unites with Yaakov. However, as a result of lighting the Chanuka lamps we are able to draw down to her a ray of light from the lights of the supernal unity which is face to face. And because this extension comes when it receives from Hod that is why it was established to say Al Hanissim in the Modim prayer..... and the reason why we light Chanukah lamps is in order to draw down from the lofty level of the depth of Chochma which is called oil and to draw that down to the Neshomoh souls of the Yidden.
